The role of combination insectary plants and botanical pesticides in increasing arthropod populations of natural enemies and suppressing populations of s. frugiperda in corn

Abstract

Spodoptera frugiperda is the main pest of corn with a high level of attack intensity. Utilization of natural enemies both predators and parasitoids can be lured using zinnia flowers could be an effective control technique in suppressing armyworm pest populations. Pests hate the smells and taste of botanical insecticides a mixed of maja fruit and giant milkweed leaves which contain secondary metabolites such as volatile, pectin, saponins and tannins. This study aims to determine the effect of zinnia flowers and the application of botanical insecticides in suppressing armyworm populations. This research was carried out in Padakkalawa, Mattirobulu District, Pinrang Regency and Universitas Hasanuddin’s Laboratory of Insect and Plant Disease Relations. The research observed pest intensity, larval population and natural enemies. The results showed that the highest attack intensity was observed in the control treatment with an average of 12.59%/plant. The highest observed larval population was in the control with an average of 2.13 individuals/plant. In observing natural enemy arthropods in all observation techniques, the highest population of natural enemy arthropods was in the combination treatment of zinnia flowers and botanical insecticides with the most species being Lasius niger or ants which was significantly different from the control treatment. The results showed that the combination of insect plants and the application of botanical pesticides had an effect on the population and attack intensity of S. frugiperda larvae and populations of natural enemy arthropods.