Propagation Of Entomopathogenic Bacteria Bacillus Thuringiensis In Various Agricultural Waste and Its Effectivity Against Oryctes Rinoceros (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae)

Oryctes rhinoceros is an important pest on oil palm plantations, from immature plants to mature plants. Due to the long life cycle of Oryctes, control is not only aimed at the imago but also the larvae. Control using entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is expected to overcome this problem. The materials used as a medium for propagation are agricultural waste that is easy to obtain, cheap and safe for the environment. The research objective was to study the use of agricultural waste on growth of B. thuringiensis and its effectiveness against Oryctes larvae. The results showed bio-urine media enriched with 5% molasses produced the highest spore density compared to other media. The highest mortality rate of Oryctes larvae was 70% in B. thuringiensis treatment which was produced in bio-urine medium enriched with 5% molasses. Weight of Oryctes larvae reflects number of dead larvae. The more that die, the greater the difference in body weight. B. thuringiensis can be produced in a variety of agricultural waste media and was found to be effective in controlling Oryctes larvae.