The use of pre-mixture pheromone for controlling rhinoceros beetle and weevil stem borer in oil palm plantation

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of pre-mixture pheromone formulation containing ethyl-4-methyl octanoate and 4-methyl-5-nonanol against rhinoceros beetle and weevil stem borer. Four doses of pre-mixture pheromone, i.e., 1 mL/2 ha, 1 mL/3 ha, 1 mL/4 ha, and 1 mL/8 ha, were tested following a randomized block design with five replications. A mock treatment using 1 mL of pure water was used as a comparison. The result showed that the pre-mixture pheromone could attract adult males and females of the rhinoceros beetle and the weevil stem borer. The recommended dose (1 ml/2 ha), as predicted, was more effective in trapping the targeted pests, of which the number of beetle and weevil trapped was 163.35 beetles/trap (equal to 8,168 beetles per 100 ha area) and 6.95 weevils/trap (equal to 348 weevils per 100 ha area), respectively. Each pest’s male and female adult was trapped at approximately a 1:1 ratio. The experiment suggests the potency of pre-mixture pheromone for controlling the population of rhinoceros beetle and weevil stem borer in oil palm plantations.