Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T11:20:49.474Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Geographic information system-based study to ascertain the spatial and temporal spread of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in date plantations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 June 2012

M.A. Massoud*
Affiliation:
Water Studies Centre, King Faisal University, PO Box 420, Al-Ahsa-31982, Saudi Arabia
A.A. Sallam
Affiliation:
Date Palm Research Centre of Excellence, King Faisal University, PO Box 400, Al-Ahsa-31982, Saudi Arabia
J.R. Faleiro
Affiliation:
Arlem, Raia, Salcette, Goa403 720, India
S. Al-Abdan
Affiliation:
Directorate of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Al-Ahsa-31982, Saudi Arabia
*
Get access

Abstract

Red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is a key pest of date palm in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture has implemented a pheromone-based integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to control R. ferrugineus in the Kingdom. Geographic information system (GIS) technology can serve as a valuable tool to assess insect activity and in addition the impact of the control strategy. We used GIS-based techniques to ascertain the spatial and temporal spread of R. ferrugineus in 234 ha of date plantation in Al-Sohemia-1 in the Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia. One hundred and fifty six pheromone (Ferrolure™) traps in Al-Sohemia-1 were logged using the Trimble global positioning system to determine the east longitude and north latitude of each pheromone trap and transformed to the GIS as a shape file. The spatial and temporal variations for R. ferrugineus activity based on captures in pheromone traps were studied for each of the four seasons of the year and also year-wise during 2009 and 2010. Results revealed that during both 2009 and 2010, maximum weevil activity was recorded during late spring and early summer, with captures declining during autumn and winter. Spatial variations in the activity of R. ferrugineus indicated that in general 2009 registered lower weevil activity compared with 2010. Furthermore, most of the area exhibited medium to very high weevil activity in spring and summer during both 2009 and 2010, while most of the area recorded very low to low weevil activity during the autumn and winter seasons of both the years. The ongoing R. ferrugineus-IPM programme in Al-Ahsa needs to be strengthened in areas showing high to very high weevil activity.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abraham, V. A., Mahmood, Al Shuaibi, Faleiro, J. R., Abozuhairah, R. A. and Vidyasagar, P. S. P. V. (1998) An integrated approach for the management of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Oliv. – a key pest of date palm in the Middle East. Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Scientific Research (Agricultural Science) 3, 7783.Google Scholar
Anonymous (1998) Final report of the Indian Technical Team (Part A) - Red Palm Weevil Control Project, Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pp. 1-65.Google Scholar
Arctur, D. and Zeiler, M. (2004) Designing Geodatabases. Case Studies in GIS Data Modeling. ESRI Press, Redlands, CA, USA. 393 pp.Google Scholar
Barranco, P., Lorente-Moreno, F., Alcazar-Alba, M. D. and Pena-Mendez, Y. J. (2006) Control of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in Spain: field tests and treatments. Proceedings, 1st International Workshop on Red Palm Weevil (IVIA), Valencia, Spain, 28–29 November 2005, 180 pp. Fundación Agroalimed. Jornada Internacional sobre el Picudo Rojo de las Palmeras. ISBN: 84-690-1742-X.Google Scholar
Brun, L. (2006) The date palm in Egypt: a traditional cash crop threatened by the red palm weevil. Proceedings, 1st International Workshop on Red Palm Weevil. (IVIA), Valencia, Spain, 28–29 November 2005, 180 pp. Fundación Agroalimed. Jornada Internacional sobre el Picudo Rojo de las Palmeras. ISBN: 84-690-1742-X.Google Scholar
Dembilio, Ó., Tapia, G. V., Téllez, M. M. and Jacas, J. A. (2012) Lower temperature thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in a Mediterranean climate. Bulletin of Entomological Research 102, 97102.Google Scholar
El-Garhy, M. E. (1996) Field evaluation of the aggregation pheromone of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in Egypt. Brighton Crop Protection Conference: Pest and Diseases 3, 10591064.Google Scholar
El-Sabea, A. M. R., Faleiro, J. R. and Abo El Saad, M. M. (2009) The threat of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus to date plantations of the Gulf region of the Middle East: an economic perspective. Outlook on Pest Management 20, 131134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ESRI (2006) Using Arc GIS Desktop. Environmental System Research Institute, Redlands, CA. 442 pp.Google Scholar
Faleiro, J. R. (2006) A review of the issues and management of red palm weevil Rhyncophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Rhynchophoridae) in coconut and date palm during the last one hundred years. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 26, 135154.Google Scholar
Faleiro, J. R., Ben Abdallah, Abdallah, Ashok Kumar, J., Shagagh, A. and Al Abdan, S. (2010) Sequential sampling plan for area-wide management of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) in date palm plantations of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 30, 145153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faleiro, J. R., El-Saad, M. A. and Abdul Hadi, A. H. (2011) Pheromone trap density to mass trap Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae/Rhynchophoridae/Dryophthotidae) in date plantations of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 31, 7577.Google Scholar
Malumphy, C. and Moran, H. (2009) Red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. Plant pest fact sheet. Available online at www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/factsheets/redpalmweevil (accessed 12 January 2012).Google Scholar
Martin, M. M. and Cabello, T. (2005) Biología y ecología del curculiónido rojo de la palmera Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) Departmento de Biología Aplicada. Universidad de Almería, Almería. 202 pp.Google Scholar
Massoud, A. M. (2008) Consultancy Report, submitted to the FAO of the United Nations on Completion of a 60 day GIS Mission (UTFN/SAU/012/SAU) on the Establishment of the GIS Unit at Hassa Irrigation and Drainage Authority (HIDA), Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. 35 pp.Google Scholar
Massoud, A. M., Faleiro, J. R., El-Saad, M. A. and Sultan, E. (2011) Geographic information system used for assessing the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) in date palm oasis of Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Plant Protection Research 51, 234239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oehlschlager, A. C. (2005) Current status of trapping palm weevils and beetles. The Planter 81, 123–143 (reproduced from Proceedings, Date Palm Regional Workshop on Ecosystem-Based IPM for Date Palm in the Gulf Countries. 28–30 March 2004, Al-Ain, UAE).Google Scholar
Schlyter, F., Zhang, Q.-H., Liu, G.-T. and Ji, L.-Z. (2003) A successful case of pheromone mass trapping of the bark beetle Ips duplicatus in a forest island, analyzed by 20-year time-series data. Integrated Pest Management Review 6, 185196.Google Scholar
Soroker, V., Blumberg, D., Haberman, A., Hamburger-Rishad, M., Reneh, S., Talebaev, S., Anshelevich, L. and Harari, A. R. (2005) Current status of red palm weevil infestation in date palm plantations in Israel. Phytoparasitica 33, 97106.Google Scholar