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UAE agriculturist shares data on pests affecting date palms

Abu Dhabi - Date palm tree borer, the agricultural expert said, digs deep tunnels that lead to the dryness and breakage of the fronds.

Insects attacking date palm trees and yielding less harvest were singled out by an agricultural expert in the UAE.
Insects such as the red palm weevil, palm grove borer, palm stem borer and the black blight lead to losing of date palms if neglected, said Dr Ismail Al Hosani, agricultural advisor during a virtual lecture on "The Obstacles Facing Date Palm Farmers and Date Producers".
"The symptoms of the black blight infection on date palm trees include blackening, charring and deformation of the tree and dwarfism that appears on the pollen," he added.
Date palm tree borer, the agricultural expert said, digs deep tunnels that lead to the dryness and breakage of the fronds. "This pest is described as a long brown beetle that forms in a large white larva, that grows to a stage of being curved, thick, wrinkled, and has pectoral legs, where it causes the most damage to the fronds, spines, and leads to a stage where the tree core becomes perforated. It also results in the growth of very small dates that are with no commercial value, as it feeds on the growing dates," he explained.
The lecture which was organised by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation and was attended by 74 experts from 13 countries. Date palm farmers also took part in the virtual event.