Prospect of utilizing botanical pesticides for maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motsch) management to preserve national maize production
Ayyub Ar Rahman, Rohimatun, Salim, Ratna Rubiana, Surianto Sipi, Abd. Fattah, Hishar Mirsam, Dian Meithasari, M. Yasin, and M. Sudjak Saenong

National Research and Innovation Agency, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food

Abstract

Maize plays a strategic role in the national food map as well as a mainstay commodity in accelerating the realization of food self sufficiency. It is because maize has wide adaptability and is relatively easy to cultivate. However, the attack of maize weevil obstructs the increase of maize productivity. This pest is the most destructive and reduces maize productivity as a national source of carbohydrates. The global policy of limiting the use of synthetic pesticides to control agricultural pests has become a topic of discussion in international forums today. It is due to the large number of deaths reported by synthetic pesticides. WHO reports that every year pesticide poisoning occurs between 44,000 until 2,000,000 people worldwide, and the highest poisoning rates occur in developing countries. In response to this, the Government has made regulations through Government Regulation No.6 of 1995 concerning synthetic pesticides and the like. It is contained in Chapter II, article 19, which emphasizes that in the context of controlling Plant Pest Organisms (OPT), synthetic pesticides are only permitted and selected as a last resort. In fact, the potential for our prospective plant based materials to be used as active ingredients for environmentally friendly vegetable pesticides is immense. It has been identified that around 10,000 potential secondary metabolite components can be processed into active ingredients of phyto pesticides. In fact, there are about 400,000 species have been explored, which have been detected in 1800 species of national plants. These plants are spread in 235 plant families, with 2400 species of plants identified. This paper discusses the potential of phyto pesticides in Indonesia national plant treasures.

Keywords: Maize Weevil, Botanical Pesticide, Maize

Topic: Integrated pest and disease management