Penerapan dan Pendampingan Produksi Biopestisida Beauveria bassiana dalam Mengendalikan Penggerek Buah Kopi

Abstract

The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is one of the most destructive pests affecting Arabica coffee production in Pagar Gunung Village, Kotanopan District, Mandailing Natal Regency, Indonesia. Farmers primarily rely on synthetic pesticides, resulting in high production costs, environmental risks, and limitedadoption of sustainable pest management practices. This community service program aimed to improve farmers' knowledge and technical skills through the implementation and technical assistance of Beauveria bassiana biopesticide production for coffee berry borer management. The program was conducted over four months using a participatory approach consisting of needs assessment, extension activities, technical training, hands-on biopesticide production, field demonstrations, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation. Twenty members of the Harapan Maju Farmer Group participated in the program with a 100% attendance rate. The results demonstrated substantial improvements in farmers' knowledge and practical skills. Farmers' understanding of the benefits of B. bassiana increased from 20% to 80%, the ability to produce biopesticides increased from 13% to 83%, and knowledge of proper application techniques improved from 25% to 89%. These findings indicate that the program successfully enhanced farmers' capacity to independently produce and apply B. bassiana biopesticides, supporting environmentally friendly coffee pest management and reducing dependence on synthetic pesticides. The technology has strong potential for wider adoption to promote sustainable coffee production in other coffee-growing communities.