Effect of some chemical and biological methods in controlling Ommatissus lybicus Berg in the field

الملخص EN

Experiments were conducted at date palm orchard, Diyala Governorate, Iraq, during spring and autumn seasons, 2014.

The objectives were to evaluate the efficiency of some chemical and biological pesticides with different applying methods (injection, irrigation and spraying) to control Ommatissus lybicus Berg on date palm in the field, minimizing environmental pollution and chosen suitable applying date and technique for controlling the pest during palm fruits formation, especially at chmiry and rutab stages.

Chemical pesticide commercially known salut 50% EC (effective chemical material, dimetheate 22.2% + chlorpyrifos 27.8%) and Actara 25% wg (effective chemical material, thiamthoxam).

Foliar fertilizer known Poly Sulfide and Biocont, different methods (injection, irrigation and spraying) were applied.

Results showed significant differences among treatments.

Salut had highest efficiency in reducing pest’s number (100% after two weeks) when using injection method whereas Actara efficiency was 87% in spring method.

Moreover, injection of Salut had positive effect in reducing viable eggs number and increasing dead ones, which amounted 350,00 dead eggs and 109,00 viable eggs, while injection of Actara resulted in increasing dead eggs (344,68) and viable eggs was 120,71.

In autumn season, and due to premature phase locally called Rutab stage of date palm fruit, biological pesticides Biocont and Poly Sulfide used to avoid chemical pollution in environment.

Biocont had superiority in efficiency (91%) during second and third weeks in reducing viable eggs and increasing dead eggs.

The average of dead and viable eggs number were 245.00 at 230.00 eggs, respectively.

In Biocont treatments foliar spraying had less efficiency as compared with injection method.