Analisis Potensi Beberapa Jenis Tanaman Sebagai Strategi Push-pull Terhadap Hama Ulat Krop Crocidolomia Pavonana (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

Crocidolomia pavonana is one of the major pests of Brassicaceae crops, causing considerable yield losses. The push–pull strategy offers an environmentally friendly approach by utilizing attractive and repellent plants to manipulate insect behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the visual preference, oviposition preference, feeding preference, larval performance, and oviposition response of C. pavonana to several plant species as candidates for a push–pull strategy. Visual preference, non-choice, two-choice, and multiple-choice oviposition tests, feeding preference tests, and larval performance evaluations were conducted. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired t-test, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Female adults showed the highest visual preference for violet (2.50 ± 0.65; b), followed by blue (1.50 ± 0.96; ab). Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) and pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) were the most preferred plants for oviposition, whereas celery (Apium graveolens) consistently acted as a repellent plant. Feeding preference was highest on cauliflower, followed by pak choi and R. indica. Larval performance indicated that pak choi and particularly R. indica were less suitable hosts, resulting in slower development and lower survival than the other Brassicaceae species. In the multiple-choice test, pak choi consistently received the highest number of eggs, while celery received no oviposition regardless of plant position. These findings demonstrate the potential use of pak choi as a pull plant and celery as a push plant for developing an environmentally friendly push–pull strategy against C. pavonana.