• News Archive
  • Simaster
  • Webmail
  • Directory
  • Crisis Center
  •  English
    • Indonesia
Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada Universitas Gadjah Mada
  • Education
    • Doctoral dissertation
    • Inauguration of Professor
    • Graduation
  • Achievement
  • Research and Innovation
    • Research
    • Innovation
  • Campus Info
    • Cooperation
    • Seminar and Workshop
    • Student Community Service Program
    • Other
  • News Report
  • Home
  • News Report
  • Insecticides, Last Preventive Option for Caterpillars Attack

Insecticides, Last Preventive Option for Caterpillars Attack

  • 18 April 2011, 14:10 WIB
  • By: Marwati
  • 12404
  • PDF Version



Caterpillars that attack trees in several regions in Indonesia are considered as a normal cycle. However, the high population of caterpillars is currently a concern for many people. According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ir. Bayu Krisnamurthi, the high population of caterpillars occured due to climate change in 2010. This change caused the caterpillar’s food abundant while the natural enemies are pressured and decreased. "So, there is the caterpillar booming," said Bayu at the UGM Faculty of Agriculture on Thursday (14/4), responding to the phenomenon of caterpillar attacks in Indonesia.

Archetornis sp. caterpillar species that attacks Probolinggo and some other areas, in Bayu’s observation are considered as the type of caterpillar that causes most harm. As for other types of caterpillars are considered harmless. "However, we can understand the concerns of society. After all this caterpillar, in the Javanese term, is always nggilani(disgusting)," he said.

Bayu admitted that the observations conducted by UGM, Ministry of Agriculture and several other colleges have not been completed up until now. In Probolinggo, which is considered as the most affected area, actually the attack area was not as bad as we imagined. "It’s relatively small, only 1.5% of the total mango trees. It means that from 1.8 million trees, the affected is only approximately 14,500 trees," he explained.

Of the 14 ,500 trees, 40% -50% or approximately 7,000 mango trees are predicted not to bear fruit for this year. Even so, many people still have difficulty to predict the amount of losses suffered by the community. "However, once again I emphasize that the plants did not die. Hopefully, next year these mango trees will recover and produce fruit again," he added.

In general, this caterpillars attack is starting from 2 branches, 3 branches, 5 branches, and so on. Luckily, in Probolinggo district the natural parasites are starting to grow as natural enemies in form of mold and bacteria from the worm itself. "In this Probolinggo area the parasitation rates (the amount of caterpillars attacked by its natural parasites) has been 80% so that by simple calculations in the next few weeks these caterpillars are expected to disappear naturally because it is part of ecological processes. That way, if they are not dead, the living ones would become moths," he explained.

Related to the issue, UGM experts are currently helping the process of forming these natural parasites. By managing the parasites, the prevention is expected to be completed quickly. After all, biological prevention is the most appropriate step of a series of choices. "That way the prevention using the insecticide becomes the last choice even though the government, in this case the Ministry of Agriculture, has prepared insecticides to eradicate the attack," said Bayu.

Furthermore, Bayu explains that these caterpillars have actually been found since 1879 or more than 100 years ago. Meanwhile, the population boom occurs seasonally. Caterpillars that attacks in Yogyakarta are different from that those in Probolinggo. "Of course, we will continue to study it; this caterpillar certainly is a nocturnal. While in the daytime, it is shy in the sun hence it likes to hide  in trees, and in the daytime that's when the right time to exercise control," said Bayu.

Related News

  • Natural Enemies Effective to Repress Population of Caterpillars in Probolinggo

    Monday,11 April 2011 - 9:15
  • More Outbreaks of Brown Planthopper of Rice are Feared

    Monday,04 October 2010 - 11:49
  • Dr. Enggar: Controlling Teak Caterpillars with Biodiversity

    Tuesday,02 March 2010 - 16:42
  • KP4 Discusses Solutions to Overcome Planthopper Outbreaks

    Monday,01 August 2011 - 12:30
  • Except Probolinggo, Caterpillar Pest Attack on 7 Areas is Within Normal Threshold Limit

    Monday,09 May 2011 - 15:40

News Releases

  • Banoo Scoops Top Prize at 2022 WE Innovate 05 July 2022
    Banoo, an aquaculture startup founded by UGM alumni, has w
    Salma
  • UGM Researchers Selected for 2022 Science Leadership Collaborative 01 July 2022
    Antonia Morita Iswari Saktiawati, MD, Ph.D. (Faculty of Me
    Salma
  • UGM Lecturer Attends TPNW Meeting in Vienna 30 June 2022
    International Relations lecturer Muhadi Sugiono was among
    Salma
  • UGM Students Represent Indonesia at Youth Ecosperity Dialogue 2022 28 June 2022
    Five UGM students took part in this year’s Youth Eco
    Salma
  • UGM Medical Students Win 2022 RespiQuizz 27 June 2022
    UGM medical students Azaria Evan Trie Tana and Wisnu Pinan
    Salma

Info

  • Install Fest Windows
    29 September 2017
  • Streaming Author Workshop Writing and Publishing
    14 July 2017
  • Hokkaido University Short Term Exchange Program HUSTEP
    08 January 2016
  • 2016 Amgen Scholars Program in Japan
    08 January 2016
  • Jardine Foundation Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies at University of Oxford and University of Cambridge
    01 July 2015

Event

  • 21Jul The International Conference on Sustainable Environment, Agriculture, and Tourism (ICOSEAT)...
  • 07Sep The 8th International Conference on Science and Technology (ICST 2022)...
Universitas Gadjah Mada
UNIVERSITAS GADJAH MADA
Bulaksumur Yogyakarta 55281
   info@ugm.ac.id
   +62 (274) 588688
   +62 (274) 565223
   +62 811 2869 988

PARTNERSHIP

  • Alumni
  • International Affairs

ABOUT UGM

  • Rector's Welcome
  • History
  • Vission and Mission
  • The Board of Executive
  • Management

VISIT UGM

  • Campus Map
  • Event

REGISTRATION

  • Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Vocational School
  • Professional Program
  • International Program

© 2022 Universitas Gadjah Mada

PRIVACY POLICYCONTACT