Inventory of Arthropods on the Soil Surface in Chili Plant Ecosystems Cultivated by IPM

Abstract

Chili (Capsicum sp. ) is a strategic commodity with high economic value in Indonesia. Pest control on chili plants generally uses synthetic chemical insecticides which can reduce the diversity of arthropods. Reduced diversity of food sources for natural enemies can increase pest populations. The objectives of this study were to determine the abundance and diversity of arthropods in the chili plant ecosystem with integrated pest management (IPM). The observation area was 6 acres. Sampling was carried out in August-October 2020 in Jagaraga Village, West Lombok District, Indonesia, on chili fields using the IPM technique, namely a combination of the use of pheromone and botanical insecticides and non-IPM cultivation techniques using chemical insecticides, and carried out using the Yellow Pan Trap and Pitfall Trap. Observations were conducted on the generative growth stages of the chili plants. Results indicated that 612 ground surface arthropods were recorded in chili plots using the IPM technique representing 41 species, 24 families and 10 orders. The order Collembola, which acts as a decomposer was the most abundant (42.81% of the total collected arthropods), followed by Hymenoptera (28.92%), and Diplopoda (12.25%). Analysis of functional groups showed that the species richness of arthropods in IPM plots was higher than that of non-IPM. On IPM plot, almost all functional groups were found, namely predators (18 species), decomposers (11 species), parasitoids (1), and pest of 11 species. The high number of predator species in IPM chili fields indicates the large number of niches available and the abundance of prey for predators to colonize. The order Hymenoptera is the most abundant predator group collected from the chili field with IPM system. The Shannon index value of arthropods on the IPM plot of 2,887 indicates that the chili ecosystem with IPM was a fairly stable habitat, the natural control mechanism was going well. Every agronomic action carried out should be able to preserve and increase the carrying capacity of the environment so that it can support the development of organisms for sustainable stability.