POTENTIAL ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI TO CONTROL SCALE INSECT PEST ON CITRUS TANGERINE (CITRUS SUHUIENSIS TAN.)

Abstract

Achiving of food self-sufficiency can be done by using of local potential that is by agribusiness in Indonesia. One potential locally owned citrus agribusiness was the use of entomopathogenic fungi to improve the productivity of citrus. Reports showed decrease in productivity due to infestation of scale insect. The experiment was conducted at the Integrated Laboratory of Indonesian Citrus and Subtropical Fruit Research Institute in October 2013 to October 2014. The study began with a survey for scale insect infestation on citrus crops in high land, medium land and low in dry and rainy seasons. Taken from a collection of entomopathogenic fungi associated with scale insect in the field. Collection of fungi isolated from single conidia and its ability to infect selected scale insect. Entomopathogenic fungi were further tested for the viability and pathogenicity against scale insect. The results showed that the sclae insects attacked citrus were types of L.beckii and A.Aurantii. The highest attack occurred at low land during the dry season by L.beckii with population of 4.2 heads increased to 5.5 individuals per 10 cm in the rainy season. Viability test results showed that the isolates had viability above 50% were SKB4K, SKD1K and SBB3K for 73.6, 61.6 and 53% respectively, which were collected during the dry season. While isolates obtained in the rainy season were SBWD2H and SBWD3BH, each with aviability of 77.3 and 78.3% respectively. Pathogenicity test results showed that there were 6 isolates known to have potential as entomopathogenic fungi for controlling scale insect, namely, SBWB2H, SBWD2H, SBWD3BH, SKD1K, SBWD1K and SBB3K which had pathogenicity over 50% up to 14 days.

Keywords

• Citrus
• scale insect
• enthomopathogen fungi
• viability
• pathogenicity