EFEKTIVITAS PENYARUNGAN BUAH KAKAO PADA UMUR BERBEDA TERHADAP TINGKAT INTENSITAS HELOPELTIS spp. DI KECAMATAN PITUMPANUA KABUPATEN WAJO

This study aims to determine the intensity level of fruit-sucking pests in Lompoloang Village, Pitumpanua District, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi. This study used 3 different treatments with 3 different types of fruit age, namely, P1 (Treatment at 3 months fruit age), P2 (Treatment at 2 months fruit age) and P3 (Treatment at 3 months fruit age). This research was conducted in Pitumpanua District, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, from June to September 2022. This research was carried out by observing the fruit directly with its symptoms and the level of pest attack directly in the field on cocoa fields in Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, as well as harvesting. secondary data such as the types of pests that most attack cocoa pods in the relevant agencies. Parameters observed were attack intensity. The results showed that from the three treatments, the intensity level of Helopeltis spp. The highest level of attack intensity was in treatment 1 when the fruit was about 3 months old. This was because the fruit was still young and the skin was young, so that pests could more easily stick their stylet through the skin of the cocoa pod. The intensity of the attack was correlated with the number of fruit-sucking pests in the study area. In general, the criteria for the intensity level of this pest attack are low with the rate of development of the attack not being too significant. With the level of pest conditions belonging to the high category.