Exposure to Insecticides Reduces Populations of Rhynchophorus palmarum in Oil Palm Plantations with Bud Rot Disease

Abstract

The South American palm weevil (SAPW), Rhynchophorus palmarum Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the main pest of Elaeis guineensis and damages palm trees with bud rot disease in the Americas. The effects of six neurotoxic insecticides (abamectin, carbaryl, deltamethrin, fipronil, imidacloprid and spinosad) were evaluated against SAPW for toxicity, survival, reproduction, and mortality. Abamectin (LC50 = 0.33 mg mL−1), Carbaryl (LC50 = 0.24 mg mL−1), deltamethrin (LC50 = 0.17 mg mL−1), and fipronil (LC50 = 0.42 mg mL−1) were the most toxic to SAPW. Adult survival was 95% without exposure to insecticides, decreasing to 78–65% in insects treated with the LC25 and 49–35% in insects exposed to LC50. Sublethal doses of carbaryl, fipronil and imidacloprid showed significant effect on the reproduction of this insect. Mortality of SAPW populations caused by insecticides had similar effects in the laboratory and field conditions. The results suggest that carbaryl, deltamethrin, fipronil, and imidacloprid caused significantly higher mortality as compared to the control in SAPW and may be used to control its populations in oil palm trees where bud rot appears as the key disease for SAPW attraction and infestation.

Deltamethrin resistance in Chagas disease vectors colonizing oil palm plantations: implications for vector control strategies in a public health-agriculture interface

“…DM has been suggested for control of Rh. palmarum in oil palms [24], and this insecticide showed the lowest LD50 for Rh. palmarum in bioassays that evaluated [24].…”

“…Some insecticides suggested or used for the control of important oil palm pests are also recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) to control triatomines in domiciles, as is the case for λ-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin [19]. Alfa-cyhalothrin has been suggested to control the palm root pests Strategus aloeus (ox beetle) [20] and the moth Sagalassa valida [21,22]; cypermethrin has been recommended to control the palm defoliator Opsiphanes cassina (split-banded owlet) [23], and deltamethrin has been suggested to control the important palm pest Rhynchophorus palmarum (South American palm weevil) [24].…”

Effect of Benzoylphenyl Ureas on Survival and Reproduction of the Lace Bug, Leptopharsa gibbicarina

“…The application of chemical insecticides is an effective strategy for controlling pest populations [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and the use of biorational insecticides is a valuable insect pest management option for oil palm plantations [ 17 ]. The current suite of biorational insecticides includes benzoylphenyl ureas (BPUs), characterized by biological activity interfering with developmental processes of insects [ 17 ].…”

Detection of Diseases in Oil Palm Plantations in the Brazilian Amazon through Orbital Image

“…Among these phytosanitary limitations, we highlight insects, drill pests (Rhynchophorus palmarum, Linnaeus, 1764;and Eupalamides cyparissias cyparissias Fabricius, 1776), defoliators (Opsiphanes invirae Hubner, 1818), and oil palm diseases, such Fatal Yellowing (FY), red ring disease (Bursaphelenchus cocophilus Cobb, 1919), sudden wilt (Phytomonas staheli McGhee and McGhee, 1979) and vascular wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaedis) (Flood, 2006;Maciel et al, 2015;Assis Costa et al, 2018;Nascimento et al, 2018;Martínez et al, 2019).…”

“…By considering the successive occurrences of pests and diseases in the oil palm in recent years (Maciel et al, 2015;Torres et al, 2016;Murguía-González et al, 2018;Martínez et al, 2019), and the great difficulties of their containment in the current management routines, it is important to consolidate a technique that is efficient and shows a rapid response for the detection of diseases in the extensive plantations of the region, starting with the present experiment carried out in plots in the municipality of Acará. Thus, this paper evaluates the efficiency of the Sentinel-2A MSI orbital sensor for the detection of anomalies caused by diseases in the palm oil crop in the municipality of Acará, representative of the crops in the Brazilian Amazon.…”