HPT UGM – A book about weeds written by Prof. Susamto Somowiyarjo, lecturer at the Department of Pests and Plant Diseases, Gadjah Mada University, was officially published and marketed in December 2020 and this was warm enough to be given appreciation. The book entitled “Gatra Weeds in Tropical Plant Protection” discusses the reciprocal relationship between weeds, pests and diseases in order to achieve the expected Integrated Pest Control (IPM) concept.
This 188-page book is expected to be able to explain how weeds function as a shelter for natural enemies, as hosts for pathogens and pests, as a source of pesticides, as a source of pest resistance to disease, along with the characteristics and management of weeds. For example, weeds (grass, water hyacinth, wedusan, etc.) are included in the pest components that are able to interact with other components of pests (mites, nematodes, insects, rodents, wild boar, birds) and disease causes (viroids, viruses, mycoplasma, bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, nutrients, water). These three components will be integrated and mutually related with various other components (abiotic and biotic) in a system.