The effect of application of control techniques to the population, damage intensity of onion caterpillar (Spodoptera exigua hubner) and yield of shallots

Abstract

Abstract Shallot is an important cash crop in Indonesia. However, its productivity is relatively low, due to the attack of the onion caterpillar (Spodoptera exigua Hubner). This study aimed to identify the effect of the application of control techniques on the population, damage intensity, and shallots yield. This research was conducted by field experiment. Control treatment consisted of covering shallots by using gauze/net and insecticide treatment with active ingredients of profenofos, metomil, and carbosulfan. The research variables consisted of the population and the damage intensity of S. exigua, as well as the yield of shallots. The results showed that the caterpillars population of S. exigua was found at 16 DAP and increased up to before harvest at 44 DAP. Covering shallots with gauze effectively suppressed the population of S. exigua (0.0 per hills), followed by treatment with profenofos (0.14 per hills), carbosulfan (0.15 per hills), and methomyl 0.32 per hills). The damage intensity of S. exigua in the plot gauze covered was 0%, lower than 32%, 25%, 12%, 10%, respectively, in the control plot, treatment of metomil, carbosulfan, and profenofos. Covering shallots with gauze also increased the weight of wet-harvested tubers (50.83 g per hills).