THE EFFICIENCY OF STINGLESS BEE POLLINATORS (TETRAGONULA LAEVICEPS) ON THE INFLORESCENCE OF RANTI PLANTS (SOLANUM NIGRUM) AND LONG BEANS (VIGNA UNGUICULATA) WITH AN INTERCROPPING PLANTING SYSTEM

• Main Author: Sania Rahmani, Aena
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/49652
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Pollination using insects can increase the production of ranti fruit and long beans with an intercropping system in line with efforts to increase the efficiency of biomass production on limited land. This study aimed to observe the activity and efficiency of wild insects and Tetragonula laeviceps on ranti and long beans using an intercropping system. Observations were made at 08: 00-15.00 during the flowering period in three weeks in Margabakti Village, Sukawangi, Kab. Sumedang. Observations were made on the treatment of T. laeviceps application, open-pollination, and self-pollination, each treatment consisting of 100 chili flowers and 100 long bean flowers and analyzed using the One Way ANOVA test with a 95% confidence level. Insect activity was measured based on flower handling time, foraging rate, visitation rate, and fruit set, while fruit quality was measured based on diameter, weight, length, and% Brix. The results showed that in the open-pollination of ranti plants and long bean plants, three dominant pollinator species were found with varying visiting patterns, and in the T.laeviceps application it took 11.2 ± 3.61 seconds / ranti flowers (3.39 ± 1.07 flowers / minute) and 12.28 ± 3.61 s / long bean flowers (2.03 ± 0.90 flowers / minute) which were more active during the day with a higher visitation rate at the chain. The highest efficiency of the ranti fruit set occurred in the T. laeviceps application treatment and long beans in the open-pollination treatment. There was a significant difference in% Brix of ranti fruit (higher sucrose level) and fruit diameter and length in long beans which showed that the fruit was more perfect in the application of T. laeviceps than fruit in open-pollination and self-pollination which had many holes due to OPT. Thus, T. laeviceps could potentially be added to improve fruit set efficiency and fruit quality in intercropping cords and long beans.