The vital pest that is the primary obstacle in the maize development at the farmer level
Amelia Sebayang, Rohimatun, Salim, Ratna Rubiana, Surianto Sipi, Sri Wahyuni Manwan, Abd. Fattah, Ayyub Arrahman, M. Yasin ,M. Sudjak Saenong

National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia

Abstract

The main obstacle to maize farming is the extensive loss of yields caused by the investment of the powdery pest Sitophilus zeamais Motsch (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) during the storage period. This pest attacks maize kernels in the active larval stage- they burrow, attack, and hide in seeds. Some research reports that this pest attack can cause damage between 18-20%- in conditions of high water content, the damage rate can reach 30-40%. In addition to direct damage, this pest attack can reduce product and nutritional quality, seed weight, as well as the percentage of germination, which in turn will reduce market value. Besides being able to cause severe damage to maize kernels, this pest also attacks several other agricultural products in stockpiles, such as sorghum, rice, wheat, and processed food products such as pasta and biscuits. This paper reviews several significant research results on the insect pest Sitophilus zeamais Motsch. In the future, it is hoped that it will provide helpful information for researchers and academics everywhere.

Keywords: development, maize, maize weevil

Topic: Integrated pest and disease management