Quarantine Protocol Against Coleopteran Borers in Date Palm Offshoots Using Eco2 Fume Gas

摘要

Date palm offshoots represent an important source of planting material in many date palm-growing countries around the world. Infestation by the red palm weevil ((RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), the longhorn beetle ((LHB) Jebusaea hammerschmidti) and the rhinoceros beetle((OB) Oryctes spp.) hinders commercialization and movement of these offshoots. An effective quarantine protocol, with exposure period of 72 h at 25 °C using ECO2FUME (EF) with phosphine concentration of 1500 ppm has been developed for date palm offshoots against these coleopteraninternal tissue borers.