Abu Dhabi, 17th July 2010 (WAM) -- The Ministry of Environment and Water has signed a one million Dirham contract for purchase and supply of 30,000 pheromone traps and 360,000 pheromone nets as part of a massive campaign to control the devastating red palm weevil. Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), is the most dangerous and deadly pest of date, coconut, oil, sago and other palms.
'' The contract is part of the Ministry's strategic plan to fight pests,boost biosecurity levels and achieve food security, Eng. Saeed Hassan Al Bagham, Coordinator of the Red Palm Weevil Programme at the Ministry, said. He told the Arabic daily Al Ittihad that studies conducted by the UAE show that the pheromone trap has proven to be one of the best and advanced biocontrol mechanisms of the red beetle, a major pest of date palm trees. According to him, the pheromone trap is billed as an integrated, effective control tool as it lures as many insects as it can. ''After the red palm weevil infections rife in date palm population in farms, streets and houses, an urgency has arisen to find out a more environmental-friendly biocontrol method than the harmful chemical pesticides,' he added. ''It is preferable to deploy the traps throughout the year, but the first five months of the year are the ideal time for best control and prevention results,''he explained. The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a species of beetle. It is relatively large, between two and five centimeters long, and a rusty red colour. Its larvae excavate holes up to a metre long in the trunk of palm trees, and can kill the host plant.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
