Innovative Technologies And Strategies For Integrated Pest Management Of Coconut In Indonesia
Coconut plants as one of the social commodities are widely planted by farmers and have spread throughout Indonesia. Coconut plantation area in Indonesia is more than 3.63 million ha, and 98.9 percent are smallholders with an average production of only about 1.15 tonnes/ha/year. One of the major causes of the low production of coconut palms are pests and diseases. Coconut pests potentially causing severe damage and yeild losses are Oryctes rhinoceros, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, hispid beetles (Brontispa longissima, Plesispa reichei, Promecotheca cumingii), Sexava spp., Coconut mite Aceria guerreronis, occocionally pests neetle and slug caterpillars (Parasa sp., Thosea monoloncha, Darna catenatus, Altha alastor etc.), Artona catoxantha, Hidari irava, Aspidiotus destructor, Batrachedra arenosella, and Tirathaba rufivena. The component technology to control major pests of coconut such as Oryctes, Brontispa, Sexava, neetle / slug caterpillars, and Aceria are available but those components sometimes are not optimally control pest population below the economic injury level. Hence, innovation in pest control is necessary to suppress the development of pest populations in the field. IPM conception for various types of coconut pests need to be studied in more detail in the field because IPM is not only a combination of technology but also including cooperation and synchronization program among the local government, agencies, the private sector and farmers or users of the technology. The formation of Farmer Field School in the implementation of the Integrated Pest Management (FFS-IPM) on coconut plants need to be developed so that the expected result of the pest control could be optimally gained. This paper provides information about coconut major pests and the innovative integrated pest management strategies of controlling them.