Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences VALUING and CONTROLLING
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Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, August - 2020; Volume – 8(4) page 418 – 425 Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences http://www.jebas.org ISSN No. 2320 – 8694 VALUING AND CONTROLLING THE ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM RED PALM WEEVILS (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA Adel M. Ghanem1, Khalid N. Alrwis1, Othman S. Alnashwan1, Sahar A. Kamara2, SharafAldin B. Ahamed1*, Nageeb M. Aldawdahi1 1Agricultural Economics Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451. 2Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Egypt Received – June 14, 2020; Revision – August 04, 2020; Accepted – August 19, 2020 Available Online – August 25, 2020 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18006/2020.8(4).418.425 KEYWORDS ABSTRACT date palm The current study was carried out to estimate the economic losses caused by red palm weevils in Riyadh, KSA. A well-planned questionnaire and personal interviews from 200 date palm farmers carried out for Red palm weevil primary data collection. Bernoulli or binomial distribution methodology and standard errors at 95% Economic losses confidence level used for estimating the value of removed palm trees. Results of the study revealed that the average incidence of red palm weevils in the sampled farms was 42.5 percent. Due to heavy infestation, 20 Palm value to 167 palm trees were removed from the various studied farms, this ranged, 3.94 percent of the total and 9.28 percent of the total infested palm trees. Due to the rapid spread of red palm weevils and removal of Saudi Arabia severely infested palms, date palm production reduced between 20.0 to 35.1 percent at a confidence level of 95% in the sampled farms. In case of Riyadh region, this decline in date production ranged between 20.57 and 32.83. Further, the value of removed date palms ranged between 85.65 to 715.15 thousand riyals in 2017. Across Saudi Arabia, this value was about 43.23 million riyals in 2016 and 2017. The result of the current study recommends the necessity of adopting the principle of integrated management of the control program of red palm weevil in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. * Corresponding author All the articles published by Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences are licensed under a E-mail: [email protected] (Sharaf Aldin B. Ahamed) Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Based on a work at www.jebas.org. Peer review under responsibility of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. Production and Hosting by Horizon Publisher India [HPI] (http://www.horizonpublisherindia.in/). All rights reserved. Valuing and controlling the economic losses from red palm weevils in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 419 1 Introduction The insect passes through several stages, starting with laying eggs, which hatch after 3-6 days and turn into larvae. The larvae develop Dates are the most important fruit crops in the agricultural between 1-3 months and then turn into the complete insect, ranging economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The number of palm in length from 3.5 to 4 cm and all stages of this insect live within tree farms reached about 123.3 thousand trees in 2017, spread over the infested palm trunk (Ibrahim, 2011). an area of 108.13 thousand hectares and representing 74.2% of areas with fruit and about 10.7% of the total crop area of 1011.4 Al-Zafran & Lugma (2000) carried out a study and suggested that thousand hectares (Ministry of Environment, Water, and removing infected palm trees, running pheromone traps and Agriculture, 2017). The date production reached 754.76 thousand preventive spraying of pesticides reduced this insect infection in tons, with a value of 4.3 billion dollars which represents 53.55% of one year in the Baha region and three years in the Medina region. the total value of plant production in 2017 (Ministry of These researchers suggested that effective measure of red palm Environment, Water, and Agriculture, 2017). In 2017, the volume weevil control are (i) behavioral control by toxic traps, pheromone of Saudi date exports amounted to 147.42 thousand tons and was and photonics traps, (ii) mechanical control by removing the valued at 703 million riyals, accounting for 36.3% of the total infested trees, pruning and removing weeds and grasses, (iii) value of 1939 million riyals in Saudi agricultural exports (General chemical control by the use of pesticides, (iv) biological control by Authority for Statistics, 2017). multiplying the biological enemies of the insect and (v) legislative control by the issuance of laws and legislation to prevent the entry Dates are an integrated diet containing a high proportion of and spread of insects. The study of the Al-Asfour (2012) dealt with nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Dates also used for the environmental and vital aspects of red palm weevil in the State manufacturing sucrose and molasses, other dates, which are not of Bahrain. This study showed that the highest activity of the insect suitable for human consumption, entered into the feed industry was from January to March, and the lowest activity in September, (Berbandi, 2007). Further, palm trees wood used as firewood for there is a significant negative correlation between the temperature winter heating, carpentry and construction, decorative purposes, and the activity of the weevil. The average infestation rate was 2%. and in the manufacture of cardboard and paper (Berbandi, 2007). This study recommended the need of pruning the date palms Palm leaves also used in the manufacture of chairs and roofing during the periods of low phase activity of saplings, spraying of houses, and ropes (Berbandi, 2007). pesticides in high activity periods (Sayed & Ali 1995). These researchers also favor the adoption of integrated insect control The red palm weevil is considered one of the most damaging pests strategy and utilization of GIS to improve the performance of which affecting palm trees under the age of 15year, trees with soft control. trunks are more susceptible to this insect attack. Palm weevils first appeared in the Qatif province in 1987 and then spread to the rest Further, Abbass & Gadalla (2015) discussed the effect of some part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The number of infested palm agricultural practices on the level of red palm weevil trees was 14.91 thousand; among these about 9.58 thousand palm infestation in Egypt. This study showed that palm-containing trees were treated and 5.33 thousand palm trees removed in 2016. air roots are more susceptible to red palm weevils than non-air In 2017, this number of the infected tree was 13.59 thousand; of roots. Besides, the rate of red palm weevil infestation increased them, 8.83 thousand palm trees were treated and 4.77 thousand among palms, which are constantly in moisture condition, as palm trees were removed. well as among palms containing aerosols, as compared to the The danger of palm weevils is difficult to detect in the early stages palms with removed air aerosols and subsequently treated with of infestation, but this could be diagnosed through some symptoms sulfur. Finally, FAO (2017) prepared a report on the framework such as pigmented brownish and malodorous trees, wilted and strategy for the eradication of palm weevils. It can be yellowing leaves (Baqi & Farouk, 2015). The incomplete removal implemented through the drafting of a charter for cooperation of infested palms in the Al-Muzahmiya governorate led to a delay and coordination of national, regional, and global efforts to in the elimination of the infestation, which stopped after 3.6 years support the integrated and sustainable management program for despite the operation of pheromone traps and preventive spraying controlling the red palm weevil, reducing its harmful effects on (Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, 2017). the environment and food security, and mitigating its social and economic impact on rural communities. Further, Ibrahim (2011) described the red palm weevil as the hidden enemy, where the infestation is closely associated with the Preliminary estimation indicated that date farmers in the KSA injury of the palm stalk digger, which creates the appropriate suffered losses of 15 million dollars in 2015. Due to the places for egg-laying. The infection of this insect causes the palm severity of the infestation, the Ministry of Environment, Water, tree emptied of its hardness, and made vegetable sap dries up. The and Agriculture focused on the red palm weevil, and insect damages the offshoots and palm trees died during 1-2 years. approximately 37.67 million palm trees were examined in Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences http://www.jebas.org 420 Ghanem et al. 2017. The Ministry of the Interior also intervened and issued a Further, the equation for the value of removed palm trees due to . circular to confiscate any offshoots being transferred without a the severity of red palm weevil infestation was calculated by metal wire stamped with the seal of the Ministry of calculating the present value of net income from palm trees during Environment, Water, and Agriculture and a certificate their economic lifetime as follows (Swingler, 2014): confirming that they were free of the pest. However, there is no 푛 퐶 1 − (1 + )−푛 doubt that the spread of the date palm weevil infestation leads 푃푉 = = 퐶 (1 + )푘 to a decline in date production and losses in capital assets 푘=1 (palm trees). This study aimed to study the negative effects of the red palm weevils spread and to find out effective ways to Where 푛 = number of periods, 퐶 = Value of net cash flows, = control it in the Riyadh area. Moreover, the study also focused effective periodic interest rate, or rate of return.