The Benefits of Barn Owls (Tyto alba Sco.) in the Management to Rice Field Rat (Rattus argentiventer Rob. & Klo.) in Guntur District, Demak Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia

The attack of rice field rats (Rattus argentiventer) is spread almost all of rice fields in Indonesia at all growth stadium, both vegetative and early and late of generative. Several control methods have been implemented including rodenticides (poison baiting), fumigant (poison smoke), hunting (“gropyokan”), and electric fencing. However, it is not yet effective in controlling field rats in the fields, so it needed an environmental friendly and safe control innovation, namely the use of predator to the rat pests in the form of barn owls (Tyto alba). The aim of this study is to obtain the benefits use of barn owls (T. alba) to manage rice field rats population in the role of ecological, economical, and social factors. The research was conducted in Guntur District, Demak Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, from August to October 2022 by conducting a direct survey using a structured questionnaire and field observations. The sampling location and determination of respondents using the sampling method with 30 respondents. Data was processed and analyzed using the Microsoft excel 2019 application. The results showed that the benefits of using T. alba was effective in controlling rats which was seen in ecological, economical, and social factors. Barn owl was able to control 3-5 rats in one night. As the result, it increased the yield of rice production with a R/C ratio of 2.81 and a B/C ratio of 3.84, it means the barn owl is feasible to be developed in the rice fields area. The successful management of rice field ras population using T. alba in Guntur District was supported by stakeholder collaboration and policies in the form of written regulations.

Ecological factors, environmental friendly management, predator of rats, rice production

1. Agricultural Extension Center. 2022. Data Rubuha Aktif di Kecamatan Guntur, Kabupaten Demak. Demak : BPP Kecamatan Demak. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Baskoro K. 2005. Tyto alba: Biologi, Perilaku, Ekologi dan Konservasi. Semarang: Pecinta Alam Haliaster Biologi. Universitas Diponegoro. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Berliani S, Pradiana W, Trisnasari W. 2021. Tyto alba inovasi pengendali hama tikus (Rattus argentiventer) melalui pemberdayaan petani padi sawah. Jurnal Inovasi Penelitian. [accessed 2023 Jan 15]; 2(2):691-698. doi:10.47492/jip.v2i2.740. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Central Bureau of Statistics. 2019. Kecamatan Guntur dalam Angka 2019. Demak: Badan Pusat Statistika, Kabupaten Demak. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Central Bureau of Statistics. 2022. Luas Panen dan Produksi Padi di Indonesia 2021. Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistika. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Hadi M. 2008. Pola aktivitas harian pasangan burung serak jawa (Tyto alba) di sarang Kampus Psikologi Universitas Diponegoro Tembalang Semarang. Bioma. [accessed 2023 Feb 5]; 6(2):23-29. doi:10.14710/bioma.10.1.23-29. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Hidayat S. 2014. Morfologi esofagus dan lambung burung serak jawa (Tyto alba) [skripsi]. Bogor: Institut Pertanian Bogor. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Mulyana AN. 2020. Pemanfaatan burung serak sulawesi (Tyto rosenbergii Schlegel) untuk mengendalikan tikus pada perkebunan kelapa sawit di Sulawesi [tesis]. Bogor: Institut Pertanian Bogor. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Novita S, Denmar D, Suratno T. 2016. Hubungan karakteristik sosial ekonomi petani dengan tingkat penerapan teknologi usahatani padi sawah lahan rawa lebak di Kecamatan Sekernan, Kabupaten Muaro, Jambi. Jurnal Sosio Ekonomika Bisnis. 19(1): 22-52. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Shawyer CR. 2011. Barn Owl Tyto alba Survey Methodology and Techniques for use in Ecological Assessment : Developing Best Practice in Survey and Reporting. Winchester: IEEM. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Siregar HM, Priyambodo S, Hindayana D. 2020. Preferensi serangan tikus sawah (Rattus argentiventer) terhadap tanaman padi. Agrovigor. 13(1): 16-21. [accessed 2023 Jan 21]. https://journal.trunojoyo.ac.id /agrovigor/article/view/6249. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Sugiyono. 2013. Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D. Bandung: CV Alfabeta. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Susanti N, Listriana NH, Widaya T. 2016. Pengaruh umur petani, tingkat pendidikan dan luas lahan terhadap hasil produksi tanaman sembung. Jurnal Tumbuhan Obat Indonesia. 9(2):75-82. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Widodo A. 2013 Nov 13. Diserbu Tikus, Ratusan Hektar Sawah di Demak Gagal Panen. Kompas.com. [accessed 2023 Jan 10]. https://tekno.kompas.com/read/2013/11/ 13/1147280/Diserbu.Tikus.Ratusan. Hektar.Sawah.di.Demak.Gagal.Panen. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Breeding for a Greener Future: Selective Breeding and Crossbreeding Approaches to Minimize Methane Emissions in Ruminant Livestock
• Determinants of Adoption of Post-Harvest Losses Prevention Techniques among Banana/Plantain Marketers in Lagos State, Nigeria
• Enhancing Rice Yield Prediction Using UAV-Based Multispectral Imaging and Machine Learning Algorithms
• Seed-Borne Fungi of Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea) and Their Management with Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Extract In Makurdi, Nigeria
• The Influence of Landforms and Slope on Agricultural Cropping Patterns in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District