The effect of agronomic practices and relationship of smallholders perspective on population and abundance of oryctes rhinoceros in relation to its natural enemies in oil palm in Johor / Nurul Farahana Hazira Hazlee

Oryctes rhinoceros is a major pest of oil palm in South-eastern Asia. The severe damage
of young oil palm done by Oryctes rhinoceros can cause the death of palm tree. The
Oyctes rhinoceros feeds on plant sap of the palm tree. A study was carried out on the
population dynamics of Oryctes rhinoceros and its natural enemies in North Johor for
10 months started from January 2017 to October 2017. Besides, there survey on
knowledge and awareness towards Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) of the
independent smallholders has been conducted in three selected district (Muar, Segamat
and Tangkak). Pheromone trap (ethyl 4-metyloctanoate) was used to capture the
Oryctes rhinoceros and yellow sticky trap was used to trap the natural enemies. The
result shows that the population of Oryctes rhinoceros in oil palm’s smallholders and
the present of natural enemies helped to reduce the Oryctes rhinoceros population.
Interestingly, relationship between damage symptom and pest was significantly
observed. Surprisingly, the present of Orytes rhinoceros in the trap was categorised low
but the damage symptoms of the oil palm tree were quite severe. For bio control aspect,
the population of the natural enemies was found low due to lack of breeding site or host
for natural enemies surrounding oil palm area. As conclusion, low population of the
Oryctes rhinoceros could give significant effect to plant damage which was very
difficult to control probably due to resistance development against insecticides. Reevaluation
of the threshold level of the Oryctes rhinoceros on the oil palm should be
carried out in future. For the intervention program, the presence of natural enemies in
oil palm area such as Platymeris laevicollis is greatly important, therefore, the
smallholders are encouraged and suggested to plant beneficial plants to increase the
population of natural enemies which subsequently could enhance the predation and
parasitization rate. The baseline data of the status and relationship between pest and
natural enemies should be updated from time to time for better understanding and could
improve sustainability program of pest management.