Response of Different Date Palm Cultivars to Lesser Date Moth (Batrachedra amydraula Meyr.) Under Natural Infestation in Behbahan

Y. Khajehzadeh,; M. Latifian,

doi:10.22092/spij.2017.111159

Response of Different Date Palm Cultivars to Lesser Date Moth (Batrachedra amydraula Meyr.) Under Natural Infestation in Behbahan

Authors

10.22092/spij.2017.111159

Abstract

Nine date palm cultivars present in Behbahan Agricultural Research Station were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications for response to lesser date moth during 2008 and 2009. Three trees from each cultivar Kabkab, Khasi, Haj-Mohammadi and Zahedi (Behbahan), Gantar and Khazravi (Shadegan), Piarom and Mezafati (Hormozgan) and Shahani (Fars) were selected randomly. Percentage of infested fruits and infestation severity were recorded based on non infested and infested date fruits on eight bunchlet. Analysis of variance, mean comparison, cluster analysis and correlation analysis were used to evaluate cultivars susceptibility. Cultivars Khasi and Kabkab with 27.35 and 22.94, and Shahani, Khazravi and Zahedi with 11.24, 12.01 and 12.057 had the highest and the lowest percentage of infested fruits, respectively. Cultivars Khasi and Kabkab with 1.39 and 1.30 had also the highest infestation severity. Based on cluster analysis, the date palm cultivars were classified as susceptible (Khasi, Kabkab, and Mezafati) and non susceptilde (Shahani, Zahedi, Piarom, Khazravi, Gantar, and Haj-Mohammadi). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between infestation severity and bunch number and ratio of fruit weight/kernel weight and a significant negative correlation between infestation severity and fruit skin thickness.

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