Search Results (128)

In this study, we introduce the application of deep learning (DL) models, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs), for detecting the health status of date palm leaves using images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The images are modeled using the Newton–Euler method to ensure stability and accurate image acquisition. These deep learning models are implemented by a voting-based classification (VBC) system that combines multiple CNN architectures, including MobileNet, a handcrafted CNN, VGG16, and VGG19, to enhance classification accuracy and robustness. The classifiers independently generate predictions, and a voting mechanism determines the final classification. This hybridization of image-based visual servoing (IBVS) and classifiers makes immediate adaptations to changing conditions, providing straightforward and smooth flying as well as vision classification. The dataset used in this study was collected using a dual-camera UAV, which captures high-resolution images to detect pests in date palm leaves. After applying the proposed classification strategy, the implemented voting method achieved an impressive accuracy of 99.16% on the test set for detecting health conditions in date palm leaves, surpassing individual classifiers. The obtained results are discussed and compared to show the effectiveness of this classification technique. Full article

Studying the nutritional ecology of Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) at different temperatures is a fundamental tool for improving mass production for use in biological control of pest mites. The current research studied the impact of both food types and temperatures on the life history and demographic parameters of the predator mite N. cucumeris. Mite cultures in the laboratory were developed using Tetranychus urticae Koch, and N. cucumeris was collected from field plants. The developmental stages of N. cucumeris fed on date palm pollen and the immature stages of T. urticae were investigated in a laboratory setting at different temperatures. Our research revealed that N. cucumeris readily accepted both food types at all the tested temperatures. The developmental stages and adult longevity of N. cucumeris, both female and male, decreased dramatically when the temperature increased from 18 °C to 34 °C. The net reproductive rate (R₀) reached its greatest values of 22.52 and 9.72 offspring/individual at 26 °C, and the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) reached its maximum values of 0.17 and 0.13 day⁻¹ at 34 °C and minimum of 0.12 and 0.10 day⁻¹ at 18 °C, when fed on date palm pollen and immature stages of T. urticae, respectively. Conversely, the average generation time (T) showed a notable reduction from 22.48 to 16.48 and 20.88 to 16.76 days, accompanied by an upsurge in temperature from 18 °C to 34 °C, when fed on date palm pollen and immature stages of T. urticae, respectively. The finite rate of growth (λ) exhibited distinct variations, reaching its highest value at 34 °C, 26 °C, and 18 °C when fed on date palm pollen and immature stages of T. urticae, respectively. From these results, we can conclude that N. cucumeris was successfully fed date palm pollen as an alternate source of nourishment. In addition, the immature stages of T. urticae are suitable as food sources for N. cucumeris because they shorten the mean generation time. Therefore, the success of mass-rearing the predator mite N. cucumeris on a different, less expensive diet, such as date palm pollen, and determining the most suitable temperature for it has increased its spread as a biocontrol agent. Full article

Oases in arid regions are critical ecosystems, providing essential ecological, agricultural, and socio-economic functions. However, urbanization and climate change increasingly threaten their sustainability. This study examines land cover (LULC) and land surface temperature (LST) dynamics in four representative North African oases: Tolga (Algeria), Nefta (Tunisia), Ghadames (Libya), and Siwa (Egypt) over the period 2000–2023, using Landsat satellite imagery. A three-step analysis was employed: calculation of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDBI (Normalized Difference Built-up Index), and LST, followed by supervised land cover classification and statistical tests to examine the relationships between the studied variables. The results reveal substantial reductions in bare soil (e.g., 48.10% in Siwa) and notable urban expansion (e.g., 136.01% in Siwa and 48.46% in Ghadames). Vegetation exhibited varied trends, with a slight decline in Tolga (0.26%) and a significant increase in Siwa (+27.17%). LST trends strongly correlated with land cover changes, demonstrating increased temperatures in urbanized areas and moderated temperatures in vegetated zones. Notably, this study highlights that traditional urban designs integrated with dense palm groves significantly mitigate thermal stress, achieving lower LST compared to modern urban expansions characterized by sparse, heat-absorbing surfaces. In contrast, areas dominated by fragmented vegetation or seasonal crops exhibited reduced cooling capacity, underscoring the critical role of vegetation type, spatial arrangement, and urban morphology in regulating oasis microclimates. Preserving palm groves, which are increasingly vulnerable to heat-driven pests, diseases and the introduction of exotic species grown for profit, together with a revival of the traditional compact urban fabric that provides shade and has been empirically confirmed by other oasis studies to moderate the microclimate more effectively than recent low-density extensions, will maintain the crucial synergy between buildings and vegetation, enhance the cooling capacity of these settlements, and safeguard their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Full article

Coconut palm’s economic significance across the tropics, underpinning livelihoods and industries, is increasingly threatened by pests, diseases, genetic erosion, and natural disasters. This underscores the urgent need for efficient germplasm conservation strategies. In vitro culture of zygotic embryos provides a vital pathway for secure global conservation and exchange, particularly for elite varieties like Makapuno. However, standardized, practical protocols for the international exchange of fresh, non-cryopreserved embryos remain underdeveloped. To address this gap, this study refined a key protocol for fresh coconut embryo exchange by systematically optimizing critical parameters. The results demonstrated that an optimal culture medium containing low sucrose (10 g/L), activated charcoal (1 g/L), Gelrite (2.5 g/L), and 1 mL medium per cryotube significantly enhanced embryo size (40% increase; p < 0.05) compared to sucrose-free controls. While surface sterilization using AgNPs showed a marginal growth advantage over NaClO, rigorous transportation simulations confirmed that embryos retain high viability and regeneration potential only if delivered within seven days. These findings establish a robust, standardized framework for enhancing the global exchange and conservation of elite coconut germplasm, directly supporting genetic conservation and varietal improvement efforts. Full article

The date palm industry is a vital pillar of agricultural economies in arid and semi-arid regions; however, it remains vulnerable to challenges such as pest infestations, post-harvest diseases, and limited access to real-time monitoring tools. This study applied the baseline YOLOv11 model and its optimized variant, YOLOv11-Opt, to automate the detection, classification, and monitoring of date fruit varieties and disease-related defects. The models were trained on a curated dataset of real-world images collected in Saudi Arabia and enhanced through advanced data augmentation techniques, dynamic label assignment (SimOTA++), and extensive hyperparameter optimization. The experimental results demonstrated that YOLOv11-Opt significantly outperformed the baseline YOLOv11, achieving an overall classification accuracy of 99.04% for date types and 99.69% for disease detection, with ROC-AUC scores exceeding 99% in most cases. The optimized model effectively distinguished visually complex diseases, such as scale insert and dry date skin, across multiple date types, enabling high-resolution, real-time inference. Furthermore, a visual analytics dashboard was developed to support strategic decision-making by providing insights into production trends, disease prevalence, and varietal distribution. These findings underscore the value of integrating optimized deep learning architectures and visual analytics for intelligent, scalable, and sustainable precision agriculture. Full article

Insect-specific pathogens present a sustainable alternative to pesticides for managing the red palm weevil (RPW). This study assessed the efficacy of Steinernema carpocapsae ALL nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria against the third-instar larvae and adults of RPW under laboratory conditions. The symbiotic bacteria were isolated, morphologically characterized, and genetically identified. The results indicated that the mortality rates of RPW larvae treated with S. carpocapsae exceeded 50% in all treatments at 120 h, reaching 93.33% at a concentration of 250 IJs/mL. The morphology of isolated symbiotic bacterium from S. carpocapsae on NBTA medium exhibited a light green color with a glossy surface, a raised center, and a mucilaginous texture. A novel strain of symbiotic bacterium was identified and named as LZ-G7. The bacteria toxicity on RPW adults showed a notable mortality rate of 66.67% at 48 h after feeding with concentration of 10 × 10⁷ CFU/mL. The mortality rate of the third-instar larvae of RPW reached 83.33% after feeding with 0.30 × 10⁸ CFU/g at 96 h and 93.33% after injection into blood cavity with 8 × 10⁶ CFU at 48 h. These results suggest that S. carpocapsae and a novel symbiotic bacterium strain exhibit strong virulence against RPW and have the potential to serve as effective biological control agents in integrated pest management strategies. Full article

This paper presents a simulation study investigating the possible dispersal of the red palm weevil, a highly destructive pest affecting various palm species, across the island of Corfu, Greece. The simulation incorporates ecological modeling and geographical data to analyze the dynamics and the spread of red palm weevil populations over time and space. Key findings indicate that factors such as tree density and spatial distribution significantly influence infestation rates, with densely populated areas being more susceptible to rapid spreading. The study underscores the importance of early detection and targeted interventions to control red palm weevil populations and to mitigate their impact on affected regions. This research contributes to the development of effective pest management strategies that could potentially be adapted to address similar invasive species challenges in other agricultural contexts. Full article

The development of an effective artificial diet is essential for the mass rearing of insects used in pest management programs, including augmentative biological control, insecticide resistance monitoring, and sterile insect release. This study evaluated the consumption, utilization, and enzymatic responses of the polyphagous pest Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) when reared on meridic diets supplemented with different pollen grains. The control diet followed a well-established meridic formulation, while the eight experimental diets incorporated pollen from the honey bee, rapeseed, maize, sunflower, hollyhock, glossy shower, saffron, and date palm. The findings indicate that pollen supplementation enhances the quality of artificial diets for H. armigera. Larvae fed on the date palm pollen-supplemented diet exhibited significantly higher weight gain, efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD), and relative growth rate (RGR) compared to those fed on the control diet. The highest relative consumption rate (RCR) was observed in larvae fed on the sunflower pollen-supplemented diet. Additionally, pollen-supplemented diets influenced the amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activities of H. armigera larvae in a diet-dependent manner. Nutritional analysis of the pollen types revealed significant variations in the sugar, lipid, and protein contents. Cluster analysis further identified the date palm pollen-supplemented diet as the most nutritionally beneficial, suggesting its potential application in the large-scale production of H. armigera. Full article

The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a destructive, invasive pest to a diverse range of palm plantations globally. Commonly used broad-range chemical insecticides for insect control pose high risks to non-target organisms, humans, and the environment. A bio-rational approach of screening natural small-molecule inhibitors that specifically target R. ferrugineus proteins critical to its life processes can pave the way for developing novel bioinsecticides. Digestive enzymes (DEs), which impair feeding on plants (herbivory), are promising targets. We generated de novo transcriptomes, annotated DE-related genes from the R. ferrugineus gut and abdomen, manually annotated the DE gene family from the recently available genome and our transcriptome data, and reported 34 glycosidases, 85 lipases, and 201 proteases. We identified several tandem duplicates and allelic variants from the lipase and protease families, notably, 10 RferLip and 21 RferPro alleles, which emerged primarily through indels and single-site substitution. These alleles may confer enhanced digestive lipolysis and proteolysis. Phylogenetic analyses identified and classified different subfamilies of DEs and revealed close evolutionary relationships with other coleopterans. We assessed select candidate DEs’ activity and the potential for inhibition in silico to better understand the herbivory arsenal. In silico analysis revealed that the selected enzymes exhibited similar ligand-binding affinity to their corresponding substrate, except for protease aminopeptidase N, RferPro40, which exhibited poorer affinity to the inhibitor bestatin. Overall, our study serves as a foundation for further functional analysis and offers a novel target for the development of a novel bio-rational insecticide for R. ferrugineus. Full article

Oil palm is one of the primary vegetable oil sources worldwide, including in Tanzania. Tanzania’s mean palm oil yield is 1.6 tons per hectare, far below the 6 to 8 tons per hectare reported elsewhere. This low oil yield is attributable to underdeveloped, unsustainable oil palm production systems and improvements, several biotic and abiotic stresses, and socio-economic and policy challenges that have yet to be systematically documented to guide large-scale production, breeding, and research support. The objectives of this study were to appraise oil palm production and improvement in Tanzania, focusing on constraints, opportunities, and farmers’ major preferences. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in Kigoma Region, in three selected districts. Data were collected from 392 oil palm farmers using semi-structured questionnaires and 54 focus group discussants. Data were subjected to statistical analyses to discern the variables and their significant associations using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Inc., 2020). About 98.5% of the participant farmers engage in oil palm production. Most respondent farmers predominantly cultivate the Dura oil palm type (97.4%), followed by Tenera (50%). The farmers’ major reported oil palm production constraints were an inadequate supply of improved planting materials (reported by 82.7% of respondents), poor access to credit (72.4%), a high cost of production inputs (59.4%), poor market access (56.4%), insect pests and diseases (53.6), and poor production technologies (45.4%). A chi-square analysis of farmers’ production constraints revealed that the unavailability of labor (X² = 41.181; p = 0.000); limited extension services (X² = 29.074; p = 0.000); and diseases and pests (X² = 19.582; p = 0.000) differed significantly across the study area. Additionally, the lack of fertilizers (X² = 14.218; p = 0.001); inappropriate technology and knowledge gaps (X² = 10.529; p = 0.005); and poor market access (X² = 6.621; p = 0.036) differed significantly across districts. A high oil yield (reported by 58.7% of the respondents), a high number of bunches per plant (40.5%), early maturity (37.2%), and tolerance to droughts (23%) and diseases and insect pests (18.9%) were the most preferred traits by farmers in oil palm varieties. Therefore, integrative and sustainable breeding oil palm for enhanced yields and farmers’ preferred traits will increase the adoption of newly improved varieties for local palm oil production, import substitution, and economic development in Tanzania. Full article

The conversion of tropical forests into urban and agriculture landscapes may alter insect populations through habitat disturbance and impact the diets of aerial insectivores. Most dietary studies on aerial insectivores have limitation on identifying prey at higher taxonomic levels in broad landscapes, restricting species-level identification and thus making a detailed dietary comparison impossible. This study examines the dietary changes through adaptation of house-farm swiftlets (Aerodramus sp.) and Pacific swallows (Hirundo tahitica) across three distinct habitats in Peninsular Malaysia: mixed-use landscapes, oil palm plantations, and paddy fields. High-throughput DNA metabarcoding with ANML primers targeting mitochondrial CO1 gene, identified 245 arthropod prey species, with six dominant orders: Coleoptera, Diptera, Blattodea, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. Mixed-use landscapes supported the highest dietary diversity and niche breadth, reflecting their ecological complexity. Paddy fields exhibited moderate diversity, while oil palm plantations demonstrated the lowest diversity, influenced by simplified vegetation structures and limited prey availability. The consumption of agricultural pests and vector species highlights the critical ecological role of aerial insectivorous birds in natural pest management and mitigating vector-borne disease risks. This research emphasizes the importance of conserving habitat heterogeneity to sustain the ecological services provided by these birds, benefiting both agricultural productivity and public health. Full article

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a destructive pest of palm plants that can cause the death of the entire plant when infested. To enhance the efficiency of RPW control, a novel detection and tracking algorithm based on the joint YOLOv5-DeepSort algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the original YOLOv5 is improved by adding a small object detection layer and an attention mechanism. At the same time, the detector of the original DeepSort is changed to the improved YOLOv5. Then, a historical frame data module is introduced into DeepSort to reduce the number of target identity (ID) switches while maintaining detection and tracking accuracy. Finally, an experiment is conducted to evaluate the joint YOLOv5-DeepSort detection and tracking algorithm. The experimental results show that, in terms of detectors, the improved YOLOv5 model achieves a mean average precision (mAP@.5) of 90.1% and a precision (P) of 93.8%. In terms of tracking performance, the joint YOLOv5-DeepSort algorithm achieves a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy (MOTA) of 94.3%, a Multiple Object Tracking Precision (MOTP) of 90.14%, reduces ID switches by 33.3%, and realizes a count accuracy of 94.1%. These results demonstrate that the improved algorithm meets the practical requirements for RPW field detection and tracking. Full article

The red palm weevil (RPW; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a destructive pest affecting palms worldwide, capable of causing significant economic losses and ecological damage in managed palm ecosystems. Current management heavily relies on synthetic insecticides, but their overuse fosters resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) offers a promising alternative, producing toxins selective against various insect orders, including Coleoptera. However, no specific Bt toxin has yet been identified for RPW. This study investigates the toxicity against RPW larvae of the Bt Cry1Ia protoxin, known for its dual activity against Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. A laboratory RPW colony was reared for two generations, ensuring a reliable insect source for bioassays. Cry1Ia was expressed as a 6xHis-tagged fusion protein in Escherichia coli and purified using nickel affinity. Incubation with RPW larval gut proteases for 24 h produced a stable core of ~65 kDa. Diet-incorporation bioassays revealed high Cry1Ia toxicity in neonate larvae. In contrast, the lepidopteran-active Cry1Ac protoxin, used as a robust negative control, was completely degraded after 24 h of in vitro proteolysis and showed no toxicity in bioassays. Cry1Ia-fed larvae exhibited significant midgut cell damage, characteristic of Bt intoxication. These findings highlight Cry1Ia’s strong potential for integration into RPW management programs. Full article

Oryctes monoceros (Olivier, 1789) (Scarabaeidae) and Rhynchophorus phoenicis (Fabricius, 1801) (Curculionidae) are two insects generally known as formidable pests of oil palms and coconuts trees. Although little known, different developmental stages of these insects are consumed. The aim of this study is to determine the composition of these adult Coleopteran species in order to promote their consumption as a strategy for enhancing food security. Chemical analyses were carried out on adults of both species. Samples of O. monoceros and R. phoenicis were collected in three localities in Togo. The ash, protein, vitamin, and lipid contents were determined according to the AOAC reference methods. The fiber contents were obtained by the method of Weende. The minerals and heavy metals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and colorimetry. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. The results showed the average protein content ranges from 44.32 ± 0.83 to 45.89 ± 0.83%. The lipid level is between 15.06 ± 0.28% and 14.64 ± 0.54. Their lipids contain unsaturated fatty acids, notably oleic (40.84 ± 0.112 vs. 40.84 ± 0.11%), linoleic (4.49 ± 0.00 vs. 5.07 ± 0.02%), and α-linolenic (5.07 ± 0.02 vs. 6.35 ± 0.01%) acid. They are excellent sources of minerals and vitamins. They are also free of heavy metals. These species could, therefore, contribute to the nutritional balance of consumers. They deserve to be better promoted for human consumption, as they could make a significant contribution to the fight against malnutrition and constitute a novel food source. Full article

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the red palm weevil (RPW), is a concealed voracious pest of different ornamental and economically important palm species, particularly the date palm. It can cause huge losses in ornamental and commercial palm plantations. RPW has spread rapidly from its original distribution in Southeast Asia to date palm-growing countries worldwide. It is now established in more than 50% of date palm-growing countries and 15% of the coconut-growing countries globally. To prevent further expansion of this pest, many countries have implemented strict legislative and quarantine measures surrounding the export of the palms plant genetic resources from RPW-infested countries. This review focuses on the general biology (life history, development), host range, geographical distribution, and management on the basis of biotechnic methods, farming practices, natural enemies, and important microbial control agents. Full article