Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CASE STUDY OF PESTICIDES USE IN THE INTENSIVE PADDY CULTIVATION AT MUSI RAWAS REGENCY, SOUTH SUMATERA PROVINCE, INDONESIA

Wartono, R. A. Suwignyo, A. Napoleon and Suheryanto

Abstract

The increasing of rice production still relies on the intensive paddy cultivation. The crop has some problems such as facing the plant-pest organism (PPO). PPO destroy the farming and decrease the rice production per hectare even worse it could make the crop failure by damaging the crop plants. The PPO losses ± 30% the crop plants in average, and most of the losses (20 - 25%) are destroyed by the pests. The synthetic pesticide is believed as the effective pest kill to control the PPO and become the mainstay of farmers to protect the plants from PPO. The study was aimed to survey the pesticide use in Musi rawas regency. The study was conducted in the districts in Musi rawas regency which is cultivating rice twice a year. The obtained data were tabulated and described. The results showed that the average number of pesticides which used by farmers were 24 items. The used pesticides were 11 items of insecticides (45.83%), six items of herbicides (25.00%), four items of fungicides (16.67%), and three items of rodenticides (12.50%). Most of PPO come from insects and caterpillars. The most attacking pests were brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) which spread almost in all districts in Musi Rawas Regency. The most active ingredient used in the pesticides was fipronil (regent) which was a class of phenyl pyrazole. The average dose was 4.3 mL/L, which exceeded the maximum recommended dose1.0 mL/L and given 4-6 times in one growing season.