Non destructive detection and localization of internal pests in agricultural hosts using microwave imaging with application to red palm weevil

Simple SummaryThis summary explores strategies to protect date palm trees from harmful insects like the red palm weevil. The emphasis is on employing intelligent and eco-friendly methods that do not harm the environment. The goal is to understand the impact of these insects on trees and identify effective measures to prevent their infestation. Ultimately, the objective is to ensure the long-term health and vitality of date palm trees.The red palm weevil (RPW) poses a significant threat to date palm ecosystems, highlighting the necessity of sustainable pest management strategies that carefully consider the delicate ecological balance within these environments. This comprehensive review delves into innovative approaches to sustainable pest management, specifically focusing on date palm, and seeks to unravel the intricate ecological dynamics underlying RPW infestations. We thoroughly analyze biocontrol methods, eco-friendly chemical interventions, and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, aiming to minimize the ecological impact while effectively addressing RPW infestations. By emphasizing the interplay of both living organisms (biotic) and environmental factors (abiotic) in shaping RPW dynamics, we advocate for a holistic and sustainable management approach that ensures the long-term resilience of date palm ecosystems. This review aims to contribute to an ecologically sound framework for pest management, promoting the sustainability and vitality of date palm ecosystems amidst the challenges posed by the RPW.

This study, about RPW and date palms, is under the scope of date palm bioecology and nutrition (nutritional ecology) which includes the integration of several areas of research such as date palm biochemistry, genetics, and RPW infestation behavior through various date palm cultivars. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.; Arecaceae) production is under threat from the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliver. A better understanding of genetic diversity within date palm cultivars can be useful for its implementation within the insect IPM program in the future. Three indices, namely simple-sequence repeats (SSR) markers to elucidate genetic diversity, chemical components, and a natural infestation index of RPW, were used to evaluate the resistant or susceptible date palm cultivars in Qassim. Based on a field survey of RPW infestation within 79 date palm farms involving 11 cultivars at Qassim, the sensitivity and resistance cultivars were determined. The resistant date palm cultivars were Nabtat Ali, Shakrah, red Sukary, and um Kobar which had the lowest degree of RPW abundance %. Values of the essential minerals, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium within the date palm cultivars were also estimated. RPW abundance % was negatively correlated with the calcium content of date palm cultivars. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the calcium content and RPW abundance % were highly affected by the cultivars. SSR markers of the date palm cluster tree divided genotypes into two main groups at similarity coefficients between 0.56 and 0.91. The 1st group included; Nabtet Ali, Red Sukary, Um Kobar, and Shakrah with similarity coefficients between 0.56, this group was the most resistant cultivars. Therefore, SSR markers were able to characterize and resolve genetic diversity in date palm cultivars for RPW resistance. When SSR markers coupled with higher calcium (Ca) content can efficiently replace indices in characterizing resistant date-palm genotypes with a high confidence level. Integration between date palm genetic diversity, chemical structures, and RPW infestations rates promoted the understanding of the interplay between the diversity of RPW management (short-time scale), and the resistance genes, plant nutrition, and dynamics of the diversity of RPW through domestication and diversification (long-timescale). Therefore, our results may lead to a change in RPW control strategies by switching to using safe alternative pesticide control methods (Resistant cultivars of date palm), which are underestimated and may reveal the impact of low-cost, but highly effective agricultural practices in the field of date production in the world. Understanding the genetic structure and calcium content of date palm cultivars mechanisms could help to predict date palm resistance against RPW populations in the new IPM strategy in RPW control.

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is currently the most severe pest of major cultivated palms, including coconut palms. Red palm weevil infestation was first detected in 2007 by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in all seven Terengganu districts. An intensive 3-month survey in 2011 throughout Terengganu in over 800 ha of coconut plantations, villages, parks and in the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) plantations in all districts indicated that red palm weevils infested as many as 55 000 coconut trees, showing a drastic increase and rapid spread of red palm weevil population. The symptoms and damages of each attacked part (shoot, cabbage, petiole and trunk) of infested coconut palms where different growth stages of the insect lived is discussed in this paper. However, symptoms of attack at an early stage of infestation were difficult to detect as the red palm weevil is a concealed tissue borer. The severely infested coconut palms showed signs of wilting, drooping of dried leaves like an umbrella-shaped or skirting-shaped leaves. By the time the presence of the weevil is realised, it is already too late to save the palm. A total number of 1 208 red palm weevils which consists of 12 eggs (1.0%), 392 larvae (32.5%), 677 pupae (56.0%) and 127 adults (10.5%) were collected from this study. Higher numbers of red palm weevils were found in petioles (770 individuals), followed by cabbages (194 individuals), trunks (142 individuals) and the least was shoots (102 individuals). Various stages of red palm weevil (egg, larvae, pupae, adult) co-existed in the same infested coconut palm, until the total death of the palm, where the adults move to another host plant. The larvae were found starting from the top of the palm, moving inside the palm making tunnels and large cavities, even at the base of the trunk. This is the first report on the onslaught of R. ferrugineus on coconut palms in this country. This invasive weevil will be a threat to the coconut industry and, could threaten the survival of oil palm plantations, which represents the backbone of Malaysia’ s commodities market. An early action is needed to prevent further spread of the pest in other states of the region and to protect the coconut industry in Malaysia. Keywords: Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, invasive, coconut pest, symptoms, growth stages.

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliv.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a highly damaging pest of palm trees worldwide. The infestation is highly concealed in nature. Hence, a highly sensitive and reliable early detection technique needs to be applied in the field for identification and treatment of the infested date palms to curtail further infestation. We have recently reported the differential proteomic analysis of the date palm stem tissues associated with the red palm weevil infestation. In this study, we examine the response of date palm infested with red palm weevil based on the leaf proteome expression changes detected using two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) followed by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF). We observed qualitative and quantitative proteome differences between the control and weevil-infested date palm samples. The red palm weevil infestation induced specific responses attributable to weevil feeding, relative to artificially wounded trees (which were used as a control). Differential proteomics led to the identification of 32 red palm weevil infestation-specific protein spots (P ≤ 0.05 having ≥ 1.5-fold modulation) that were further subjected to mass spectrometer analysis for identification and characterization. Proteins involved in plant stress and plant defense, photosynthesis, carbohydrate utilization, and protein degradation were affected in infested plants. The differentially expressed red palm weevil infestation-specific peptides can be used as biomarkers for the identification of early infestation with this insect in date palm trees. Moreover, our study demonstrates the potential use of proteomic strategies in diagnosing phyto-infestation caused by insect pests, diseases, and perhaps even for variety selection.

Red Palm Weevil(RPW) infestation is a major challenge in palm production, often remaining undetected until severe internal damage has occurred. This proposed work presents a novel non-invasive auditory detection system that combines advanced signal processing with deep learning for the early identification of RPW. Acoustic signals from palm trees were pre-processed to suppress noise, and Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) was used to extract spectral features specific to RPW activity. To refine feature matching, cosine similarity was applied, followed by classification using a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network. The proposed approach achieved an accuracy of 98.02%, outperforming traditional detection techniques. The novelty of this work lies in integrating LPC based features, cosine similarity, and Bi-LSTM for temporal pattern recognition, enabling highly reliable early detection. A Bi-LSTM RPW classifier combining LPC and cosine similarity, improving accuracy over conventional shallow models was developed. The robust RPW detection system provides accurate outputs despite noise, interference and signal distortion. A limitation of this work is that the evaluation was performed on a controlled dataset, and large scale field validation is required for wider applicability.

A location aware system for integrated management of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in urban systems

Red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) threatens most palm species worldwide. This study investigated the molecular responses of coconut (Cocos nucifera) leaves to RPW infestation through metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis. An RPW insect attack model was developed by placing different RPW larval densitiesin coconut plants and measuring the relative chlorophyll content of different leaf positions and physiological indicators of dysfunction after RPW infestation. The metabolomic changes were detected in the leaves of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 days after infestation (DAI) using GC-MS. Certain metabolites (glycine, D-pinitol, lauric acid, allylmalonic acid, D-glucaro-1, 4-lactone, protocatechuic acid, alpha, and alpha-trehalose) were found to be possible indicators for distinct stages of infestation using metabolomics analysis. The influence on ABC transporters, glutathione, galactose, and glycolipid metabolism was emphasized by pathway analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 5, 10, 15, and 20 DAI through transcriptomics analysis of infested coconut leaves, with altered expression levels under RPW infestation. The KEGG pathway and GO analysis revealed enrichment in pathways related to metabolism, stress response, and plant-pathogen interactions, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms underlying coconut-RPW interactions. The identified genes may serve as potential markers for tracking RPW infestation progression and could inform strategies for pest control and management.

<p>Red palm weevil (RPW) is one of the major fatal pests of coconut. Conventional extension approaches need to be refined for<br />achieving the desired outcome on adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies against RPW, especially among small<br />and marginal farming communities. The pattern of incidence, severity of infestation and age of palms are the factors motivating<br />farmers for adoption of IPM practices. Taking these into account, a technology delivery approach for RPW management was<br />evolved and implemented in the entire geographical extent of 520 ha area of Edava grama panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram<br />district of Kerala state, India. This approach involves farmer participatory surveillance and monitoring with technical facilitation<br />from research institutions which is a paradigm shift to community based area wide management strategies. Besides holdings’<br />profile, number of RPW infested/lost palms and GPS (i.e., latlong) coordinates of infested palms were recorded. The spatial<br />distribution pattern was analyzed using Indices of Dispersion (ID), Patchiness (IP) Cluster Frequency (ICF) and Mean Crowding<br />(IMC) at different cluster levels (i.e., holdings, administrative segments and grids). ESRI GIS software was used to depict geospatial<br />patterns of RPW infestation. Among 5410 coconut holdings, 18.7 per cent were having RPW infested palms. The pest incidence<br />in juvenile palms was significantly higher compared to adult palms. The distribution pattern of infested palms was observed to be<br />aggregated. Knowledge level of farmers regarding aspects of pest and management was below 10 per cent. The proposed<br />methodology of participatory data documentation resulted in rapid and reliable collection of data from large area with an additional<br />benefit of experiential learning for farmers in the locality.</p>

Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a lethal pest which has been described as a serious pest that reduces the production of coconut tree and other major cultivated palms. RPW infestation was initially detected by Department of Agriculture (DOA) in 2007 in all eight Terengganu districts. Rhu Tapai plantation area is one of the highly infested areas in Terengganu. Until now, limited reports on population abundance of this lethal pest have been discussed particularly in Rhu Tapai. Therefore, a study on population abundance is a must in order to understand the population dynamic of RPW which will be the first step of its control strategy. A total of 12 traps were installed and synthetic pheromones (P028 Ferrolure+) were used in attracting the RPW adults. Overall, 81 individuals of RPW were successfully collected after 16 weeks of pheromone trapping (3rd September until 28th November 2018). The trend of weekly RPW captured was eventually decreasing from Week 1 to Week 16 but showed a sudden increment in Week 10. Pandan cultivar plot captured the highest number of adult RPW compared with Mawa cultivar plots. Result showed no significant difference between RPW sexes percentage of sexes which was 53% of male and 47% of female (1:1 ratio) (U= 0.143, p > 0.05). Daily rainfall and temperature significantly reduced the trapping efficiency (R²rainfall = 0.142, p = 0.145; R²temperature = 0.0858; p = 0.258). These results will be the baseline information for future study regarding control management strategy using pheromone-based mass trapping system.

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is known to be the most serious pest of coconut palms and other cultivated palms in India, South Asia, North Africa, Europe, the United States and the Middle East. The larval feeding sites of the date fruit-stalk borer (FSB), Oryctes elegans Prell, may be attractive to RPW to lay eggs. Understanding the correlation between the RPW and FSB might help in predicting RPW infestations. The relative abundances of both species were followed in 16 date-palm production orchards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from June 2007 to May 2008. A specifically designed light trap was used to monitor FSB, and pheromone traps (ferrugineol (4-methyl-5-nonanol)) were used to monitor RPWs. There was a weak correlation between FSB abundance and subsequent RPW infestation in date palms (R2 = 0.0039). The relative abundances of both species were well synchronized in the date palm orchards that were sampled.

The red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferruginous) is one of the most serious pest insects threatening the sustainability of the date palm sector (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Nevertheless, a gap exists in the body of knowledge regarding patterns in farmers’ adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) for RPW control and how their knowledge of RPW symptomology influences IPM adoption. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 183 palm growers in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that most farmers had insufficient knowledge to visually diagnose RPW symptoms and damage. Farmers moderately adopted preventive measures recommended for protection from RPW infestation. Only 13.11% of the farmers exhibited a high rate of adoption of pest management practices for RPW control and eradication. The findings revealed a strong positive association (0.8, p < 0.01) between the knowledge level regarding symptoms and IPM adoption level, whereby the respondents with more knowledge of RPW symptoms showed a higher level of adoption in all IPM categories. This study contributes to the development of our understanding of the social behaviors and risks associated with RPW. This might enhance the quality of awareness campaigns and extension programs and assist in developing a visual inspection protocol for RPW infestation for farmers.

To counter the insect infestation, plants respond with wide-ranging and highly dynamic biochemical reactions. Of these, the anti-oxidative activity is poorly understood. The red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver), one of the most widespread pests in Pakistan, prefers to infest date palm Phoenix dactylifera. Our present study investigated the feeding preference of RPW to 11 different date palm cultivars and the results suggested that the Hillawi cultivar was most preferred. Greater infestation rate, fecundity and hatching rate were also recorded from Hillawi and Mozawati than other cultivars. No significant decreases were observed in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophylls and carotenoids of RPW-infested Hillawi cultivar over un-infested control. In contrast, the contents of enzymatic antioxidants including phenols, proline, hydrogen peroxide, anthocyanin, malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid and glycine betaine showed a drastic increase after RPW infestation, and there was enhanced superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities. Furthermore, we recorded the increase of total protein and sugar contents in RPW-infested date palms. These findings offer valuable insight into the antioxidative molecular mechanism of date palms under RPW attack and may contribute to the breeding of insect-resistant crops.

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) is a devastating insect on the date palm in the Arabic countries. It causes considerable damage to date palm plantations. All the stages of insect are hidden inside the palm tree and larvae feed on the interior tissue of trunk. For this reason, the detection of infection in the early stages is very difficult or impossible and when the action of the pest is discovered, normally it is too late for recovering the tree. The current measures used to control the insect are not effective enough to succeed in eliminating the insect because of the great difficulty in early detection of infection and reaching all life stages inside the trunk. The objective of this study is to detect the presence of living stages of RPW, which are hidden in the palm tree. Sensors and nanoparticles have useful applications in detection and treatment of the date palm. The study revealed that using Nano-techniques such as an acoustic sensor, thermal sensors as fingerprints, the infection of RPW can be discovered in early stages. The results of the audio analysis would be reported wirelessly to a control station for subsequent processing to send warning messages to be accessible via the Internet. Nano-thermal sensors are efficient to detect the existence of the RPW through its thermal properties. Also, using Nano-minerals as a treatment for the already Red Date Palm Weevil is important. The nanoparticle minerals (Rutile, Anatase or Brookite) were used and prepared in Moringa oleifera leaves extract to control RPW. The plant-mediated biosynthesis of nanoparticles is advantageous over chemical and physical methods because it is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method, where it is not necessary to use high pressure, energy, temperature, and toxic chemicals. Also, using ultra-sonic sensors prevent the RPW to attack the date palm trees. Unlike traditional methods, which are time-consuming, and labor intensive, these types of methods offer the advantages of keeping the palm trees intact; reduce costs, as well as saving time and money in the process of pest infestation detection. Nano-minerals extract (NME) drastically decreased developmental stages of R. ferrugineus. The compound is a 100% natural solution. It is derived from natural plants and minerals that can significantly aid in controlling RPW. Also, it is safe to use on all plants and crops including natives.

The red palm weevil (RPW) is a stem boring Coleoptera that decimates host palm trees from within. The challenge of managing this pest is due to a lack of physical symptoms during the early stages of infestation. Investigating the physiological changes that occur within RPW-infested palm trees may be useful in establishing a new approach in RPW detection. In this study, the effects of RPW infestation were investigated in Elaeis guineensis by observing changes in physical and physiological parameters during the progress of infestation by visual inspection and the comparison of growth, gas exchange, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content between the non-infested control, physically wounded, and RPW-infested E. guineensis groups. During the study period, four distinct levels of physical infestation were observed and recorded. The RPW-infested group displayed significantly lower maximum photosynthesis activity (Amax) starting from the third week post-infestation. However, growth in terms of change in plant height and stem circumference, leaves’ stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content were not significantly different between the three groups during the duration of the study. The significant drop in photosynthesis was observed one week before physical changes appeared. This suggests the promising utilisation of photosynthesis activity as a signal for detecting RPW infestation at the early stage of attacks, which could be useful for integration in integrated pest management (IPM).

Sustainable Palm Tree Farming: Leveraging IoT and Multi-Modal Data for Early Detection and Mapping of Red Palm Weevil