Populasi kumbang Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust pada tanaman kelapa sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) di PTPN VIII Kebun Sukamaju, Cikidang, Sukabumi

Abstract

High productivity of oil palm is affected bypollination. Elaeidobius kamerunicus is weevil pollinator that can increase fruit set of oil palm. Weevil population was influenced by natality, mortality, and migration. The objective of this research were to study weevil E. kamerunicus population and environmental factors on oil palm estate at Sukamaju, Cikidang, Sukabumi. Weevil population were observed by stratified random sampling method in male flowers were located at three blocks of the estate on Juny, August, and October 2010. Sex ratio of female and male weevil was counted. Relationship between environmental factors and weevil population were analyzed by Pearson correlation. The highest population of weevil occured in August.Weevil population at Sukamaju was lower than the minimum weevil population for optimum pollination. Sex ratio of female and male weevil during observation was 3:1. Rainfall has the highest effect to weevil population among parameters measured.

Produktivitas kelapa sawit sangat tergantung pada proses penyerbukan. Elaeidobius kamerunicus merupakan kumbang penyerbuk yang dapat meningkatkan produksi kelapa sawit. Populasi kumbang ini dipengaruhi oleh faktor natalitas, mortalitas, dan migrasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mempelajari populasi kumbang E. kamerunicus pada tanaman kelapa sawit dan faktorfaktor lingkungan di Kebun Sukamaju, Cikidang, Sukabumi. Pengamatan populasi dilakukan dengan metode stratified random sampling pada spikelet bunga jantan di tiga blok pada bulan Juni, Agustus, dan Oktober 2010. Perhitungan rasio seks kumbang dilakukan di laboratorium dengan bantuan mikroskop stereo. Hubungan faktor lingkungan dan jumlah populasi kumbang dianalisis dengan korelasi Pearson. Populasi kumbang E. kamerunicus tertinggi ditemukan pada bulan Agustus. Populasi kumbang di Sukamaju masih di bawah jumlah minimum untuk penyerbukan optimum. Selama pengamatan, rasio seks kumbang betina dan jantan kelapa sawit adalah 3:1. Curah hujan memiliki pengaruh paling besar terhadap populasi kumbang di antara parameter lingkungan yang diukur.