Partial Survey of Date Palm Dust Mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) in Egypt Including Historical Trait

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research. Institute , Agri. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt

2 Fruit Trees Mites Dept., Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

3 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt

4 Plant Protec. Res. Inst., ARC, Dokii, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The economic importance of date palm tree Phoenix, dactylifera L. exceeds its nutrition value as the most valuable fruit. Preserve Egypt's international status as a large producer of dates in the world, requires tackling pests that attack palm trees. Diseases and pathogen pests are causing great economic loss to the growers, reducing about 52 % of the total yield. Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a dominant acarine pest in date palm production area in the Middle East and North Africa. Current survey covered different date palm plantation in Giza, Assiut, Matruh and the New Valley Governorates. Results showed that the dust mite has spread out to promising agricultural expansion areas. This finding sets the alarm of existing this mite as a new potential pest for date palm industry in the New Valley governorate. It is a more important problem for new introduced varieties as the high cash crop Barhi variety (soft variety). The existence of this species in Egypt was firstly mentioned in 1979 at Al-Kharga oasis, the New Valley. A historical trait of this mite pest over Egypt was included.

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