RESISTANCE OF SOME DATE PALM VARIETIES AGAINST DATE PALM WEEVIL RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINOUS (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDA) IN TURBAT, BALOCHISTAN

Abstract

Rhynchophorus ferruginous Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a serious pest most of the world internal tissue damaging bother of date palm tree in several countries its damage is sever as time and growth increase by this pest. In Pakistan it infests date palm trees on large scale in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Turbat is the main date palm growing area of Balochistan where about 200 verities of date Palms are cultivated. The infestation of Rhynchophorus ferruginous is increasing day by day in Turbat and make damage of date Palm trees severally, as result yield is affected in Balochistan. Consumption of date palm weevil larvae on steam pieces of date palm was observed on all tree verities, maximum consumption 210 grams was recorded on begum Jhangi while lowest 128 grams recorded on Shakri. The egg fecundity was recorded 70%, 60% and 30% respectively on Begum Jhangi Alleni and Shakri. Maximum larval developmental period was recorded on Begum Jhanghi and lowest on Shakri, that was 108 and 99 days respectively.  During Present study, 06 Date Palm forms were visited for field observation, total 55 trees of date palm were found infested by date palm weevil, out of these highest 30 trees of   Begums Jhanghi, 18 of Alleni 7 of Shakri were recorded.

Present study revealed that Begum Jhanghi was the most susceptible verity of date palm and Shakri was the most resist verity is Shakri in field as well as in laboratory in Turbat, Baluchistan.