A new strategy for controlling three devastating pests attacking date palm plantations in El Bahariya and Siwa Oases, Egypt,

Abstract

Egypt is considered the world leader in date production; yet, Batrachedra amydraula, Arenipses sabella and Virachola livia are threatening this distinguished position. The current study aimed to set a new strategy depending on controlling of those pests using a group of parasitoids and predators. Once the pests appeared in El Bahariya and Siwa Oases' palm plantations, Trichogramma sp., Bracon sp., Goniozus sp., Chrysoperlasp. Coccinellasp. and Oriussp. were released. Results related to infestation%, before and after release, pests' emergence and intensification were compared in both Oases. By the end of the season, A. sabella and V. livia infestation percentage in El Bahariya control farm increased till 82.5 and 70.6%, respectively, while B. amydraula showed less infestation, i.e.39%. Infestation declined significantly when natural enemies were released and by the end of the season it reached 2.5, 1.1 and 1.1%, for A. sabella, B. amydruala and V. livia, respectively. In Siwa, infestation in control recorded 40.2, 52.4 and 58.7 %, while in treatments, it dropped to 1.1, 2 and 2.2%, by the end of the season, for the three pests, respectively. A. sabella infestation was higher in El Bahariya than Siwa, on the contrary with B. amydraula, while V. livia was higher in Siwa than El Bahariya till Aug., and the opposite case occurred in Sep. Results proved that using this combination of natural enemiesa proved effective control method against the three pests under investigation and it is recommended to use this strategy to be integrated in IPM programs in palm plantations in Egypt.

Stage structured prey-predator model incorporating mortal peril consequential to inefficiency and habitat complexity in juvenile hunting

“…Lesser date moth, Batrachedra amydraula Meyrick, is grievously baneful for date palm trees, a crop with an enormous economical importance in the Middle-Eastern countries; resulting up to 70-80 percent of yield loss. Natural enemies of the pests, Goniozus omanensis , used to exterminate the pests, attack only the larval stage of lesser date moth [49] , [50] . Equivalently, in COVID-19 scenario, one may descry the prey population (human being) taking the aid of habitat (places with a low number of infected people along with sanitizer and the likes) to successfully thwart the initial stage of virus (predator) [51] .…”