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<p>Since 2019, the spider mite <i>Oligonychus afrasiaticus</i> (Acari: Tetranychidae) has become the most destructive pest of date palm fruit in Tunisia, leading to a significant reduction in fruit quality and considerable crop losses. Climate change exacerbates these problems by increasing the frequency of high temperatures and severe droughts. To mitigate this problem, Tunisia needs to develop a sustainable strategy to control <i>O. afrasiaticus</i>. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a national action plan with Circular No. 82 of May 14, 2020. This plan provides for the development of a strategy to control <i>O. afrasiaticus</i>, the identification of the main actors, the definition of their roles and responsibilities and ensuring coordination between them. Key elements of the Tunisian strategy include: (1) understanding the pest, its damage, effective treatment methods, seasonality and interactions with environmental factors; (2) maintaining strong communication channels for the acquisition and sharing of knowledge on pest control; and (3) developing a Tunisian scientific protocol for the control of <i>O. afrasiaticus</i>. The protocol includes phase 1: cultural control; phase 2: two preventive sulfur treatments; and phase 3: mechanical and chemical control with pesticides. We also investigated how farmers applied these measures and evaluated the effectiveness of the methods used. The data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to 220 palm farmers in the governorates of Kebili and Tozeur. The results show that while most farmers (71%) are aware of the protocol, their adoption of the recommended preventive measures remains limited. Only 32.14% of farmers implemented the protocol for controlling <i>O. afrasiaticus</i>. These findings suggest that extension methods, such as farmer schools, could play a crucial role in improving the uptake of these control measures.</p>

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Integrated pest management strategies for Oligonychus afrasiaticus (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Tunisia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月11日

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  • Samah Ben Chaaban,
  • Sihem Ben Maachia,
  • Zouhair Rached,
  • Kamel Mahjoubi,
  • Ahmed Namsi

摘要

Since 2019, the spider mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus (Acari: Tetranychidae) has become the most destructive pest of date palm fruit in Tunisia, leading to a significant reduction in fruit quality and considerable crop losses. Climate change exacerbates these problems by increasing the frequency of high temperatures and severe droughts. To mitigate this problem, Tunisia needs to develop a sustainable strategy to control O. afrasiaticus. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a national action plan with Circular No. 82 of May 14, 2020. This plan provides for the development of a strategy to control O. afrasiaticus, the identification of the main actors, the definition of their roles and responsibilities and ensuring coordination between them. Key elements of the Tunisian strategy include: (1) understanding the pest, its damage, effective treatment methods, seasonality and interactions with environmental factors; (2) maintaining strong communication channels for the acquisition and sharing of knowledge on pest control; and (3) developing a Tunisian scientific protocol for the control of O. afrasiaticus. The protocol includes phase 1: cultural control; phase 2: two preventive sulfur treatments; and phase 3: mechanical and chemical control with pesticides. We also investigated how farmers applied these measures and evaluated the effectiveness of the methods used. The data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to 220 palm farmers in the governorates of Kebili and Tozeur. The results show that while most farmers (71%) are aware of the protocol, their adoption of the recommended preventive measures remains limited. Only 32.14% of farmers implemented the protocol for controlling O. afrasiaticus. These findings suggest that extension methods, such as farmer schools, could play a crucial role in improving the uptake of these control measures.