The influence of cropping pattern of pepper with citronella and lemongrass to the insect diversity and insect pests population

Abstract

Lemongrass and Citronella contain essential oils which are repellent against insect pests. Research on the cropping pattern of pepper with lemongrass and citronella was conducted to determine the influence of two essential oil plants on the diversity and population of insect pests of pepper plants. The research was conducted at the Sukamulya Experimental Garden, from 2018 to 2020 on a 3000 m2 planting plot. The treatments of the cropping patterns tested included: 1) Climbing pepper, 2) Climbing pepper + Shrub pepper, 3) Climbing pepper + Citronella, 4) Climbing pepper + Lemongrass, 5) Climbing pepper + Shrub pepper + Citronella, 6) Climbing pepper + Shrub pepper + Lemongrass. Each treatment was repeated twice. Observation parameters were insect diversity and insect pests, the level of pest attack, and the number of plants attacked. The results obtained about 66 species of insects from 46 families and 9 orders. The insects associated with the pepper cropping pattern ecosystem were relatively evenly distributed in all treatments, except for treatment 3, where only 4 types of insect pests were found. Pests, especially Thrips sp., were distributed in all treatments, but in the combination treatment with citronella and lemongrass, the population of Thrips sp. relatively low.