Due to the extreme danger of the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) on date palms and its rapid spread in many countries in the world. This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of using different pheromones, baits and trap shapes on the attraction of the RPW adults by pheromone traps in date palm plantations. Results revealed that the traps contained Rhyncho gel pheromone recorded the highest average of captured RPW 20.17 adults/ trap compared to the three other tested pheromones, Rhyno cap, English and Costa Rican which recorded, 17.44, 12.94 and 7.44 adults/ trap respectively. Also

Abstract: The most dangerous insect pest of planted date palm trees in numerous countries is the red palm
weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliv.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Current work aimed to evaluate
the effect of (RPW) infestation on some biochemical characteristics of infested date palm cultivars defensive
oxidation enzymes, Peroxidase, Polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity and photosynthetic pigments content
Chlorophyll a and b in infested date palm cultivars from three governorates, Giza, El Beheira and New Valley
compared to healthy (non infested) date palm from the same cultivars. Obtained results indicated that the
infestation of RPW to different date palm cultivars affected oxidative enzymes, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase
activities and pigments, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents of the infested cultivars. Data showed
significant increase in peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities of infested date palm cultivars (Zagloul,
Siwi and Bartamoda) with red palm weevil compared to healthy date palm of the same cultivar. While, the
obtained results of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b recorded significant decrease for the tested cultivars
(Zagloul, Siwi and Bartamoda) compared to the healthy date palm of each cultivar. Through these results, it can
be concluded that the infestation with RPW to various date palm cultivars, whether the fresh, semi dry and dry
cultivars represented by Zaghloul, Siwi and Bartamoda, respectively led to a significant increase in the activity
of some defensive enzymes peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities in the infested date palm, cultivars
at the same time, there is a decrease in the level of pigments, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b of infested palms
compared to healthy date palm from each cultivar separately.

Abstract: One of the most significant fruits in the Middle East is the date palm. Dates are vulnerable to
infestation by a variety of pests, including, Fiorinia date scale, Fiorinia phoenicis Balachowsky (Hemiptera-
Diaspididae), which infests the palm fronds and sucks the sap and the infestation extends to the date fruits in
the case of severe infestation and leads to making the fruits unacceptable for consumption. This experiment
aimed to study the population density of date palm scale F. phoenicis on three different date palm cultivars,
they represent the three main groups of date palm cultivars in Egypt to determine the proper time to be
controlled and evaluation of some pesticides and their alternatives. Furthermore, the levels of several chemical
substances (including total phenols, proline, total indoles, amino acids, total protein, peroxidase, polyphenol
oxidase, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b) in the leaves of both infested and healthy tested date palm cultivars
were quantified. The difference in the anatomical structure of the leaflet was also studied in the three tested
palm cultivars. The results showed that the population density of the F. phoenicis recorded three peaks of the
three insect stages for each year of the two studied years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. The three peaks resulted
in three overlapping generations during each year of the two studied years as follows: early summer, late
summer and fall generations. The results also showed that there was no significant difference between the
insect population in the two years of the study, while there were significant differences between the insects
population on the tested date palm cultivars, where the Siwi cultivar recorded the highest number, followed
by the Bartamoda cultivar and then the lowest number of insects was the Samani cultivar. Obtained pest
dynamics over the three date palm cultivars showed as three intervals of activity per year regardless palm
cultivar. Effect of maximum, minimum temperature and % RH was evaluated over each interval (as partial
regression) as well as plant ages (as third degree of polynomial) were determined. Both models were significant
with superiority to plant age model. The results of the control experiment on the most affected date palm
cultivar, Siwi showed that average reduction rate for the three checks after 2 , 4 and 6 weeks, in case of the
mixture of (New oil 95% EC + Kimithrene 25% SC) showed the highest efficiency in reducing the insects
population with an average of 88.58%, followed by Palmito gold 25% EC with an average of 81.43%, then
Admiral with an average of 80.89%, while the effect of the moderate reduction of the insect population of the
pesticides Kemithrene 25% SC, New oil 95% EC and Prev-AM 6% (W/V) with averages of 76.74, 75.02 and
73.78% respectively, it had the least effect on reducing the number of Fresh oil 95% EC with an average of
65.23%. F. phoenicis' responses to the tested treatments at various life stages revealed that the nymphal stage
was the most vulnerable, followed by adults and gravid females. Obtained data indicated that the infested date
palm tree leaves contained high significant quantity of proline, total phenols, peroxidase and polyphenol
oxidase in leaves, whereas total indoles, amino acids, total protein, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b contents

Background: Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) is one of the most economically important date fruits
insect pests, which causes major losses in quantity and quality of the date yield. The present study aimed to evaluate
3 of the entomopathogens: Beauveria bassiana (Basonym 1836), Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff 1879), and Bacillus
thuringiensis (Berliner 1915) var. kurstaki individually and mixed with each other against E. cautella in stored date
fruits.
Results: Four concentrations from spores’ suspension of each entomopathogen were sprayed on 50 eggs of E. cautella
(24:48 h. old) (for fungal pathogens) and 30 2nd instar larvae of E cautella in glass jars. Pathogenicity was evaluated
at different time intervals post treatments 3, 5,7and 14 days. Obtained results showed that mortality percentages
of E cautella stages increased by increasing the tested entomopathogen concentrations and increasing of the exposure
time. Results indicated that the reduction percentages of E. cautella eggs hatchability after separately treated at
the concentrations (3.0 × 105,
3.0 × 106,
3.0 × 107
and 3.0 × 108
spores/ml) were (27.50, 39.17, 48.33 and 62.50%) for
B. bassiana, (35.83, 44.17, 50.83 and 69.17%) for M. anisopliae, respectively. After14 days of treatment, the recorded
larval mortalities were (49, 62, 77, and 81%) for B. bassiana and (60, 66, 78, and 89%) for M. anisopliae at concentrations
(3.0 × 105,
3.0 × 106,
3.0 × 107and
3.0 × 108
spores/ml), respectively. In case of treating E. cautella larvae with B.
thuringiensis, the mortality percentage was (44, 52, 63, and 72%) at concentrations (2.0 × 108,
2.0 × 109,
2.0 × 1010
and
2.0 × 1011
spores/ml), respectively, after14 days of exposure. E. cautella larvae were more susceptible to B. bassiana and
M. anisopliae than the eggs. M. anisopliae was more effective than B. bassiana. The combination of the entomopathogens
LC50 (B. bassiana + M. anisopliae, B. bassiana + B. thuringiensis, M. anisopliae + B. thuringiensis and B. bassiana + M.
anisopliae + B. thuringiensis) caused E. cautella larval mortality percentages of 67.00, 73.33, 63.33 and 86.29%, respectively,
14 days after exposure. The combination of the 3 tested entomopathogens (B. bassiana + M. anisopliae + B.
thuringiensis) increased their efficacy for controlling E. cautella.
Conclusions: The combination of the tested entomopathogens: B. bassiana, M. anisopliae and B. thuringiensis could
be recommended for controlling E. cautella stages in stored date fruits.

This research aims to study the efficiency of carbon dioxide as a natural gas on Ephestia cautella and Oryzaephilus surinamensis insects, their stages and microbial load compared to the insecticide (aluminum phosphide gas). The semi-dry date fruits were exposed to aluminum phosphide gas with different concentrations (1/16 recommended dose, 1/8 recommended dose, 1/4 recommended dose, 1/2 recommended dose and recommended dose) for 5 days at (27 ± 2?C and 65 ± 5% R.H.), and 100% carbon dioxide for different times) 30min ,1hr ,2hr ,4hr,6hr ,8hr ,12hr and 16hr), respectively. The finding revealed that the increasing concentration of aluminum phosphide gas increases the mortality till the recommended dose (1.170 g / m 3 / 5 days), while the suitable time with carbon dioxide gas was 16 hours which completed % mortality of eggs and lavera E. cautella and adult of O. surinamensis. The efficiency of exposure to aluminum phosphide gas at the recommended dose was reduced microbial load less than carbon dioxide. Also, the treated date fruits with carbon dioxide were reduced E. coli and Saccharomyces cervisiae than the other ones.

Many embryogenic systems have been designed to generate somatic embryos (SEs) with the
morphology, biochemistry, and vigor uniformity of zygotic embryos (ZEs). During the current investigation,
several antioxidants were added to the maturation media of the developing somatic embryos
of date palm. Explant material was a friable embryogenic callus that was placed in maturation media
containing ABA at 0.5 mg L??1, 5 g L??1 polyethylene glycol, and 10 g L??1 phytagel. Furthermore,
-tocopherol or reduced glutathione (GSH) were used separately at (25 and 50 mg L??1). These
treatments were compared to a widely used date palm combination of reduced ascorbic acid (ASC)
and citric acid at 150 and 100 mg L??1, respectively, and to the medium free from any antioxidants. The
relative growth percentage of embryogenic callus (EC), globularization degree, differentiation%, and
SEs number were significantly increased with GSH (50 mg L??1). Additionally, the latter treatment
significantly enhanced the conversion% of SEs and the number of secondary somatic embryos (SSEs).
ASC and citric acid treatment increased leaf length, while -tochopherol (50 mg L??1) elevated the
number of leaves plantlet??1. GSH at 50 mg L??1 catalyzed the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO)
and peroxidase (POD) in EC and enhanced the accumulation of proteins in SEs.

The date palm is one of most important fruits in Middle East. Date fruits are exposed to infestation by many insect pests like Ephestia cautella (Walker) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) which decrease their quantity and quality. This study aimed to evaluate efficiency of two viruses (NPV and GV) on mentioned these insects. Seven concentrations of each virus were tested (1x101 to 1x107) against these two insects at various durations: 5, 7, and 10 days. Results showed that corrected larval mortality% of E. cautella and P. interpunctella increased by increasing viruses concentrations and exposed durations with highest percentages were 54.44 and 73.33% for E. cautella and P. interpunctella larvae respectively compared with control after treating with NPV virus 1x107 for 10 days. While these were 74.33 and 100% for E. cautella and P. interpunctella respectively in case of GV virus compared with control. Data obtained revealed that P. interpunctella larvae were more susceptible to tested viruses than E. cautella larvae. Further, the two insects were more susceptible to GV concentration than NPV concentrations. The corrected mortality percentages of E. cautella and P. interpunctella larvae were increased to 95.56 and 98.89% respectively after using mixture of LC50s of two viruses compared to LC50 of each virus separately. In addition, both viruses exhibited no-effect on tested chemical contents of date’s fruits. As a conclusion, combination of both viruses increased their efficacy against E. cautella and P. interpunctella and this has to be considered in biocontrol programs of both insect pests.

A field experiment was conducted with completely randomized design to assess the impact of the foliar
application of using activated carbon from leaflet of date palm tree as by product and composite nano
silica/activated carbon to alleviate salinity stress on fenugreek plants. The prepared samples AC and
SiO2/AC were characterized using zeta potentials, particle size distributions, EDX, FTIR, SBET and
morphology description were done using SEM and TEM. All techniques confirmed the good
distribution of SiO2 nanoparticles on surface of AC composite sample and particles size of SiO2/AC
were found to be in the size range of 70–80 nm. Characterization results showed that surface area of
AC prepared from leaflet of date palm tree using KOH as activating agent and SiO2/AC are 397.47m2/g
and 656.33m2/g respectively. Through five foliar concentrations from sodium silicate, composite nano
silica/activated carbon and activated carbon at (100, 300, 500, 700 and 1000 mgl-1) compared with
untreated plants as control. Using of SiO2/AC could be a good way to deal with problem of soil salinity.
As for, there were no significant effect among 100, 300, 500 mgl-1 SiO2/AC for EL% and MSI% in
plant leaves. Foliar spraying with 500 mgl-1 SiO2/AC improved different aspects of growth parameters,
nutrient elements, amino acids and protein content in seeds. Furthermore, 300 mgl-1 SiO2/AC gave the
highest weight of 100 seeds, weight of seeds yields ton fed-1 and improved quality of fixed oil. On other
side, proline content through both seasons decreased by 46.02 and 38.78 % compared with control when
500 mgl-1 SiO2/ AC applied.

Nanotechnology is a rapidly spreading field to be applied in agriculture. From all kinds of nutrients, zinc nanoparticles
had a great interest in investigations due to its importance for plant as it involved in many growth processes. Presently, rare
literature is available about nanoparticles effects on date palm in vitro propagation, especially zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs).
Therefore, ZnO-NPs were used in this investigation to study their effect on different stages of date palm (cv. Khalas)
somatic embryo protocol. Instead of zinc sulfate (
ZnSo4) in Murashige and Skooge medium (8.9 mg/l), lower concentrations
of ZnO-NPs (0.2, 0.1, 0.05 and 0.025 mg/l) were added. Generally, results showed that ZnO-NPs accelerated superior values
compared with ZnSo4,
as a control treatment, at all stages of date palm tissue culture protocol. Lower concentrations of
ZnO-NPs (0.025 and 0.05 mg/l) gave better values compared with higher concentrations (0.1 and 0.2 mg/l) in callus growth,
globularization, embryo formation number, secondary embryo number and shoot length. Whereas, the highest concentration
showed higher shoot number and rooted plantlet length. Antioxidants enzymes and ROS and their relations were identified
in date palm leaflets. As we know it is the first investigation of ZnO-NPs and their morphological and biochemical effects
on date palm in vitro culture.