Researchers at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) are studying how farmers can suppress crop pests by working with the organisms already present in agricultural ecosystems rather than relying on chemical pesticides. The work was presented at the 33rd installment of the EstCrops Corner webinar series, titled "Dynamics of Plant–Insect Interactions for Developing Sustainable Pest Control Strategies," organized by BRIN's Research Center for Plantation Crops under its Agriculture and Food Research Organization on Wednesday (28/10), according to Trubus.id.
The discussion covered natural enemies of pests, wild flowering plants, insect-borne plant viruses, and the defensive compounds that plants release when attacked.
Why it matters
Chemical pesticides have long been the default response to pest outbreaks, but BRIN is promoting an ecosystem-based approach known as Integrated Pest Management (PHT) that leans on natural predators and the plant's own defenses. According to Trubus.id, the agency frames this as a way to hold down pest populations, cut dependence on chemical sprays, and preserve the balance of the agricultural environment.
Puji Lestari, head of BRIN's Agriculture and Food Research Organization, said the interplay between pests and their natural enemies is a key part of keeping organism populations in check within farming ecosystems. She said understanding these relationships is necessary to design control strategies that are more selective, effective, and efficient. She added that the webinar was intended as a space for researchers, academics, and plantation businesses to exchange knowledge and produce practical innovations for Indonesia's plantation sector.
Flowering vegetation and the insects that keep pests down
Setiari Marwanto, head of BRIN's Research Center for Plantation Crops, noted that environmental change also affects how crops interact with surrounding organisms. In a farming ecosystem, some organisms act as pests that drag down productivity, while others serve as natural enemies that help suppress pest numbers. Certain insects, meanwhile, can carry plant diseases from one crop to another. Marwanto said grasping these dynamics is essential for developing effective pest and disease control while maintaining ecosystem balance.
One approach discussed was the use of wild flowering vegetation to support biological control. BRIN researcher Iwa Mara Trisawa explained that plants often dismissed as weeds can deliver ecological benefits when managed properly. Beyond helping hold soil structure together and limiting erosion, flowering plants can supply nectar to beneficial insects, including parasitoids that help keep pest populations in check. Access to nectar supports the survival, reproduction, and host-seeking activity of these parasitoids.
Trisawa cautioned that using wild vegetation must be done selectively. The choice of plant species has to account for the risk that a plant could compete with cultivated crops or become a breeding ground for pests.
Virus-carrying insects and the plant's own chemical alarm
The webinar also examined insects and arthropods that spread plant viruses. Adyatma Irawan Santosa, a lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada, explained that the feeding behavior of insects and their interaction with plant tissue can move pathogens from one plant to another. Groups such as thrips, whiteflies, and sap-sucking insects warrant attention because of their potential to act as virus vectors. When these insects pierce plant tissue to draw nutrients, they can pick up a virus from an infected plant and pass it on to another. Santosa said identifying vector insects, understanding how transmission works, and conducting field observation are all important parts of building disease prevention strategies.
A further avenue lies in plants' natural defenses. Kadis Mujiono, a lecturer at Universitas Mulawarman, described how plants can release volatile compounds in response to herbivore attack. Research on rice showed that feeding by pest larvae can trigger the release of Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles (HIPV), compounds produced when a plant comes under herbivore pressure. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, the study identified several compounds, including linalool and methyl salicylate, that may play a role in how plants interact with other organisms. Preliminary results pointed to a tendency toward lower pest attack intensity in treated plants than in control plants, though Trubus.id reports that the findings still need further testing before they can be applied widely.
Mujiono said volatile compounds could potentially be put to use through manipulation of pest behavior, application of beneficial microorganisms, planting of refugia, and development of crop varieties with stronger defensive mechanisms.
Across these lines of research, BRIN is pushing to advance Integrated Pest Management by making fuller use of natural enemies and plant defenses. Trubus.id reports that the agency still considers broader research and testing necessary, taking into account crop characteristics, the target organisms, and local environmental conditions.
Watch for follow-up trials on the volatile compound work and further guidance on which flowering plants are safe to integrate into plantation systems.
