Grants and Contracts Details
Description
This proposal contributes to both the immediate and long-term priorities and
goals of The Research Council Dubas Bug Biological Control program, by
characterizing the role predators play in biological control, and how
alternative prey affect the impact of natural enemies on pest population
dynamics. Moreover, we contribute to understanding how behavioral
processes are associated with patterns of arthropod population dynamics.
Our research also addresses long-term priorities through its focus on how
predators influence the dynamics of a key pest of a major agricultural crop in
Oman. As we understand how alternative prey affects predation of the dubas
bug we can give producers more refined control recommendations and help
identify alternative production practices. Furthermore, this research proposal
seeks to establish a fundamental understanding of the role predators play in
the biological control of the dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus de Bergevin
(Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae). This is a serious pest of the date palm in some
Gulf States (central and southern Iraq, southern Iran, southern Pakistan,
eastern Yemen and northern Oman). Within Oman, this pest causes major
damage to date palm, reducing yield and quality, and thereby impacting
agricultural economics throughout the region. When outbreak occurs, the
dubas bug is both difficult and expensive to control; various insecticidal
recommendations exist for control. The scale of insecticidal input into date
palms (400 tons at a cost of 9 million Omani Rials from 1993-2006) raises
serious questions regarding the consequence of such application to
environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Executive Summary
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 12/19/13 → 4/30/19 |
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