The acoustic device-based evaluation of the field efficacy of three different insecticides-trunk injections against the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is one of the serious pests that caused losses of date palms in recent years worldwide. Management of RPW is important to reducing their effect on date palm production. The conventional techniques utilized to manage RPW have minimal impact. However, the study aims to apply pesticides using a new technique method, which is trunk injection of insecticides for delivering insecticides and monitoring the investigation of date palm by using an acoustic device sensor for ten months after treatments with insecticides Fipronil, Imidacloprid, and Thiamethoxam, to evaluate their field efficacy. The mean burst rate impulse RPW sound activities produced inside the date palm trunk were reduced after treatment, which confirms the mortality of RPW gradually. The RPW impulse burst rate was decreased within 1-2 weeks of the insecticides Fipronil, Imidacloprid, and Thiamethoxam post-treatment, but increased in the control treatment. The RPW impulse burst rate was 0 after 2-3 months of insecticide treatments; that level indicates no present infestation. Our results reveal that Fipronil declined the RPW impulse burst rate to 0.01/s, which indicates low infestation; however, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam declined the impulse burst rate to 0.05/s and 0.10/s after two months of treatments, respectively, indicating the presence of RPW medium infestation. Utilizing a balloon injector for delivering insecticides influences delivery to the target inside a tree trunk. Moreover, an acoustic sensor might be useful for detecting and monitoring RPW activities within date palms.