Abstract
This chapter covers general concepts of semiochemical implementations in pest management and the work done on the identifi cation and use of semiochemicals for the management of date palm pests. Within the semiochemicals, pheromones are usually species specifi c and non-toxic to the environment. This makes pheromones in particular valuable components of integrated pest management as indicators of pest presence and as behavior modifi ers, interfering with the proliferation of target pest. Control of pest populations can be achieved by a number of methods based on attractants, such as mating disruption, mass trapping, attract-and-kill, push-pull, or attract-and-infect. For any of these control tactics knowledge of the chemical ecology of pests and the identifi cation of cues involved are essential. Isolation and identifi cation of semiochemicals is a complicated process requiring: solvent extraction or head space collection by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) or other means, identifi cation of active components by coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography (GC-EAG) and finally identifi cation of chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). A summary of known attractants of date pests is also provided. Currently effective attractants, pheromones, and/or host volatiles are known only for some of the major date palm pests. Case studies are described on sap beetles, the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, and the lesser date moth, Batrachedra amydraula. For red palm weevil and sap beetles, implementation of pheromones in combination with plant volatiles as a tool for monitoring is well accepted but essential information for optimization of their use is still missing. Moreover, development of semiochemical application as a control strategy, for most cases, is in its infancy and will remain a major challenge in future years. For other pests of palm trees, pheromones and other semiochemicals remain to be identified. Future challenges and perspectives for the implementation of semiochemicals towards sustainable pest control in date plantations are given.