Friday, August 7, 2009
Exhibit Hall NE & SE, Albuquerque Convention Center
A) Background/Question/Methods: A systematic agronomic management schedule along with timely plant protection interventions has been followed to prevent the damage by the dreaded pest Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv in a date palm farm in Al Kharj area of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . The methods of management included clean cultivation with proper cutting of leaves, timely removal and disposal of off-shoots, proper irrigation methods, application of recommended fertilizer doses, using new planting material after quarantine, and others. Care was taken to avoid the entry of pest through the softer tissues at the base of palm stem by following appropriate irrigation system throughout the study.
B) Results/Conclusions: As the entry of the pest is facilitated by the bore holes made by a couple of species of fruit stalk borers belonging to Oryctes spp., 56 light traps were installed and serviced throughout the observation period in the farm and the insect catch data was recorded at periodic intervals and was analysed. The light traps captured a total of 20,573, 34,597 and 26,049 fruit stalk borers during the three year study period. Other insects collected in the light traps were Mole Crickets 15,602, 10,265 and 9296; Lesser Date Moth 11,452, 11,70 and 11,427; and Greater Date Moth 10,846; 11.320 and 11,438 corresponding to the same three years. From the present studies it is hypothesized that following a schedule of good agronomic practices along with integration of pest control in a rational manner kept the Red Palm Weevil pest at a minimum.
B) Results/Conclusions: As the entry of the pest is facilitated by the bore holes made by a couple of species of fruit stalk borers belonging to Oryctes spp., 56 light traps were installed and serviced throughout the observation period in the farm and the insect catch data was recorded at periodic intervals and was analysed. The light traps captured a total of 20,573, 34,597 and 26,049 fruit stalk borers during the three year study period. Other insects collected in the light traps were Mole Crickets 15,602, 10,265 and 9296; Lesser Date Moth 11,452, 11,70 and 11,427; and Greater Date Moth 10,846; 11.320 and 11,438 corresponding to the same three years. From the present studies it is hypothesized that following a schedule of good agronomic practices along with integration of pest control in a rational manner kept the Red Palm Weevil pest at a minimum.