Different control methods to evaluate the effectiveness of various control options and proposes an overall strategy to manage R. Ferrugineus

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Rhynchophorinae), is an invasive pest of palm trees. Since R. ferrugineus was first recognized as a threat to date palm production in the mid-1980s for GCC countries, scientists and growers have deployed several methods to control this destructive pest, with the use of chemical insecticides being the main strategy until the synthesis of the male aggregation pheromone in 1993. This article reviews the current literature on different control methods to evaluate the effectiveness of various control options and proposes an overall strategy to manage R. ferrugineus in date palm. A review of the available control methodologies suggests that R. ferrugineus can be managed by deploying an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy comprising of several tactics including regulatory methods, behavior manipulation involving insect aggregation pheromones for monitoring and mass trapping adult weevils, chemical and biological control, crop and field sanitation, eliminating hidden breeding sites, manipulation of cultural practices involving in-groove humidity and palm density, frond and off shoot removal, besides regular dissemination of R. ferrugineus-IPM technologies among farmers and pest managers.

Keywords:

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus , Red palm weevil , Integrated Pest Management