Red palm weevil / workshop in ACSAD

The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands(ACSAD) recently implemented the third training workshop on the Red Palm Weevil, entitled “the Guiding Principles for the Red Palm Weevil,” with the participation of 70 specialists from 16 Arab countries, through video technology.

Also, the Director-general of ACSAD, Dr. Nasr Edin Obaid, stressed in a speech delivered by the director of the economic and planning Department in the organization, Dr. Ayham Al Homsi, on the importance of this workshop and the previous ones in this field; exposing ACSAD achievements in the field of palm date development and combating of red palm weevil.

A number of Arab researchers and ACSAD’s ones specialized in this field gave several lectures, which focus on the developments of the life of insects, its economic damage, its management program, how to detect it, and the methods of combating it, and good agricultural practices in palm groves.

The lectures dealt with promising research ideas in order to learn more about the relationship between the pest and the date palm and the importance of vertical palm-servicing operations to reduce the pest damage.

The participants reached several recommendations, the most important of which is establishing a database of participants and those interested in palm trees in all Arab countries to involve them in the activities that followed the palm program in ACSAD.

A scientific study on the content of plant tissue was proposed for some varieties of date palms that show less red palm weevil infection, the experiment of growing some plants that have insect repellent properties intertwined manner with palm trees and know their impact on reducing pest infection and its effect on reducing red palm weevil infection.

The participants also recommended taking advantage of Italy’s red palm wiveel results and its experience in the Arab region.