| Summary: | The research was intended to find out and to study of the effect of applying deltametrin (a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide) in hot pepper production on arthropod diversity. The study was done in a farmer field located in Kemukten, Kersana District, Brebes Regency (250 m above sea level) from December 2000 to July 2001).
A field of 2,000 m2 was planted with hot pepper, one half (1000 m2) was treated with insecticide and the other one was not. Arthropod population was sampled fortnightly, from 4 to 18 weeks after planting. Sampling was done using five methods: Berlese funnel, pitfall trap for soil borne insects, modified D-Vac suction insect net and direct observation for insects residing in plant canopy. Arthropod population abundance was analyzed using log normal distribution and Shanner-Wiener diversity index.
The results showed that application of deltametrin for every two weeks reduced arthropod diversity and simplified tropic structure and function in hot pepper crop production ecosystem. With insecticide application, family number and carnivorous individuals were reduced the most, followed by neutral arthropods, and the least was herbivorous arthropods.
Keywords: diversity �arthropod � insecticide �hot pepper
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