Synergistic Effect of Food Baits on the Performance of Aggregation Pheromone Ferrolure+ against Rhynchorphorus ferrugineus (Olivier 1790)
Synergistic Effect of Food Baits on the Performance of Aggregation Pheromone Ferrolure+ against Rhynchorphorus ferrugineus (Olivier 1790)
Mushtaq Hussain Soomro1, Jan Muhammad Mari1, Imtiaz Ahmed Nizamani1, Arfan Ahmed Gilal2* and Muhammad Ibrahim Kubar2
ABSTRACT
Abstract | Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a globally serious pest of palms that is difficult to control because of its conspicuous habitat and damage. Considering the effectiveness of aggregation pheromone (Ferrolure+) against RPW in different regions of the world, we started experiments in June 2018 to evaluate the synergistic effect of various food baits on the performance of Ferrolure+ against RPW. Three locally available food baits i.e., date palm, sugarcane, and banana along with Ferrolure+ (positive control) and detergent water (negative control) were evaluated against RPW. Three hundred grams of each food bait along with Ferrolure + was used in the traps as weekly observations were taken on the RPW attracted in traps. Food and water were changed after weekly observations. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design where each treatment was replicated three times. Results confirmed a significant effect of the addition of sugarcane and date palm stems to enhance the mean capture of RPW compared to Ferrolure+ traps. The addition of banana stems captured a smaller number of weevils. The ability of Ferrolure+ to attract RPW increased till July 13, 2018, and then gradually declined as no weevils were captured after August 3, 2018. Moreover, the number of females captured in pheromone traps was two times more than the males. Therefore, the addition of either sugarcane or date palm stems with Ferrolure+ traps in infested date palm orchards can enhance the RPW capture for better monitoring and management.
Novelty Statement | The first systematic study conducted in the date palm hub of Pakistan i.e., Khairpur, Sindh using food baits along with aggregation pheromone (Ferrolure+). The addition of sugarcane and date palm stems significantly enhance the capture of RPW in Ferrolure+ traps, suggesting its inclusion in integrated RPW management can reduce the use of synthetic pesticides.
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December 2022
Vol. 37, Iss. 2, pp. 93-182
