Pest identification and in vitro vontrol of Indigofera zollingeriana seeds supports the development of forages crops

Indigofera zollingeriana is a leguminous plant that has high protein content and dry matter digestibility and therefore a potential forage to support more productive ruminants. Effective development and distribution of this nutritious forage is using seeds as planting materials. The objective of this study is to identify types of pests mostly attack on Indigofera seeds that inhibit its propagation, and to evaluate the effectiveness of chemical and biological agents as pest control. Identification on pest types was done by trapping the pests, and then observed its type at the zoology laboratory of LIPI Bogor. Test of pest control was conducted in vitro at the Laboratory of Goat Research Station, using completely randomized design consisting of four pest control treatments and five replications. namely: (a) Chemical treatment (active ingredient Deltamethrin), (b) Biological treatment ( Beauvaria bassiana fungus), (c) Biological treatment ( Metarizium anisopliae fungus), and (d) Water treatment (control). Pests were put in the jars (three heads/jar) and carried out five replicates. Mortality rate was measured for five consecutive days. The results showed that Nezara viridula , Halyomorpha nr halys , and Tineidae sp. are the most common pests that attacked Indigofera zollingeriana seeds. The highest pest mortality rate (91.67-100%) was due to the chemical treatment on the first day of observation, and the treatment effect on pest mortality was significant.  The biological treatment caused more than 50% seed mortality on day three and 100% mortality on the day five. It is concluded that chemical treatment on Indigofera zollingeriana seed is more effective to control pests compared to the biological or water treatments.