THE EFFECT OF SPRAY DATES WITH SITMPLEX SEAWEED EXTRACT AND KOFFEX AND MITECLEAN ACARICIDES ON SOME TRAITS OF DATE PALM, PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.

Abstract

The study was conducted in one of the private palm orchard infected with a dust mite, Oligoneychus afrasaiticus in the village of Al-Bau Ali Al-Jassem northwest of Ramadi 10 km during the season of 2018 with the aim of studying the effect of spraying dates with seaweed extract and some chemical pesticides on some physical ,chemical and productive traits of date palm trees (var. Khistawi) and the rate of infection with dust mite. A 2 x 6 factorial experiment was implemented within the randomized complete block design (RCBD). The first factor was spraying with seaweed extract (Stimplex) at a concentration of 2.5 ml.L-1 and spraying acaricides Koffex and Miteclean at a concentration of 1 ml.L-1 each. The second factor was represented by two different dates of spraying (15/4/2018 and 15/6/ 2018). The results showed that the treatment of Miteclean spray with Stimplex seaweed extract was significantly superior in the second date (15/6/ 2018) in the physical properties under study. Fruit weight, pulp weight (mesocarp), and dry matter weight of the fruit recorded the highest values of 13.93 g, 12.88 g and 8.59 g, respectively. It reduced the average infection of mites and gave the lowest infection of 0.00% compared to the treatment of the acaricides only (7.00%). The highest percentage of total soluble solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were obtained in the fruits (chemical properties), as they were 37.86%, 0.46%, 0.09% and 0.66%, respectively. This reflected on the increase in some of the productive traits represented by the fruit setting ratio and the fresh weight of the palm punch, giving the highest values. It reached 71.33% and 19.63 kg.punch-1, respectively.