Implementation of Biopesticides to Control Phytophthora palmivora Butl. and Conopomorpha cramerella Snell. on Cacao in South Halmahera

Abstract

One of the causes of low productivity of cocoa due to Conopomorpha cramerella known as cocoa pod borer (CPB) and black pod rot (BPR) caused by Phytophthora palmivora. Biopesticides consisted of Beauveria bassiana and kaolin was introduced to protect the surface of cocoa pods from CPB and BPR. The research was conducted in the District of Bacan, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku from April to December 2017. The research was design using randomized block design (RBD), consisting of four treatments as follows: Bio-K (biopesticides), plastic (0.24 mm transparent plastic), metallaxyl (RG), and farmer technique as a control treatment with five replications and thirty plants per replications. Therefore, in the field were 150 plants. Application of biopesticides performed at two-weeks intervals since the pods measurement from 8-10 cm until harvest time. The observational variables consisted of the symptoms of CPB and BPR, disease incidence, number of CPB infestation, and number of harvested pods. Results showed that biopesticide treatment significantly reduced pod damage by CPB while the disease incidence of BPR was not significantly different from metalaxyl which was the best treatment. The average decreases in the number of cacao pod respectively were Bio-K (7.69%), plastic (14.29%), metalaxyl (27.78%) and control (62.50%). The study implies that Bio-K was effective in protecting cocoa pods from C. cramerella infestation and P. palmivora infection.