The Effect of the Infestation of the Psyllid (Heteropsylla cubana) in the Production of the Farming System in Two Villages Having Different Inttesity of Leucaena Use

Abstract

A comparative study of the effect of psyllid Heteropsylla cubana infestaton of Leucaena leucocephala on the production of two farming system was conducted. In the village Pakubaun Leucaena leucocephala was used as the main source of foder to fatten cutter in cut and carry system, while in the village of Pollo farmers used Leucaena leucocephala as the feed suplemen. A sample of about 10% of farmers livestock producer were used as respondents to quistionnaire on catle and maize production.the results were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranked test. The results show the psyllid investation has bad a devastating effect on production of the Leucaena leucocephala on cutle production component of the farming system. The production of maize  was also adversely affected. In the village Pakubaun were Leucaena leucocephala dominates the farming the farming system  the number of cattle increased from about 6 months to 12 months. In the Pollo villages were  Leucaena leucocephala as a supplement. The number of cattle fed fell from 4.5 to 3.5 per family following the psyllid attack while taken to fatten cattle increasedabout 8.5 moths to 10 months. The production of maize also fell 0.677 tonne to 0.657 in Pakubaun and from 0.555 tonne to 0.524 tonne in the village of Pollo.