Rat and

Leaf Eating Caterpillar

Control

for Oil Palm Planting

including Peat Soil

TOPICS

INTRODUCTION

RATS

LEAF-EATING CATERPILLARS

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

• Many species of pests - attack and feed on different parts of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

• damage of pests - affect the healthy growth, kill palms, cause reduction in crop yield

• Outbreak of important pests can cause significant losses of the crops that they attack.

• Good yield = 30 ton FFB/ha, @140 palms/ha, FFB/palm =214 kg

• Loss of 5 palms = 1.07 ton FFB

INTRODUCTION 2

• key pests are found every

where the particular crops are

grown ; usually the target of

pest control (e.g. rats); control

by natural enemies is

inadequate in natural balance

stage and applied control by

planters / growers is

necessary to prevent / reduce

crop loss

INTRODUCTION 3

• Occasional pests are well

control by natural enemies in

natural balance stage (e.g. leaf

eating caterpillars).

• In the absent of effective

natural control, the population

of occasional pests increase

rapidly and cause economic

damage to crops over large

planted areas

RATS • Rattus exulans (25-60g)

• R. tiomanicus (55-150g)

• R. argentiventer (85-240g)

• R. r. diardii (100-200g)

• Sundamys muelleri

(210–412 g males,

206–441 g females)

internet

Location

Scientific names

(common names)

Batu Niah Rattus rattus diardii

Mukah Rattus tiomanicus

Bintulu * Rattus tiomanicus

Pusa * Rattus tiomanicus

Rattus argentiventer

Kuching * Rattus tiomanicus

Rattus rattus diardii

Sampadi Rattus tiomanicus

Rattus rattus diardii

Sundamys muelleri

Miri * Rattus tiomanicus

Rattus rattus diardii

Sundamys muelleri

* peat soil

Rat species damaging oil palm in Sarawak

* peat

Rats attack oil palm -

all growth stages

germinated seeds,

seedlings, immature

palms, unopened

inflorescence, unripe

and ripe fruits and

PAMI

AMOUNT EATEN

Rat species consumption

(g/rat/day)

R. tiomanicus 4.29 (ripe fruits)

R. argentiventer

3.80 (ripe fruits)

8.60 (unripe + ripe fruits)

R. r. diardii 9.90 (ripe fruits)

R. muelleri 10.80 (oil palm fruits) STOMACH CONTENT

fresh mesocarp

CROP LOSSES

Wood, (1976); Wood & Liau, (1978) - about 5% loss of the oil crop

Liau (1990) - about 7–10% of palm oil production

+

• Management of rats in oil palm

includes the combination of

ecological, cultural / agronomic

measures, biological and

chemical controls.

• Maintain riparian reserve belt

• Maintain habitats for natural

predators

• GAP on weed control & ground

cover management

• regular and complete harvesting,

efficient loose fruit collection and

good pruning standards

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

– barn owl (Tyto alba)

WBP BOP

Owl pellet & bones

Owl resting on frond Wooden

Nest box

@ 1 unit / 10 ha

Chemical control

is the use of chemical agents

(rodenticides) to reduce rat populations. Ideally, chemicals are selective for the target pest

and do not harm other non-target species.

Brodi Broma Flocou Brodi Broma

chlorophacinone 0.005%

Zinc

phosphide

Warfarin 0.05%

Rodenticides and Rat baits

Rodenticides and rat baits available

for control of rats 1

Rodenticide

Year

Toxicity Bait

Oral LD50

mg/kg

Bait

% a.i. Size

(g)

a.i. per

bait

(mg)

Warfarin 1949 Class IV

186

(albino Rn)

0.05 10-15 5-7.5

Coumatetralyl* 1956 -

16.5

(albino Rn)

0.0375 5 1.875

Chlorophacinone

1963 Class III

20.5

(albino Rn)

0.005 25 1.25

0.005 12.5 0.625

Rodenticides and rat baits available for control of rats 2

Rodenticide

Year

Toxicity

Oral LD50

mg/kg

Bait

% a.i. Size

(g)

a.i. per

bait (mg)

Bromadiolone 1976 Class IV

1.125

(albino Rn)

0.005 10-15 0.5-

0.75

Brodifacoum 1978 Class IV

0.26

(albino Rn)

0.003 10-15 0.3-

0.45

0.003 4-5 0.12-

0.15

0.005 4 0.2

Flocoumafen

1984 Class III

0.46 (Rn male)

0.56 (Rn female)

0.005 4 0.2

Rodenticides and rat baits available for control of rats 3

Rodenticide

Year

Toxicity

Oral LD50 mg/kg Bait

% a.i. Size

(g)

a.i. per

bait (mg)

Flocoumafen

1984 Class III

0.46 (Rn male)

0.56 (Rn female)

0.28 (Rt male OP)

0.65 (Rt female OP)

0.65 (Rrd male OP)

0.66 (Rrd female OP)

0.48 (Ra male OP)

0.56 (Ra female OP)

0.005 4 0.2

Flocoumafen at 0.2 mg per 4 g bait

Oral LD50

mg/kg

Body

weight

mg ai to

kill

LBW

mg ai

to kill

HBW

mg per

4 g

bait

0.28 (Rt male OP) 55-150 0.01375 0.0375 0.2

0.65 (Rt female OP) 55-150

0.03575 0.0975

0.65 (Rrd male OP) 100-200 0.065 0.130 0.2

0.66 (Rrd female OP) 100-200 0.066 0.132 0.2

0.48 (Ra male OP) 85-240 0.0408 0.1152 0.2

0.56 (Ra female OP) 85-240

0.0476 0.1344 0.2

RAT BAITING - Standard baiting technique

One bait is placed at one palm

Checking and replenish bait taken at every 4

days interval until 20% replacement

At twenty percent replacement, successful rat

control is achieved

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

low

medium

high

medium low

high

% bait

rounds

No. of round depends

on rat population

1. census and baiting

Diagram illustrating “Census & block baiting”

start baiting at Fresh Damage = 5% or more

and stop baiting at 20% replacement

8941

4473

5223

2135

4353

6524

1353

4341

6514

4246

3424

5453

3128

11672

5897

2825

March June

September Decemberbaitingno baiting

1. Rat baiting blocks = 20 ha

2. Fresh damage census

3-4 rounds per year

3. Census – inspect all palms in

1 row of every 10 rows

(10% density)

4. Look for fresh damage

symptom on fruit bunches

5. Unripe fruit – green colour

6. Ripe fruits – orange

yellow colour

7. Action threshold = 5% or more

commence rat baiting the block

8. Replace bait taken at 4 day

interval; stop baiting

at 20% replacement

Two baiting practices in oil palm estates:

FD

2. baiting with understanding of

rat population dynamics – 6 month

low rat population; no census

Diagram illustrating “six-monthly campaign”

no census conducted; bait all areas and stop baiting at 20% replacement; baiting rounds in each block depending on rat population

Jan - March Apr - June

Jul -September Oct -Decemberbaitingno baiting

Rat baiting 700

500

100

6

months

low rat

popn.

Two baiting practices in oil palm estates:

Fresh damage

Rat trapping confirming presence of rats

SUCCESSFUL RAT BAITING

(baiting stop at reaching 20%)

1. % palm with fresh damage

- 0 to 1% in 50 palm plot

2. Rat population

- 0 to very few rats trapped

in 50 palm plot

50 palm

plot

Number of baiting

rounds to reach 20%

replacement

Rat population / other causes

15- 20 rehabilitation of abandoned

fields with very high rat

population

10-15 high rat population

6-10 moderate rat population

3-5 small rat population

2-3 poor quality rat baits or

unattractive baits

Number of baiting rounds in different rat population / other causes

Rat baiting fails to give effective

control due to the following reasons: 1. Resistance to first generation

anticoagulant poisons

2. Change in dominant rat pest

3. High rat population

4. Acute labour shortage

5. Bait-shy or bait avoidance rats, and

6. New rat species, S. muelleri R. r. diardii

R. tiomanicus S. muelleri

Problem Species Actions Remarks

Resistant

biotype

R. tiomanicus

R. r. diardii

Use second

generation

anticoagulant baits

Cost-effective

control of resistant

rat

Dominant

rat

R. r. diardii

(tolerant to first

generation

anticoagulant

baits)

Use second

generation

anticoagulant baits

Cost-effective

control of tolerant rat

High

population

R. tiomanicus

R. argentiventer

Use second

generation

anticoagulant baits;

Apply 5 baits per palm

Cost-effective

control and less

labour required

(reduced baiting

rounds)

Problem Species Actions Remarks

Acute labour

shortage

R. tiomanicus Use second

generation

anticoagulant baits;

Apply 5 baits per

palm.

Use 300 g block bait

and 1 application (no

replacement)

Effective control

and less labour

required (reduced

baiting rounds);

higher cost

Effective control

and minimum

labour required;

very much higher

cost

Bait shy

biotype

R. tiomanicus Barn owl nest box at 1

per 5 ha and

occupancy 60%; fresh

damage = 12%

Baiting few rounds

–ineffective control

New species

(bait shy

biotype)

S. muelleri Develop poison baits

based on Oryctes

grubs and others

Shooting rats carry

out in Indonesia

LEAF-EATING

CATERPILLARS • Occasional pests

• Bagworms - P. pendula (1.5 cm), M. plana (2.5 cm), M. corbetti (10 cm).

• Nettle caterpillars – D. trima, D. diducta, S. nitens, S. asigna

• Hairy caterpillars - Calliteara horsfieldii , Amathusia phidippus

Amsacta

transiens

Amatissa leonina Birthamula chara Thosea vestuta

Darna trima Unidentified Dasychira sp

OTHER

CATERPILLARS

IN PEAT

PARASITOIDS -

HYMENOPTERA

Fam: Braconidae

Dolichogenidea metesae

Metisa plana

Ptroma pendula

PARASITOIDS - HYMENOPTERA

Fam: Ichneumonidae

Spinaria spinator

Setora nitens

Koh PL 2008, exclusion

experiment –

estimated 35.2% control by

birds

Copsychus saularis

Pycnonotus goiavier

Orthotomus ruficeps Prinia flaviventus

Centropus sinensis

control

Bird exclosure

treatment

Bagworm species Life cycle (days) No egg /

moth

Pteroma pendula* total 55-68 65-220

Metisa plana* total 94-122 100-300

Mahasena

corbetti**

Egg-larva 16 2000-

6000

Average

3000

Larva-pupa 75-82

Pupa-adult 26

Adult-egg 7-10

total 124-134

Life cycle and fecundity of common bagworms

*small species

** large species

NC species Life cycle (days) No egg /

moth

Darna trima* total 46-59 -

Darna diducta* total 45-57# 225

Setora nitens** total 46-76 250-300

Setothosea

asigna**

Egg-larva 5-6

400-600

Larva-pupa 50-60

Pupa-adult 40

Adult-egg 7-10

total 102-116

Life cycle and fecundity of

common nettle caterpillars

*small species

** large species #Adilan Lubis 1992

• When many bagworms are feeding on the fronds, the entire frond is damaged and eventually dries up completely.

• In the case of nettle caterpillars, larger species of bagworm and hairy caterpillars, the damage symptoms appear as irregular feeding of the pinnae along the leaf margin and finally leaving only the bare mid-ribs.

Darna trima-20 cm2 / Setothosea asigna-424 cm2

• Wood et al. (1973) - as high as 40 – 50% loss of crop over two years after 100% defoliation

• Mohd Basri (1993) - up to 40% crop loss by Metisa plana.

• Liau and Ahmad (1995) - 30% to 36 % over 2 years - defoliation in immature period.

• Balasubramaniam and Chung (2013) - 35% crop loss over one year -heavy defoliation by Clania tertia

• Rustam and Agus (2011) 70-93% crop loss - almost 100% defoliation by S. asigna.

Metisa damage

Setothosea damage

100% defoliation

100% defoliation

Defoliation Year in treatment as % of

controla

amount part of crownb 1st year 2nd year

50%

upper 57

(43% loss)*

83

(17% loss)*

overall 67 95

lower 84 105

25% mean 80 98

12.5% Mean 90 86

6.25% mean 92 99

a control yield is 23.6 t/ha in year1; 21.4 t/ha in year 2

Effect of defoliation on yield of 8 year-old palm (from Wood et al. 1973).

• Pest Management - manipulation of the environment & early detection of infestation and regular pest census.

• Preventive measures

Planting of beneficial plants

Cassia cobanensis

Turnera subulata

Antigonon leptopus Cosmolestes

picticeps

Goryphus bunoh

2011, RM 8 millions

= 4 m BP + 4 m PC

Cc Ts

Al

Beneficial plants & bagworm outbreaks

Beneficial plants

During outbreak

natural enemies are

likely ineffective or

absent

Large plantation

in 2011, - nearly

RM 8 millions;

pest control and

establishment of

beneficial plants

were almost equal

BW

BW BW

BW

Monitoring Surveillance System

• Alert – Alert is continuous and involves all working personnel in the estate including the senior management, supervisory staffs and all workers (especially the harvesters).

• Census - Two weekly census is carried out to monitor the pest population and damage on foliage

• Action – This stage involves the spraying of selective insecticides and trunk injection of systemic insecticides – pest counts > action thresholds

training

of estate

personnel

and workers

PEST CENSUS

1% density (1 palm

in 10, 1 row in 10)

repeat at 14 day

interval.

Cut the upper most

damage fronds

Count the small and

large larvae, live

and empty cocoons

census

Small larvae (<5mm)

ACTION THRESHOLDS Small species – 10 larvae / frond

Large species – 5 larvae / fronds

S L

ACTION THRESHOLD

Metisa = 10 larvae / frond

?

• Control of leaf eating caterpillars using Bt products or selective / short residue insecticides are carried out when the pest counts exceeded action thresholds.

• Insecticides –

Spraying synthetic pyrethroids (half life of cypermethrin 2 days and deltamethrin 5 days respectively), chlorantranilipole (new)

Calibration & Spray Coverage Studies

Ground / Aerial spraying

Calibration & Spray Coverage

INSECTICIDE APPLICATION

• GROUND SPRAYING cks

ACM spraying system

motorised knapsack mistblower

tractor mounted mistblower

thermal fogging (Indonesia)

• AERIAL SPRAYING fixed winged aircraft

helicopter

• TRUNK INJECTION motorised drill

chainsaw-adapted drill

electric drill

Pest Insecticides Rate a.i.

per ha

Remarks

Bag-

worms

B. thuringiensis var.

kurstaki ES 450 ml * Chung and Narendran

(1996)

- spraying during

maximum larval

emergence stage (small

larval stage)

- good spray coverage

cypermethrin 22.5 g

lambda-cyhalothrin 11.25 g

fenvalerate 23 g

trichlorphon 1700 g

alpha-cypermethrin 9 g Teh and Ho (1997)

acephate 500 g

diflubenzuron 150 g

chlorantranilipole 10 g Product leaflet.

-200 ml 5% product at

spray volume 200 litres per

ha

COSTINGS OF INSECTICIDES FOR BAGWORM CONTROL

AI Products Rate/ha RM (kg / L) RM / ha

trichlorfon 1.8 kg 60.00

42.00

108.00

75.60

B. thuringiensis 1 – 2 L# 52.50* 52.50 –

105.00

450 ml 52.50* 23.625

lambda-

cyhalothrin

450 ml 60.00 27.00

fenvalerate 770 ml 33.50 25.80

cypermethrin 450 ml 6.10 2.75

chlorantraniliprole 200 ml 440.00 88.00

# product label; * Ex KL

Pest

Insecticides Rate a.i.

per ha

Remarks

Nettle

caterpillars

B. thuringiensis var.

kurstaki WP

(16000 IU/mg)

650 g * Teh and Ho (1997)

- spraying during

maximum larval

emergence stage

- good spray

coverage

- repeat spray within

10 days, if required

cypermethrin 30 g

alpha-cypermethrin 9 g

lambda-cyhalothrin 11.25 g

cyfluthrin

20 g

acephate 500 g

* commercial products

CALIBRATION & SPRAY COVERAGE

No

units

1 day 2 days 3 days 4 days 5 days 6 days 7 days

1 10 ha 20 35 40 55 60 70

2 20 ha 40 60 80 100 120 140

3 30 ha 60 90 120 150 180 210

5 50 ha 100 150 200 250 300 350

10 100 ha 200 300 400 500 600 700

Motorised knapsack mistflower

can cover 10 ha / day

spraying 1-2 years palm

• Control of leaf eating caterpillars when the pest counts exceeded action thresholds.

trunk injection of systemic insecticides (monocrotophos, methamidophos, acephate) - translocated into the leaves and no adverse effect to the predators, parasites, pollinating weevils and many non target organisms

Class I a Black or I b Red

Class III Blue

Trunk injection-drilling hole

Chainsaw adapted

drill Motorised drill

1. Hole 1.5 cm wide，

15cm long/deep

2. At an angle of 45o

frond butts cut

for drilling hole

CORRECT DRILLING

two frond butts cut

for drilling hole

Do not drill through frond butts

1. Hole 1.5 cm wide，

15cm long/deep

2. At an angle of 45o

Exposed trunk area between frond butts

for drilling

Injecting systemic insecticide

Plastic syringe

Injector gun

Trunk injection – drilling hole

Chisel off frond butts

to expose trunk

for drilling hole

and ease of sealing hole

Wrong to drill

through frond butt

X

CORRECT SEALING HOLE WITH

CLAY SOIL

Sealing hole with clay soil

Seal hole with loose fruit X

Drill hole through frond butt X

X Clay soil for TISH

Insecticide Target g a.i.

per

palm

Mixing rate product specific

Application

details

Acephate

Class I b

Class III

Metsia plana1

Pteroma

pendula1

7.5 10 g in 10 ml

water (75%

product) = 16 ml

per hole

1 hole per palm

at 6 years and

above from

planting

Metsia plana3 7.5 10 g in 10 ml

water (75%

product)

1 hole per palm

Clania tertia 2 9.375 12.5 g in 12.5

ml water (75%

product) = 20 ml

2 holes per

palm (5 years

old) and 10 ml

per hole; frond

butts removed

Mahasena

corbetti7

Setora nitens7

20 40 ml (of 1 kg

75% product in

1.5 litres water)

20 ml per hole

and 2 holes per

palm

Insect-

icide

Target g a.i.

per

palm

Mixing rate Application details

Methami

-dophos

Class I b

Metsia

plana1, 3

Pteroma

pendula1

5 10 ml (50%

product – no

dilution)

1 hole per palm at 6

years and above from

planting

bagworm4 5 10 ml (50%

product – no

dilution)

1 hole per palm at 6

years and above from

planting

Darna

trima6

6 10 ml (60%

product – no

dilution)

Frond butts cut before

drill hole

Insecticide Target g a.i.

per

palm

Mixing rate Application

details

Mono-

crotophos

Class I a

Metsia plana1, 5

Pteroma

pendula1

Setora nitens8

Thosea asigna8

6 10 ml (60%

product – no

dilution);

11 ml (55%

product – no

dilution)

1 hole per

palm at 6

years and

above from

planting

Metsia plana3 5.5 10 ml (55%

product – no

dilution)

1 hole per

palm

bagworm4 6 10 ml (60%

product – no

dilution)

1 hole per

palm at 6

years and

above from

planting

Darna trima6 6 10 ml (60%

product – no

dilution)

Frond butts

cut before

drill hole

10 larvae per

fronds action

threshold

Source: Siti Ramlah et al 2007

MGS TI

No more damage Damage

Damage – continuous damage

CHAINSAW TEAM

3.4 HA / DAY / TEAM

Critical

period

X 3.4

ha

No of team to cover infested

areas

50 ha 100 ha 500 ha

7 days 23.8 2.1 4.2 21

10 days 34 1.5 3 15

14 days 47.6 1.05 2.1 10.5

21 days 71.4 0.7 1.4 7

Trunk injection

Many holes on the side

facing the path

60 mm

30 mm

15 mm

Lee Lian Foo pic 260 mm

250 mm

Bagworms = Dangerous Pests

• bagworms

(P. pendula, M. plana

and M. corbetti) have

been declared in

Federal Government

Gazette (2013) as

Dangerous Pests.

• Fine - RM 1000 to

more than RM 10000 Estate owner fined

if pest not controlled

• Recently large areas

affected by

bagworms occurred

in Lower Perak (8500

ha in 2011) and

northern Johore

areas (3000 ha in

2012)

• Aerial spaying of Bt

product contributed

to more than 50%

reduction of

bagworm population

by 30 days after

treatment (Mohd

Mazmira et al., 2013).

Bagworm

before

spraying

At 50%

reduction,

bagworm alive

Remarks

AT-action threshold

10 5 AT of large sp

20 10 AT of small sp

50 25 > AT, to respray

damage continue

100 50 AT, to respray

damage continue

500 250 AT, to respray

damage continue

x

x

CONCLUSION

• Rats and leaf eating caterpillars are important pests

• Rat baiting - widely practiced to control rat problems - serious acute rat outbreaks

• Leaf eating caterpillars - create awareness to estate management - early detection and treatment - efficient application of selective insecticide – Spraying & Trunk Injection

• Continue to discover and develop new measures for cost-effective control

TERIMA KASIH,

谢谢,

THANK YOU,

NANDRI.