Thousands of palms on Spanish south coast already destroyed by pest
Plant Research International from the Wageningen University and Research Centre has developed a practical technique for effectively combating the red palm weevil using a so-called aggregation pheromone. The technique makes use of a special dispenser, which is able to effectively lure red palm weevils and prevent them from laying eggs in palm trees, even in extremely warm conditions. Native to South Asia, the red palm weevil has started to invade Europe. In a single year, these insects have done irreparable damage to more than 3000 palm trees in the south of Spain alone. This year already, the technique developed in Wageningen will be applied in Spain.
The red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a major pest affecting date palm trees. The insect, which originally fed on coconut palms in South Asia, has become the most important threat to date palms in the entire Middle East. In recent years, it has appeared in Italy, Spain and the Canary Islands. Since the invasion of the picudo rojo began in the south of Spain one year ago, red palm weevils have done irreparable damage to some 3300 palm trees.
The life cycle of the red palm weevil makes it very difficult to suppress. Females bore small holes in the trunk of a palm tree to lay their eggs. The larvae that spring from the egg are the actual cause of damage to the palm tree. They make long tunnels inside the trunk, causing a great deal of damage that is not visible on the outside. Although a chemical pesticide is currently used on palm trees as soon as the problem is noticed, the tree is usually already damaged beyond saving by this time.
Many insects excrete a so-called aggregation pheromone, which attracts other individuals of the same species. They produce this substance to draw attention to a source of food or a good hiding-place. The combination of a trap filled with palm material and this pheromone is irresistible to both male and female red palm weevils. This durable suppression method has already had great success in the Persian Gulf region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates).
The Plant Research International PHEROBANK has developed a convenient evaporator that keeps the pheromone more effective at high temperatures than any previous method. The technique is based on a combination of biodegradable polymer and the aggregation pheromone of the red palm weevil.
The evaporator is specially suited for use in high temperatures and dry climate zones. The use of a special polymer allows the pheromone to be gradually emitted even in high temperatures, guaranteeing a longer-lasting effect. The new product will be deployed on a large scale this year, both in Spain and other countries, and is expected to stop the march of the red palm weevil in an efficient and sustainable way.