Comparative study of cocoa black ants temporal population distribution utilizing geospatial analysis

3rd International Conference on Research Methodology for Built Environment and Engineering 2017

生态环境科学

Adnan, N.A.^1 ; Bakar, S.^2 ; Mazlan, A.H.^1 ; Yusoff, Z Mohd^2 ; Rasam, A R Abdul^1

Applied Remote Sensing and Geospatial Research Group, Centre of Studies Surveying Science and Geomatics, Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia^1

Malaysian Cocoa Board, Wisma SEDCO, Lorong Plaza Wawasan, Off Coastal Highway, Locked Bag 211, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu

88999, Malaysia^2

关键词: Biological control agent;    Biological control mechanisms;    Cocoa pod borer;    Comparative studies;    Geo-spatial analysis;    Geospatial techniques;    Pest infestation;    Population distribution patterns;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/117/1/012041/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1755-1315/117/1/012041

学科分类：环境科学（综合）

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Cocoa plantation also subjected to diseases and pests infestation. Some pests not only reduced the yield but also inhibit the growth of trees. Therefore, the Malaysia Cocoa Board (MCB) has explored Cocoa Black Ants (CBA) as one of their biological control mechanism to reduce the pest infestation of the Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB). CPB is capable to cause damage to cocoa beans, and later on will reduce the quality of dried cocoa beans. This study tries to integrate the use of geospatial analysis in understanding population distribution pattern of CBA to enhance its capability in controlling CPB infestation. Two objectives of the study are i) to generate temporal CBA distribution of cocoa plantation for two different blocks, and ii) to compare visually the CBA population distribution pattern with the aid of geospatial technique. This study managed to find the CBA population pattern which indicated spatially modest amount of low pattern distribution in February of 2007 until reaching the highest levels of ant populations in September 2007 and decreasing by the end of the year in 2009 for two different blocks (i.e 10B and 18A). Therefore, the usage of GIS is important to explain the CBA pattern population in the mature cocoa field. This finding might to be used as an indicator to examine the optimum distribution of CBA, which needed as a biological control agent against the CPB in the future.