Termite population in oil palm plantation and the effect of different water table on Coptotermes curvignathus in peat soil
A study on termite population under oil palm plantation and the effect of different water table in peat soil on Coptotermes curvignathus was conducted at MPOB Sessang Research Station, Sarawak. The objectives of this project are to determine termite species and their foraging pattern using rubber wo...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2007
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41840/1/ABSTRACT.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41840/2/FULLTEXT.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | A study on termite population under oil palm plantation and the effect of different water table in peat soil on Coptotermes curvignathus was conducted at MPOB Sessang Research Station, Sarawak. The objectives of this project are to determine termite species and their foraging pattern using rubber wood stake in oil palm plantation, and to study the effect of different water table on pest termite Coptotermes curvignathus in Iysimeter filled with peat soil. The study was conducted within nine plots constructed at three different locations: young palm (deep peat), mature palm (medium peat) and mature palm (deep peat). Each plot, measured at 20 m x 30 m, contained 30 rubber wood stakes driven at five meters apart. Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) wood stake with a dimension of 30 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm was used as the detector. The populations detected consisted of two families, with five subfamilies and seven termite species. The subfamilies were Coptotermitinae, Rhinotermitinae, Macrotermitinae, Nasutitermitinae and Termitinae. The first subfamily consisted of three species; Coptotermes curvignathus, Coptotermes sepangensis and Coptotermes kalshoveni. The other four species were Schedorhinotermes sarawakensis,Macrotermes gilvus, Nasutitermes sp. and Globitermes sp. The percentage of infestation on rubber wood stake at deep peat plot with young palm was 87.8%, while at the matured palm area planted in medium and deep peat recorded 37.8% and 50% respectively. A significant difference of X2 (1,180) = 29.965, p>0.05 detected at deep peat area with young and mature palm on termite infestation at wood stake. The mean wood consumption for the Coptotermes curvignathus population over a period of one month in a single station was 171 .63 ± 9.01g (54 .57%) higher than other species in Coptotermitinae subfamily, with Coptotermes kalshoveni and Coptotermes sepangensis consumed 32.17% and 26.04% respectively. Study on the termite population over time indicated that higher incidence of destructive termites at the younger palm compared to mature palm planted in deep peat area. After nine months (three rounds of sampling,) the population was dominated by Coptotermes curvignathus. Four water tables at 15 cm, 30 cm, 50 cm and 70 cm (control) from soil surface were tested on Coptotermes curvignathus in Iysimeter. The percentages of survival are low with 14% and 29% survival rate at the 15 em and 30 em water table. The survival rate at 50 cm and 70 cm (normal water table) were 42% and 60% respectively. Excavation of the soil at seven days after treatments showed that 55.6% manage to survive after increasing the water table. There was also a significant difference (P<0.05) on termite survival mean to the depth of water table from analysis of variance. |
|---|