Application of coconut shell liquid smoke as a biopesticide and its effects on maize growth and productivity

Abstrak

The presence of pests on crops is a major and persistent problem in modern agriculture, significantly affecting their growth. Along with the increasing awareness of the environmental impact of chemical pesticides, liquid smoke has emerged as a promising alternative, particularly as a biopesticide. This study aims to evaluate the effect of liquid smoke dosage on plant growth and productivity. Liquid smoke was applied as a foliar spray at four dilution levels: 1:0, 1:2, 1:4, and 1:10. Growth parameters, including plant height and stem diameter, as well as yield components such as number of grains per cob, cob weight, and total ear weight, were measured. Data was analyzed using ANOVA followed by Tukey’s at a 5% significance level. The results showed that liquid smoke dosage significantly affected plant height, stem diameter, number of grains per cob, cob weight, and total ear weight. The 1:2 dilution level consistently produced the highest growth performance and yield components, while the lowest values were generally observed at the highest dilution level (1:10). These findings indicate that coconut shell-derived liquid smoke has potential as an environmentally friendly biopesticide for maize cultivation.