Control of inflorescence rot of date palm by low rate trunk injection with difenoconazole in a large scale field trial

Abstract EN

This work was carried out in Kut Province, 250 km south east of Baghdad, Iraq during 2004-2005-2006 in highly infested plantations.

Incidence of disease was recorded in 5136 date palms of many varieties growing in 30 orchards and disease incidence in some varieties was estimated on Feb., 2004.

The fungicide Score 250 EC (Difenoconazole) was injected in trunks of palms (n=1386) in low rates (1.2 , 1.5 or 1.7 ml/palm mixed with 50 ml water) during Dec.,2005 – Jan.,2006.

Incidence and severity of disease in treated palms were recorded on April, 2006.

Results showed that all date palm varieties were susceptible with disease incidence ranged between 48.6 % (var.

Zehdi) to 90.6 % (var.

Braim) with a mean of 75.5 % , treatment with the fungicide reduced the mean of disease incidence from 75.5 % in untreated palms to 11.7 % with mean control efficacy of 83.9 %.

Incidence of disease was reduced by fungicide application (1.7 ml/palm) from 90.6 % in untreated palms to 5.7 % with control efficacy of 93.7 %.

These results permit recommendation an effective control of inflorescence rot of date palm by low rate (1.7 ml/palm) trunk injection of the fungicide Score 250 EC a systemic fungicide with high IPM fitness.

Injection of fungicide in trees extremely minimizes pollution consequences associated with traditional chemical control applications.