Relationship Between the Population of Oryctes rhinoceros and the Extent of Frond Damage and Fresh Fruit Bunch Yield in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

This study aimed to analyze the effect of Oryctes rhinoceros infestation levels on pest population, the number of damaged fronds, and fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) across three locations with different infestation categories: low, medium, and high.The experiment used a non-factorial randomized block design (RBD) consisting of three treatments and five replications.Observed parameters included pest population, number of damaged fronds, and number of fresh fruit bunches per plant.Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicated that infestation level had a significant effect on pest population and FFB number but no significant effect on the number of damaged fronds.The highest average population of O. rhinoceros was observed in the high-infestation category (1.63 individuals), while the lowest occurred in the low-infestation category (0.00 individuals).The highest number of damaged fronds was found in the medium-infestation category (2.90 fronds) and decreased under low infestation (0.73 fronds).Meanwhile, the highest FFB number was recorded in the low-infestation category (2.90 bunches) and the lowest in the high-infestation category (0.73 bunches).Duncan's multiple range test showed that the highinfestation level significantly differed from the low and medium levels in terms of FFB production.These findings suggest that increasing O. rhinoceros populations correlate with greater vegetative damage and reduced generative yield in oil palm.Therefore, integrated pest management practices, including field sanitation and the use of biological agents such as Metarhizium anisopliae, are essential to suppress pest populations below the economic threshold and maintain sustainable oil palm productivity.