Role of the Barn Owl Tyto alba javanica as a Biological Agent for Rat Pest Control in the Oil Palm Plantation of Bumitama Agri Ltd.

Abstract

The Rat was one of the main pests in oil palm plantations cause able to significantly reduce oil palm yield. This research aimed to know the role of T. alba in controlling rat pest attacks in oil palm plantations. Observations were made on estates that had different ratios/hectare of T. alba nest boxes such as Pantai Harapan Estate (1:54), Kruing Estate (1:80), and Sungai Mirah Estate (1: 162). The presence of T. alba was observed every month at each nest box. The attack rate of rats was observed every month during January - December 2020 through a census attack in each plant block. Kruing estate was the highest nest box occupancy rate of T. alba of 37 %. The occupancy rates of Pantai Harapan Estate and Sungai Mirah Estate were 31% and 6%, respectively. While the rate of rat attacks in Pantai Harapan Estate, Kruing Estate, and Sungai Mirah Estate were 0.70 % a, 0.60 % a, 2,30 % b, respectively. The barn owl T. alba can control the attack of rats naturally and reduce the use of rodenticide. Rodenticide applications at Bumitama Agri Ltd for rat pest control in 2020 also decreased by 45% when compared to applications in 2019.