Efficacy of Zinnia (Zinnia violacea) as Intercrop and Oriental Herb Nutrients (OHNs) as Biopesticide in Reducing Pest Incidence and Enhancing Productivity in Squash (Cucurbita maxima)

Intercropping and biopesticide application are two universal practices that can reduce reliance on chemicals and synthetically produced pesticides; additionally, they can also enhance biodiversity and promote sustainability. A single-factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Zinnia (Zinnia violacea) as an intercrop, and oriental herb nutrients (OHNs) as an organic biopesticide, in reducing pest incidence and improving the productivity of squash (Cucurbita maxima). The experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with four treatments: Control (T1), squash + OHN application (T2), squash + zinnia intercropping (T3), and squash + zinnia intercropping + OHN application (T4). The analysis focused on investigating the natural enemies present as well as the number of pests and their degree of damage and yield component. The results show that, intercropping Zinnias with squash was significantly effective in reducing pest incidence and attracting insects beneficial for pollination and fruit production in squash. Additionally, the combination of Zinnia intercropping and oriental herb nutrient (OHN) application consistently yielded the best results in controlling pests that attack squash, thereby increasing productivity. The findings demonstrated significant results on the efficacy of Zinnia–squash intercropping and OHN application as a method of biological control conservation and provided crucial insights into the practical, low-cost and sustainable pest management of squash production.