EFFICACY OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES AGAINST RED PALM WEEVIL IN UAE

The Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was introduced to the Middle East Region in the early 1980’s.
The insect is considered one of the serious pests which threaten date plantations in the region.
As part of the research activities of the Biological Control Project of the Red Palm Weevil in the Middle East, investigations were conducted to assess the infectivity, the pathogenicity and the control potential of several isolates of entomopathogenic nematode against the adults of Red Palm Weevil, both under laboratory and field conditions.
Results obtained from the laboratory assessments showned that a local UAE isolate of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis indicus (Poinar et al., 1992), was the most efficient nematode isolate tested against this pest.
Field assessments using a novel procedure of targeted application of highly concentrated suspensions of local UAE isolate H. indicus resulted in a substantial decline in the population of Red Palm Weevil after two successive applications within a period of two months.
We concluded that there is great control potential when H. indicus is applied in date plantation fields against adults of the Red Palm.

III International Date Palm Conference

S.A. Elawad, S.A. Mousa, A.S. Shahbad, S.A. Alawaash, A.M.A. Alamiri

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.736.38