Pemanfaatan Tumbuhan Liar dalam Pengendalian HayatiPemanfaatan Tumbuhan Liar dalam Pengendalian Hayati

The growing human need for food make agriculture industry should spur production by as much as possible so that the food needs can be met. Optimization of agricultural products supported by technological developments in agricultural tools and  mechanization of agricultural machinery has become commonly seen today. Besides the engine, chemical materials have also been developed in order to control pests, fertilize crops, and creating new plant varieties. The main goal is to improve yields.

The use of chemicals or pesticides is not without risk. In addition to the high cost of consumption, pesticides also have adverse effects on human and environmental health. The use of improper chemicals in controlling pests such as pesticides can give side effects like; targeted pests become resistant to pesticides, pest resurgence or an increase in the population of descendants of pests than if it is not treated with pesticides, the death of non-targeted animals including natural enemies, the incidence of secondary pest, certain pesticides can leave residues in the crop, environmental pollution of land, water, and air, and the impact on human health (page 2).

Clear that agricultural activities now have to rule out the use of pesticides in view of the negative impact caused. Therefore, a natural biological control needed as a substitute for pesticides. Natural biological control utilizes natural enemy organisms. The principle is to use the secondary consumers (natural enemies) to control the primary consumers (pest) in order to lose the results of the primary producers (crops) to be reduced (page 11).

Natural enemies consist of predators (animals or insects that prey on other insects), parasitoids (insects paracites other insects), and pathogens (microorganisms that live in the body of pests and can cause disease). Utilization of natural enemies has several advantages, among others; it doesn’t pollute the environment and doesn’t damage the health of humans or animals, doesn’t cause resistance to pests, can work selectively, as well as a permanent nature which means it can be used in a long time period.

Natural enemies require habitat as a shelter and foraging. Generally, natural enemies are interested in wild plants in the surrounding rice fields. Some studies say that flies fluttering interested in wild plants Stachytarpheta indica, Mimosa pudica, Bidens pilosa, and Veronica cinera; insects of the family Coccinelidae interested in plants of the Asteraceae tribe; Adalia insects bipuntata and Coccinela interested in plants and wood clover bleak water lettuce (page 4). In fact, wild plants are often considered detrimental it can be refugia for natural enemies such as insects. Refugia plant is a plant in the surrounding area of rice fields that can provide shelter, food source, a place to reproduce, and a place to rest (page 4). Plant itself is the sole producer in the ecosystem because plants can perform photosynthesis only with the help of sunlight and CO2. Plants also have a lot of microhabitat such as roots, stems, and leaves that can be used by other organisms.

This book contains a study of the combination of herbs exploration around agricultural areas that are useful as refugia for controlling pests and maintain the ecosystem in the concept of biological control. The author describes the abundance and types of insects or arthropods visitors blocks refugia plants in a systematic and detailed exposure accompanied by pictures and graphics. Through this book, readers can know what kind of Arthropods who are interested in wild plant Mimosa pudica L., Vernonia cinera Less, Marsilea crenata Presi, and Pistia startiotes so readers especially farmers can determine what treatment is needed to maintain the land appropriately from pests by promoting the principles of biological control (ajemi).

Judul Buku     : Pemanfaatan Tumbuhan Liar dalam Pengendalian Hayati

Penulis            : Wiwin Maisyaroh

Penerbit           : Universitas Brawijaya Press

Cetakan           : I, Januari 2014

Tebal               : 107 halaman

ISBN              : 978-602-203-559-6

Permasalahan yang seringkali timbul dalam pengelolaan lahan pertanian adalah hama. Kemunculan hama biasa dihadapi dengan menggunakan pestisida berbahan kimia yang berbahaya bagi kesehatan manusia dan lingkungan. Pestisida juga memiliki efek samping yaitu peningkatan resistensi dan ledakan populasi hama. Harga jual pestisida pembasmi hama di pasaran juga terbilang tidak murah, sehingga dikhawatirkan akan memperberat beban produksi para petani.

Faktanya, pemberantasan hama tidak hanya bisa dilakukan dengan pestisida tetapi hama juga bisa diberantas dengan tumbuhan liar. Tumbuhan-tumbuhan liar di sekitar area persawahan terbukti dapat menarik Arthropoda atau serangga yang menjadi hama pertanian. Keuntungan dari cara ini adalah tidak menyebabkan pencemaran lingkungan, tidak mengancam kesehatan manusia dan hewan ternak, dan hama tidak menjadi resisten.

Buku ini berisi kajian tentang eksplorasi kombinasi tumbuh-tumbuhan di sekitar area pertanian yang bermanfaat untuk mengendalikan hama. Kajian ini didasarkan atas penelitian lapangan yang diadakan di lahan pertanian Sawojajar Malang pada bulan April-November 2010. Penelitian tersebut menghasilkan temuan kelimpahan dan jenis Arthropoda pengunjung blok refugia atau blok tanaman liar yang diteliti. Lewat buku ini, pembaca dapat mengetahui Arthropoda jenis apa sajakah yang tertarik dengan tanaman liar Mimosa pudica L., Vernonia cinera Less, Marsilea crenata Presi, dan Pistia startiotes L., sehingga pembaca khususnya petani dapat menentukan perlakuan apa yang dibutuhkan untuk memelihara lahan persawahannya dari hama secara tepat dengan mengedepankan prinsip pengendalian hayati.

Pest is an issues that often arise in the agricultural management. The emerging of  pests commonly encountered by using chemical-based pesticides that are harmful to human and environment health. Pesticides also have some side effects that increase resistance and explosion of pest population. The price of pest  pesticides on the market is also not cheap, so it is feared will aggravate production of the farmers.

In fact, pests eradication is not only can be done with the pesticide but it can also be done with wild plants. Wild plants in surrounding rice fields proved to be attracting arthropods or insects that become agricultural pests. The advantages of this method are; no  environmental pollution, no threat to humans and animals health, and irresistancies of pests itself.

This book contains a study of the combination of herbs exploration around the area of ??the farm that are useful for pest control. This study is based on field research conducted in Malang Sawojajar farmland in April-November 2010. The study resulted in findings Arthropod abundance and type of refugia block visitors or blocks of wild plants studied. Through this book, readers can find out what are the different types of arthropods that are interested in wild plant Mimosa pudica L., Vernonia cinera Less, Marsilea crenata Presi, and Pistia L. startiotes, so readers especially farmers can determine what treatment is needed to appropriately maintain the farm land from pests  with the principles of biological control.