IPB University Entomology Team Conducts Pest and Insect Research on Liberica Coffee Plantations in Podo Rukun Village
The Entomology Team of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food Initiative in Indonesia (TEEB Agrifood Indonesia) conducted research on the condition and influence of insects in the coffee plantation of Podo Rukun Village, Seponti District, North Kayong Regency, West Kalimantan.
This research activity involved five students of the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University who were accompanied by experts from IPB University as the research supervisor, Dr Purnama Hidayat.
“The Entomology team’s field activities are divided into two activities, the first activity is the installation of insect traps in the form of malaise traps. Malaise trap is an entomological tool used to trap, kill, collect or preserve flying insects for study, especially those that fly at low to medium altitudes in vegetated or forested environments,” explained Dr Purnama.
Dr Purnama continued, the malaise traps that have been installed in each coffee plantation of Podo Rukun Village farmers are left for three days to wait for the insects to be trapped. “In addition to activities regarding insects around the plantation, the research team is also responsible for observing diseases in Liberika coffee plants. Observations include the condition of leaves, stems, twigs, and coffee fruit,” he said.
Dawil, one of the IPB University students who joined the entomology team, said that there was an attack of Coffee Fruit Borer (PBKo) pests with an average of less than 5 percent, especially in non-agroforestry plantations.
“Regarding the excessive use of synthetic insecticides that are not specific to the type of insect, it is suspected that it can cause pests that attack coffee plants. Solutions that can be done by coffee farmers to overcome pest attacks that occur are using vegetable insecticides and improving coffee cultivation with good and correct intercropping,” said Dawil. (*/Lp) (IAAS/NAU)
