Red Palm Weevil: Guidelines on management practices

Abstract

These guidelines describe the biology and host range of red palm weevil (RPW) and address all aspects of integrated pest management (IPM), including surveillance, phytosanitary measures, early detection, pheromone trapping protocols, preventive and curative chemical treatments, removal and safe disposal of severely infested palms, and best agricultural practices to mitigate attacks by this lethal pest of palms. Since gaining a foothold on date palm in the Near East during the mid-1980s, the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, has spread rapidly over the last three decades and is now a major pest of palms in a diverse range of agroecosystems worldwide. In most of the countries affected, failure to manage RPW can be attributed to a lack of awareness about this pest and to lack of systematic and coordinated control actions or management strategies that involve all stakeholders. Through a selection of illustrations, good agronomic practices, and recommendations, this manual was developed by FAO to support all those involved in the day-to-day management of RPW in the field, including farmers and pest-management professionals, as well as researchers, decision-makers and administrative stakeholders who support the implementation of IPM strategies for RPW.