Biotic and abiotic stresses of major fruit crops in Oman : a review

Abstract EN

Oman is located in an arid region of the world that is characterized by adverse climatic conditions, including heat and drought.

In recent years, it has also been affected by climate turbulence and the occurrence of severe weather, such as cyclones and heat/cold waves affecting large agricultural areas of the country.

Fruit cultivation area represents 31% of the total cultivated area (97,239.58 ha) in the country.

However, the production share is only 17% of the total crop production in the country (2.6 million tons).

About 90% of the fruit cultivation area is dominated by date palm, banana, lime, and mango.

In addition to the abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, and salinity, major fruit crops have declined in recent years due to various biotic stressors, primarily insect pests, and diseases.

For several decades, the date palm has suffered from the Dubas bug and in recent years from Red Palm Weevil.

Lime has been infected with Witch’s Broom Disease of Lime (WBDL) caused by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ that has led to the decline of production to 25% from its peak in the nineties.

Banana is Oman`s second-largest fruit crop in production and export.

It has also been the subject of studies due to losses incurred by farmers during pre-and post-harvest stages, in addition to several pests and diseases that affect bananas in Oman.

Mango is another major fruit crop that is primarily cultivated in northern Oman.

Severe infection with mango decline has led to the eradication of mango orchards from many regions of Oman, particularly in Batinah Coast, where increased salinity has led to a decline in mango yield.

Research conducted in Oman has investigated several aspects of these challenges.

This review paper summarizes the outcome from studies conducted in the country and proposes directions towards resolving current and future challenges to the fruit industry.