Assessing the impact of areawide pheromone trapping, pesticide applications, and eradication of infested date palms for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) management in Al Ghowaybah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a highly destructive pest of date palms, Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecales: Arecaceae), in Saudi Arabia. Data spanning a six year period (2007-2012) from Al Ghowaybah, a 1104ha date producing region in the Al Ahsaa Directorate in Saudi Arabia, were analyzed to assess the impact enhanced management efforts that commenced in Oct. 2009 had against this pest. Within six months of initiating the areawide management program significant reductions in the mean monthly number of weevils trapped and percentage traps with R.ferrugineus were detected. Mean monthly trap captures of R.ferrugineus and the percentage of traps capturing weevils declined significantly from 2009 to 2012 by an average of 65% and 90%, respectively, indicating that trapping and dispersal pressure was significantly reduced. By 2011, average monthly trap captures and percentage of traps with R.ferrugineus were significantly lower than all pre-management capture data and this was maintained through 2012 when data collection ceased. Additionally, over the period 2010-2012, insecticide application and palm eradication rates dropped by 91% and 89%, respectively. The total number of R.ferrugineus captured in 2012 declined by 86% when compared to total captures for 2010. At the end of 2012, the estimated infestation rate of date palms in Al Ghowaybah was 0.36%, which was below the economic threshold of a 1% infestation rate set by the Directorate of Agriculture supervising the program. It is concluded that the mandatory areawide management program that commenced in Oct. 2009 against R.ferrugineus in Al Ghowaybah had a significant and rapid impact against this pest. © 2013 The Authors.