Damage assessment of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), in corn production centers in Indonesia.

Abstract

Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) is known as an insect pest in Indonesian corn production. This study aimed to determine the existing and potential damage due to this insect in four major corn production provinces: East and Central Java, Lampung, and North Sumatra. Twenty sites per province were selected and these sites were distributed in three districts in each province. Observations were done during the vegetative and reproductive stages. The potential damage was assessed by observing four heavily infested sites selected in Central Java and Lampung. The proportion of plants infested varied from 50 to 53 % and 35-64 % during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively. Average number of holes per stalk was 2.36 holes/stalk in Central Java followed by 1.40 holes/stalk in Lampung, 1.21 holes/stalk in North Sumatra, and 0.60 holes/stalk in East Java. Most holes were found on nodes above the ear (91.6 %) while most galleries had lengths ranging from 4 to 6 cm. In heavily infested fields, infested stalks reached 95 % with an average of 3 holes/stalk. Due to the potential damage that this pest may cause, effective and preventive management strategies should be planned and implemented to reduce the damage and prevent this insect from reaching its potential yield loss.