Chemical control of leaf blight and inflorescence rot diseases on date palm in large-scale field trials in Basrah-Iraq

Abstract EN

Iraq is one of the highest dates producers of the world; the total production of dates was estimated 37.556 tons in Basra province at the season of 2016-2017; however, a significant reduction of dates due to heavily disease incidence of fungal pathogens is expected.

Protection of date palm from fungal pathogens including Serenomyces phoenicis and Mauginiella scattae is a crucial factor in reducing losses.

During the season of 2016-2017, an extensive program of chemical control was applied in date palm orchards to protect date palm trees form the diseases by using fungicides Swift®, Othello TopTM, and Brik®.

Results showed the efficiency of Swift® in disease control of leaf blight pathogen (S.

phoenicis); the disease incidence was reduced from 23.4 and 6.3% at the North and South of Basra to 6.8 and 1.9%, respectively after 14 days of fungicide treatment; respectively.

The disease severity was 18 and 12.7% at the North and South of Basra; respectively and reduced significantly up to 4.7 and 4.3% in Swift® treatment and followed by Othello TopTM and Brik® fungicides.

A similar trend of results was observed with inflorescence rot disease; the fungicide Swift® showed the best activity to a decrease in both disease incidence and severity at the North and South of Basra date palm orchards