We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
APPLICATION OF ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING TO INCREASE ARTHROPOD'S DIVERSITY IN RICE FIELD ECOSYSTEM.
- Authors
AMZAH, BADRULHADZA; JAJULI, ROSLIZA; NURUL AMMAR ILLANI JAAFAR; JAMIL, SAIFUL ZAIMI; SITI NOOR AISHIKIN ABDUL HAMID; ZULKFILI, NURIN IZZATI; NOR ASIAH ISMAIL; AZIMAH ABDUL KADIR; ENGKU ELINI ENGKU ARIFF; BAKI, RAZALI
- Abstract
Currently, insect pest management in rice fields is totally dependent on the use of chemical insecticides which are costly and bring harmful effects to the environment. Ecological engineering practice is an environmental friendly alternative as it manipulates the habitat or the surrounding of the rice fields to reduce the problems caused by insecticide application. Malaysian Agricultural Development Institute (MARDI) in collaboration with Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA) have conducted a project in Sungai Besar, Selangor on off rice season in 2016 with the main aim of investigating the effect of ecological engineering practice in increasing the diversity of arthropods and in reducing the insect pest problems in rice fields. Arthropod population especially the rice insect pests and their natural enemies were compared between ecological engineering plot (planted with flowering plants and without insecticides sprays) and conventional plot (with insecticide sprays). Sampling was carried out at 45 and 65 days after sowing (DAS) of the rice seeds using visual counting method. The study revealed that at 45 DAS, a total of 78 individuals were recorded at ecological engineering plot (three species of insect pests and nine species of natural enemies) compared to 50 individuals at the conventional plot which only consisted of one insect pest species and two species of natural enemies. As for 65 DAS, six species of insect pests and seven of natural enemies were recorded with total of 41 individuals at ecological engineering plot. The conventional plot recorded 32 individuals (two insect pest species and seven natural enemy species). The observations indicated that ecological engineering plot generally can sustain more arthropods in term of number and diversity of species as compared to the conventional plot. Based on Reciprocal Simpson Index, D calculation, arthropod's diversity in conventional plot at 45 DAS was lower than the ecological engineering plot (1.27 < 1.94). Shannon-Wiener Index, H also recorded similar results which was 0.42 < 1.19. In terms of species density, conventional plot showed a low Margalef Index, DM value compared to ecological engineering plot (0.51 < 2.52). Similar comparison also was observed at 65 DAS. The study showed that the planting of flowering plants and environmental friendly agricultural practices in the ecological engineering plot can increase the diversity of the arthropods especially the natural enemy species and this significantly assisting in controlling the population of insect pests which in turn help to sustain the ecosystem.
- Subjects
ECOLOGICAL engineering; PADDY fields; INSECTICIDES
- Publication
Malaysian Applied Biology, 2018, Vol 47, Issue 5, p1
- ISSN
0126-8643
- Publication type
Article