MoAFWR working on various methods to control coconut leaf beetle

MAZID MUSTAHIL AKAAK
SALALAH, JAN 24
The coconut leaf beetle is a significant pest in Dhofar Governorate, causing damage by feeding on young palm leaves, leading to stunted growth and reduced yields, prompting annual control campaigns by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR) using drone spraying and ground teams.
These damaged leaves can be distinguished by the brown scratches and elongated spots that run along them.
When the damage is extensive enough, the leaves turn completely brown and dry, until whole fronds are left dead, and the palm itself eventually dies.
“The insect was introduced to Oman around 2020... Its introduction is attributed to imports from abroad, possibly carried in ornamental seedlings,” says Musallam al Maashani, a Plant Protection Specialist working in the ministry’s Agricultural Research Station in Salalah.
“There is no doubt that the presence of these insects poses a threat to the ecosystem in the Sultanate of Oman, but through the control operations implemented by the ministry, results have been achieved in keeping the levels of spread of these insects below the economic threshold.”
Currently, the insect’s range is limited to the southern region of the country, where the ministry is working to resolve the crisis before it gets out of hand.
Al Maashani says that the ministry is “currently working on implementing both chemical and biological control methods,” adding that they do not want to “rely directly on chemical substances.” Typically, pesticides are used as an immediate, short-term control method, as researchers work to implement the Biological Controls.
Al Maashani goes on to emphasise the importance of working with local farmers to resolve the crisis as it spreads.
“We maintain constant communication with the agricultural community and farmers to monitor the insect situation and receive reports from them. We also provide them with direct instructions on how to deal with the insect if symptoms of infestation appear on the farm, from cleaning and pruning trees to spraying the appropriate pesticide. The goal of the next phase is to increase the proportion of biological control compared to chemical control while maintaining a low level of spread and infestation of the coconut leaf beetle in the region.”