INFESTATIONS by the BAGWORMS Metisa Plana and Pteroma
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JOURNALJournal of OF Oil OIL Palm PALM Research RESEARCH Vol. 23 ( A23UGUST August 2011) 2011 p. 1040-1050 INFESTATIONS BY THE BAGWORMS Metisa plana AND Pteroma pendula FOR THE PERIOD 1986-2000 IN MAJOR OIL PALM ESTATES MANAGED BY GOLDEN HOPE PLANTATION BERHAD IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA HO CHENG TUCK*; YUSOF IBRAHIM* and KHOO KHAY CHONG* ABSTRACT Metisa plana Walker and Pteroma pendula Joannis are important pests of the oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacquin, which is the primary agricultural crop in Malaysia. Although there is a history of integrated management of the bagworms, information gaps exist with regard to their incidence, biology, dispersion and population dynamics. Such new information is needed to improve the current integrated management of these pests. Analysis of historical records of bagworm infestations over 63 955 ha of oil palm in 69 estates in Peninsular Malaysia showed M. plana and P. pendula to be the primary pests. Infestations were of single or mixed species, and ranged from nil to 7811 ha yr-1. Cumulative infestations were 18 297 ha, 4904 ha and 14 607 ha for single species of P. pendula and M. plana, and for mixed species of P. pendula and M. plana, respectively. This shows P. pendula to be the predominant species, and is attributed to its ability to survive very wet weather (>200 mm rain per month) and its propensity to balloon compared to M. plana, which is predisposed to wash-off by rain. Keywords: bagworms, historical data, incidence of infestation, outbreaks, oil palm. Date received: 18 March 2010; Sent for revision: 18 May 2010; Received in final form: 15 November 2010; Accepted: 19 April 2011. INTRODUCTION historical data on bagworm infestations of oil palm in Malaysia have also been used for the same Morris (1964) showed the value of historical data purpose. The last major survey was conducted by in population research of forest pests. From such Basri et al. (1988) by dispatching questionnaires to data, the important role of climate and vegetation a total of 1406 estates in both east and Peninsular in determining the synchrony of oscillations in the Malaysia. Reports of outbreaks over the period population of the webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury, 1981-1985 were requested and analysis of the was indicated. Atkinson (1999) used historical returns allowed the following features of bagworm data on the incidence of the wattle bagworm, outbreaks to be deduced: frequency of incidence Chaliopsis junodi (Heylaerts), in association with of bagworms on oil palm was high, and severe meteorological records for predictive purposes. outbreaks could occur at any time of the year and Time series analysis has been used to examine the more than once within the same area. Metisa plana underlying dynamics of the population. Similarly, was the most damaging species in Peninsular Malaysia while in east Malaysia it was Mahasena corbetti. Reports of single species outbreaks were common while mixed species outbreak could * CABI Southeast and East Asia Regional Centre, occur in both young and old palms, but the area P. O. Box 210, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. of outbreak tends to be greater on old palms. ** Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, Sultan Idris Education University, Lastly, Basri et al. (1988) reported that no consistent 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia. association was noticed between outbreaks and E-mail: [email protected] drought duration. 1040 INFESTATIONS BY THE BAGWORMS Metisa plana AND Pteroma pendula FOR THE PERIOD 1986-2000 IN MAJOR OIL PALM ESTATES This article reports updated information on number of estates and number of years each infestation for the period 1986-2000, albeit covering estate experienced bagworm incidence above only 63 955 ha of oil palm in 69 estates owned the economic threshold (ET) as well as the or managed by Golden Hope Plantation Berhad total area so affected in each year. ET was set (GHPB) in Peninsular Malaysia. In addition to at 10 larvae per frond (Wood, 1971; Hoong studying trends, attempts were made to record any and Hoh, 1992). The total yearly affected area synchrony of outbreak populations. was broken down to the proportions of area infested by M. plana and P. pendula alone and by mixed populations. Incidence of these MATERIALS AND METHODS populations on 3-7, 8-15 and >15-year-old palms were also established. Historical data from estate census, feedback and • the pattern of infestation by single and mixed advisory reports of bagworm outbreaks in GHPB species at above ET for M. plana and P. pendula oil palm plantations of Peninsular Malaysia over were plotted against months within the years the period 1986-2000 were used. Altogether, 69 under review. The infestations were compared oil palm estates were covered in the survey. The with rainfall patterns in an attempt to gauge locations of these estates are given in Figure 1. The the influenceof rainfall on outbreaks. This was information extracted is summarised as follows: achieved by graphical comparison, correlation analysis and by calculating the percentage of • data on frequency and species composition, single and mixed species infestations above host age preference for infestations and extent ET for the period under review that occurred of infestation were interpreted in terms of during rainfall per month-1 of <50, >50 <100, Key 1. Kuala Ketil 36. Sungai Sedu 2. Victoria 37. Dusun Durian 3. Somme 38. Sepang 4. Holyrood 39. Bangi 5. Sungai Krian 40. Semenyih 6. Jin Seng 41. Glengowrie 7. Chersonese 42. Pertang 8. Elphil 43. Sungai Sabaling 9. Strathisla 44. Kelpin 10. Kinta Kellas 45. St. Helier 11. Sungai Bruas 46. Bukit Pilah 12. Sogomana 47. New Rompin 13. Cashwood 48. Sialang 14. Sungai Wangi 49. Juasseh 15. Melentang 50. Paroi 16. Bagam Datoh 51. Linsum 17. Gough Garden 52. Bradwall 18. Flemington 53. Sungai Baru 19. Selaba 54. Diamond Jubilee 20. Bikam 55. Sungai Senarut 21. Sungai Klah 56. Muar River 22. Sungai Samak 57. Welch 23. Trolak 58. Tangkah 24. Cluny 59. Kundong 25. Bedford 60. North Labis 26. Edensor 61. Nordanal 27. Lanchang 62. Lanadron 28. Mentakab 63. Tambuku 29. Bukit Belimbing 64. Bukit Benut 30. Bukit Badong 65. Benut 31. Kuala Selangor 66. Kelan 32. North 67. Bukit Lawang 33. West 68. Mengkebang 34. East 69. Kajang 35. South Figure 1. Map of Peninsular Malaysia showing locations of the 69 oil palm estates used in the survey. 1041 JOURNAL OF OIL PALM RESEARCH 23 (AUGUST 2011) >100 <200, >200 <300, >300 <400, >400 <500 TABLE 2. EXTENT OF BAGWORM INFESTATIONS and >500 <600 mm. ABOVE THE ECONOMIC THRESHHOLD IN THE SURVEYED ESTATES • synchrony of outbreaks was gauged by the following estimate: Total area infested Area (percentage Year by bagworm / (ha) of total) No. of records of infestation 1986 46 367 843 (1.8) occasions with life stage (1st to 2nd instar, 3rd 1987 48 212 0 the same and above instar, or pupa) % synchrony = × 100 1988 49 325 0 Total No. of records (n) 1989 52 657 0 The total number of records (n) depended 1990 55 272 958 (1.7) on the number of blocks or fields surveyed. 1991 63 341 1 140 (1.8) Larger areas of infestation normally had a 1992 63 840 4 956 (7.8) higher total number of records. Synchrony of outbreaks was estimated within each 1993 65 965 5 257 (8.0) outbreak year for individual estates as well as 1994 62 641 3 539 (5.7) for months within a year within and/or across 1995 63 473 3 767 (5.9) estates. For the former, records on the life 1996 68 271 1 282 (1.9) stage of the census blocks in the field or fields 1997 66 396 861 (1.3) of the outbreak occasion were used. The latter 1998 68 337 3 425 (5.0) was meant to show synchrony over a larger geographical area, and an overall estimate of 1999 63 955 3 969 (6.2) the life stage of individual infestations above 2000 63 955 7 811 (12.2) ET for each month of a year was used. Cumulative - 37 808 RESULTS Johor. The majority of these estates (14) were coastal Sixteen out of 69 estates surveyed experienced in location. The frequency of outbreaks varied bagworm infestations above ET over the 15-year from one to 10 years over the 15-year period. No period (Table 1). These estates were mostly located in outbreaks occurred from 1987 to 1989. Outbreaks Perak (7) and Selangor (8), with a single incidence in occurred only in one year at Sungai Krian, Jin Seng, Chersonese, Selaba, Bikam, Sungai Samak, Sungai Sedu and Bukit Benut Estates. Outbreaks in two years were recorded in Kuala Selangor, South and TABLE 1. SURVEYED ESTATES THAT EXPERIENCED Sepang Estates whereas Melentang and Dusun BAGWORM INFESTATIONS ABOVE THE ECONOMIC Durian Estates had outbreaks in three. North THRESHHOLD OVER A 15-YEAR PERIOD Estate experienced outbreaks in four years, East Estate eight and West Estate had the most frequent Years in which infestation Estate recorded outbreaks, i.e. 10 years. The extent of infestation ranged from nil to 1. Sungai Krian 1992 12.2% of the total oil palm area of the 69 estates 2. Jin Seng 1998 (Table 2). There was no clear trend of infestation 3. Chersonese 1998 with years although the maximum of 12.2% or 7811 4. Melentang 1995, 1996, 1998 ha occurred in the year 2000. A cumulative total of 5. Selaba 1998 37 808 ha of oil palm experienced infestations above 6. Bikam 2000 ET by bagworms over 1986-2000. 7. Sungai Samak 2000 Metisa plana and P. pendula were the only species recorded. These occurred either singly or in mixed 8.