The Important Role of Ants in Protecting Soybeans (Glycine max): A Case Study in Maros District, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Ants are social predatory insects found on a variety of crops in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. A study was carried out in 2022 at soybean fields in Sambueja Village, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, to evaluate ant diversity in soybean plants and their effectiveness as pest control. The research was conducted on an area of 1,575 m2 with several stages, namely identifying the main ant nests in the soybean planting area, mapping ant trajectories in the field, testing the potential and role of ants in controlling the larvae and pupae of the main pests of soybean crops, and testing the response of ants to artificial feed using anchovy waste. The results showed that four ant species were found, namely Solenopsis invicta, Odontoponera denticulata, Tapinoma melanocephalum and Anoplolepis gracilipes. There are two species that act as pest predators, namely S. invicta and A. gracilipes. It was concluded that S. invicta has the highest distribution of prey on pests. This makes it a potential candidate for the biological control of soybean pests. One way to maintain ant populations in soybean fields is through artificial feeding.

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