PENGARUH JARAK TANAM TANAMAN KENIKIR TERHADAP SERANGAN HAMA PADA TANAMAN JAGUNG PULUT LOKAL MUNA

One of the factors that often becomes an obstacle to the productivity of maize plants is the attack of plant pests. The use of refugia plants such as kenikir is alternative pest control that can be tried. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of kenikir plant spacing to the intensity of pest attacks on local Muna maize pulut plants, which was carried out at the Field Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University, using a Randomized Block Design (RAK) consisting of 4 treatments and 4 groups so that there were 16 treatment plots. The treatments tested were no treatment (P0), kenikir plant spacing was 50 cm (P1), 75 cm (P2), and 100 cm (P3). The variables observed were the pest population and the intensity of the attack. The results showed. Plant spacing of kenikir affects the population and intensity of pest attacks on local Muna maize rice plants. The lowest population average of Spodoptera frugiperda was found in the P3 (100 cm spacing of kenikir) of 4,00 individuals with an average attack intensity of 16,03% (5 weeks after planting). In comparison, the lowest beetle population average found in P1 (planting distance of kenikir 50 cm) was 0,25 and 0,50 individuals (for Apogonia sp. and Adoretus ranunculus, respectively), with an average attack intensity of 15,89% (9 weeks after planting)