Field evaluation of mineral oils and inorganic salts with insecticides and light traps against the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus olivier

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted on imported varieties (Ekhlas and barhi) and local varieties (Zaghlol and Samani) of palm trees at EL-noubariya region, date palms in Egypt suffer from infestation of palm insects especially red palm weevil Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus (RPW). Inorganic salts, mineral oils and pesticides (individually and mixture) were applied using different techniques and integrated with light traps against R. ferrugineus. counting of light traps was recorded 77.9% of scarabaeidae, 40.3% of bostrichidae and 31.3% of cerambycidae. the collected insects can be arranged in descending order as follows: Palm stem borer, Phyllgnathus excavatus (56.3 insect/month), the frond borer Phonapate frontalis (36.3 insectl/month), the longhorn palm borer Pseudophilus testaceus (32.4 insect/month) the bunch stalk borer, Oryctes elegans (20.3 insect/month). the highest insect activity was obtained in April, May, June, July and August. Injection of inorganic solution inside the infested palm trees, led to 100% recovery of the treated trees after a year of treatment, while pouring the solution on the earth surrounding the infested palms caused 50% recovery, however spraying the solution on the imported varieties of palms was not very effective. Injection the mixture of car oil used with mossbelan as pure pesticide inside the infested trunk gave high protection against RPW (100%) recovery for all tested palms (aged 3 years in each) and 66.7% recovery fore local varieties (5 years age). Scattering granules of Vuoradan (soil pesticide) inside the drilled holes surrounding the infested palms (100 gm/hole) led to 66.7% recovery for imported varieties and about 33.3% for local varieties.