.. FINAL REPORT ON CONTROL OF RHINOCEROS BEETLES (Oryctes rhinoceros) (SCARABAEIDAE:COLEOPTERA) IN A ZERO BURNING REPLANTED OIL PALM AREA, FELDA PLANTATION, LEPAR UTARA, PAHANG (2003-2006). 7/" q7? .-J,J f .~ BY ( , Prof. Dr. Abu Hassan Ahmad PUSAT PENGAJIAN SAINS KAJIHAYAT, USM, 11800 PULAU PINANG. SUBMITTED FOR Yayasan Fe~da December 2006 .. Executive Summary XThe research was carried in FELDA Plantations in LEPAR UTARA 5, 9 and 14 under FELDA Plantation Sdn. Bhd. Central Pahang between September 2003 and January 2006. This is the first kind of research on replanted oil palms (0-4 years old) on the effect ofzero burning on the bionomics ofrhinoceros beetles (0. rhinoceros) (RB) and its attack on the young palm:vc The decomposing felled trunks provided ample breeding sites for RB immatures. ihe damages causedby RB on Tissue Culture (TC) palms were higher than on the DXP palms. The mean percentage of damages was high as up to 67.4% in 1-2years old TQ' Damages ondifferenttopographies were similar. ( .' \ .ABased from the pheromone trapping technique, some fresh information was revealed. There was a distinct demarcation ofdirection that the beetles migrated from old mature palms to nearby sites where felling and chipping of trunks were carried out. As the migration is almost simultaneous with replanting, it would be essential to place the traps alongsidethe fringes borderingmature palmbeforeplacingthe traps withinthe replanting area.'{ t Pheromone traps can be installed within the replanting area after about 6 to 7 months after Felling and Chipping (MAF), to coincide with the new emergence ofadults. Adult trapping can be stopped when first harvesting starts. Atthe same time, good trapping can reduce the numbers ofgravid female in field and decrease the probability ofreproductive female to lay eggs into the habitats: -'- Field efficacy ofMarshal, Furadan and naphthalene balls showed some effect ofthe RB. Overall, a Marshal 5G 12 gram is the most effective than the other treatments but it had the highest number of palms scorched. However it has the highest numbers of dead 1 beetles found followed by Marshal 5G 6 grams, Furadan 3G 30 grams and Marshal 5G 3 grams. 12 grams, 6 grams, and 3 grams Marshal 5G showed the best reduction of damages. The damage levels were below 10% damages after lOWeek of applications. This indeed demonstrated the reduction of damage percentages caused by rhinoceros .... beetles atthe endofthetreatments due to the efficacy ofMarshal5G. ~ The immature ofRhinoceros beetle were sampled in decomposing trunks from 3 month afterfelling and chipping (MAF) until the 18th months. Overall, inthe 3, 4 and 5MAF no beetles ofany stages were found. However, at 6 MAP RB immature startedto appear in ( the rotting trunk chips with a total 3 larvae from third instar, 1prepupae, 1pupae, and 5 • adults, respectively. Started from 6 MAF, a significant ofimmature beetle population in the rotting trunks, started to appear. Almost every month after 6 MAF, the first ,second and third instars larvae were continuously observed in the samples until the end of sampling, the 18th MAF. The highest density ofRB immatures and adults were found in 13 MAF. • 11 GENERAL OBJECTIVES: 1) To evaluate the damage cause by rhinoceros beetles (0 rhinoceros) inreplanted oilpalm in zero burning area at FELDA Plantation Lepar Utara, Pahang of different planting materials, ages ofpalms, and topographies. 2) To investigate population dynamic of Oryctes rhinoceros adults in immature oil palms for 1 year using pheromone traps in 40-hectare plot each at FELDA Plantations: Lepar c Utara05,09, and 14. 3) To evaluate the effectiveness of several insecticides against Oryctes rhinoceros in ~-2 years oil palm and its phytotoxicity to palms. Their efficacybased on palmdamages and the dead beetle counts. . 4) To investigatethe rotting ofpalm chip ages/times inrelationto the abundanceand the life stages ofOryctes rhinoceros matures inanewreplanted area. Comparisonswere made in zero burning (A) and partial burning (B) sites. ,. ,. CHAPTERl DAMAGE CENSUS CAUSE BY RHINOCEROS BEETLES IN REPLANTED OIL PALMS. Objective: To evaluate the damages cause byrhinoceros beetles (Oryctes rhinoceros) in replanted oil palm in zero burning area at FELDA Plantation Lepar Utara, Pahang accordingto plantingmaterials, ages ofpalms anddifferenttopographies. ( 1.1 Introduction Natural instinct has lead the rhinoceros beetles destroying developing young palms in fields. Prolonged and severe damage can result in delayed palm maturity. In 1999 (Chung et aI., 1999) combined the average crop loss for 569 palms plot caused by rhinoceros beetles had been estimated to be 53.16%. The result is more than the 40% value given by Liau and Ahmad (1993), and less than the 79% given by PPKS (1996) (Chunget. aI., 1999). ( That is why the census is needed to estimate effect of pest damage during immature phase on the early yields ofoil palm. This procedure should be carried out in estates to determine the condition ofestates. Infestation ofRB continuous should be controlled by chemicals during serious attack is the best way and may reduce the yield loss by RB attack. The infestation is usually brought down by selective control in estates carrying out regular spraying of Cypermethrin at 0.05% every two weeks. Monitoring the 2 population dynamic by using pheromone trap is important in order to know the economic injured level (EIL) of rhinoceros beetle in immature estates. This section will be discussed later in Chapter 2. The pests cause infestation by attacking the vegetative as well as the reproductive parts of the palm namely the spindle, leaf, and petiole. The pest attack is more on the petiole region with permanently marked holes than on the spindles and leaves. On the leaves RB () causes inverted "V" shaped cutting mark, which is due of the pest eating the leaf in the crown stage before emerging out. On the spindle the pest causes the chewing marks, which may lead to the breaking and drooping and also causes a conspicuous permanent hole on the leaf petiole making the fond to break or snap with light winds (Kalidas, 2002) (Table 1.0). Furthennore, it can leads to the invasion of secondary pests like red palm weevil, earwig (Dermaptera), stag bug, and bud rot causing fungi. L -, 1.1.1 Recognition of damages symptoms Several symptoms of damage caused by RB on the canopy of oil palm are recognized and summarized in the table 1.0 below: Table 1.0 Damage symptoms caused by RB on the canopy of oil palm a--.=,' .PLAM -: .T ,=- P.A. Spear Section of unopened spear cut offwith distinct chewing marks on rernaining portion. (-l 1.2 Materials and Methods 1.2.1 Evaluation of damages on palms in the 20 hectares plots. Location of Sampling The study was conducted for three times in different location from May 2004 to January 2005 located at Ladang Lepar Utara 14 and09, FELDA Plantation, Jerantut, Pahang. ( Sampling Procedures The evaluations of damage palms caused by O. rhinoceros were initiated from a subplot ina20 hectares area. Census was taken by systematic sampling for 1300 palms, at every even line. From visual assessment on the severity of damage, of 1300 palms each the following categories were selected: severely damaged; more two injured/dead unopened spears (easily pulled out, fan shaped cut frond) or more than two fronds were bored or snapped, slightly damaged; lrss than two unopened spear or l-2 fronds were injured, dead/bored/snapped, and NiUnegligible; palms with no RB attack (Table 1.1 and Figure 1). Damage assessments on the number of damaged fronds and spears were evaluated. Each census was taken three times (May, September 2004 andJanuary 2005) for various location and type of planting materials for eight months (Table 1.2 and 1.3). The result showed the varying incidence level of damage in the wide area (20-hectares), different severity of damage on different ages of plantings and types of planting materials. Table 1.1: Damage classifications by RB on the palms dwing the sampling activities. t Table 1.2: Type of planting materials and location of plot for damage census Materials of planting Tissue cultue DXF Tiss-ue culfure DXP ),',' ,,1.- ,r' dit 6 1.2.2 Evaluation damages in different topographies. Location of Census sites Severe incidence of rhinoceros beetles was encountered in 6 - 14 months old palms in November 2003 among planting (DxP) materials in an oil palm estate Block 32 and33 of PM 80A in Felda Plantation, Lepar [Jtara 14, pahang Census Procedures From visual assessment on the severity of damage (severely damaged palms, slightly damaged palms and palms with no damage), 120 immature palms (1 ha) were selected randomly from more than I hectare of various topographies. Damage assessment evaluations were done on the number of damaged fronds and spears (Figure l) and were conducted in June 2004, September 2004 and January 2005. The description of the varying topographies such as roadside, hillside, hilltop, swamp and valley, and border of mature palm were detailed (Table 1.3). The result showed the varying incidences level of li, damages in the different topographies in I hectare on palms.