The effectiveness of citronella oil to control main pest on cabbage <em>Plutella xylostella</em> in the field

Abstract

One of the constraints to cabbage production is pest infestation. Cabbage caterpillars, including Plutella xylostella, are pests that must be considered. The pests can reduce the yield by up to 90%. One of the causes of the decline in cabbage production is the attack of P. xylostella. Until now, control measures against P. xylostella still rely on synthetic insecticides, whose application can have negative effects. For this reason, alternative environment-friendly technologies are needed. One of these alternative technologies is citronella oil as a botanical pesticide. This research activity aims to evaluate the potential of citronella oil as a pest control agent for P. xylostella. The research activities were carried out in two stages: laboratory research and field research. Laboratory experiments aim to understand citronella oil's mode of action to reduce the population of P. xylostella. Field experiments aimed to determine the potential of citronella oil to suppress the population of P. xylostella in cabbage plantations during one growing season. The treatment of this study was the frequency of citronella oil application. The results showed that citronella oil could suppress the population of P. xylostella in the field and harm the growth and behavior of this pest. The mode of action of citronella oil to suppress the P. xylostella population includes feeding inhibitors, egg-laying inhibitors, repellents, and insecticides. Citronella oil has no adverse effect on the natural enemy, Diadegma eucerophaga. These results indicate that citronella oil has the potential as a botanical pesticide that could help implement environment-friendly technology.