The date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L, is one of the most important and oldest evergreen fruit trees that grow in Iraq, especially in the province of Basra, where the density of palm trees is noted along the two banks of the Shatt al-Arab, and this is due to the environmental and geographical characteristics of the province of Basra, which are suitable for this tree [1, 2, 3]. Basra governorate is famous for its diversity and quality of date palm varieties, but the number of palms started to decline in this governorate due to several factors, including neglect and the spread of insect and disease pests. Date palms are considered very important economic trees in various countries [4]. Several factors such as pests, weather conditions and diseases have affected plant health. Palm trees are attacked by a large number of insect pests in all their parts, which sometimes causes serious and significant damage, represented in the weakness of the palm, which leads to a decrease in the productivity of dates in terms of quality and quantity. This damage also leads to the death of the palm. In the upper part of the date palm, pollen and the fruits of the palm are exposed to many pests and insects that attack the flowering spurs before and after they open. It also attacks the fruits in their different stages, including the great pollen insect Arenipses sabella Hamps (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera), which leads to wilting, cracking and falling of the fruits [5]. Also, Jamil recorded that the great pollen insect A. sabella is considered one of the main insect pests on date palms , more than 80% of the palm trees examined were found to be infected with the blight, and the incidence ranged between (20.87 and 26.23%). 

Insect control depends on the use of insecticides, which is one of the main methods, and these pesticides can pose serious risks to the environment; [6]. Plant biocides have a negative effect on the physiology and biochemistry of insect pests [7, 8]. Also, El-Sabah et al. Efficacy of some insecticides and biocides against the   great   pollen insect A.  sabella in Egypt whentreating date palm with Proclaim 05 SG 20 g / 100 liters of water  (Deltachem super 2.6 EC 50 ml / 100 liters of water) during the  two    seasons, as  it  reduced  the  rate  of  mite infestation to 85.48% in the 2007 season and to 75.74% in the 2008 season. Chemical pesticides have been used to combat insects, including scale insects. Phosphorous pesticides such as liquid diazinon, 60%, at a rate of 6 cm3 / gallon of water, and dimethoate, 40%, at a rate of 10 cm3 / gallon of water, have been used [9].

The changes that occur during the stages of growth and development of the fruit of the date palm are of morphological and physiological importance as it can determine the color of the fruit and its other components and thus its nutritional value in addition to the importance of changes in the weight and size of the fruits and their relationship to production. Therefore, the pesticide was used as a washing material for the plant, as between Michels et al. [10]. And Feil and Lamers [11] that the wind-borne sand affects the leaf area and thus leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the leaf in the process of photosynthesis and the speed of respiration increases, which in turn leads to the deterioration of the plant. Plant growth and deterioration in the quality of fruits and their ability to storage.

The study aims to know the changes in some physical and chemical properties during the growth and maturity stage, which are directly related to the nutritional value of the fruits and production characteristics as a result of the excessive use of chemical pesticides against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the date palm of the Barhi variety.

Study of the effect of chemical pesticide against the great pollen insect A. sabella on some chemical and physical properties of date palm fruits:

The field study was conducted in one of the orchards of Abi Al Khasib in Basra Governorate for the 2022 agricultural season to know the effect of the pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC, It was used to control the major pollen worm on date palms with percentages of using (Cypermethrin 10%EC 2 ml/L and 1 ml/L, Organophosphorus 40% SL 2 ml/L and 1  ml/L and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC 2 ml/L and 1  ml/L) , as 12 palms of the Barhi cultivar of medium age and homogeneous in service operations were selected to pollinate these trees in At the beginning of April, with pollen of the Khokri variety, and during the period of pollination and the arrival of the fruits to the Jamri stage, the palm trees were divided into four groups, each group containing three palms, and the transactions were:

A-Control (without pesticide spraying), B- Spraying with Cypermethrin 10% EC 2ml/L, Organophosphorus 40% SL 2ml/liter and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC 2ml/L (Table 1).

Table 1: The name of the pesticide, the concentration used and the producing company

The percentage of the great pollen insect A. sabella killing was recorded after 1, 3, 7 and 14 days of spraying, after which the percentage of killing was calculated and corrected according to the Orell and Schneider equation contained in Shaaban and Al-Mallah [12].

Each set contains three palm trees, and upon arrival the following readings were taken from the fruits to the khalal stage.

Calculation of the drop rate of fruits

Thirty random shamrocks were brought from each palm tree and according to the fruits and the number of fallen fruits, to find out the percentage of precipitation from the equation:

The Physical Characteristics of the Studied Fruits

Fruit and Seed Weight Ratio: It was estimated with a sensitive electric scale, weighing 10 fruits from each sample, then extracted the average weight of one fruit, then extracted the seeds from them and in the same way the weight of the seed was calculated.

Average Length and Diameter of the Fruit

It was measured by Vernier, where 10 fruits were taken at random for each sample in all stages of growth and maturity of the different fruits.

Chemical properties of the studied fruits 

Moisture content of the fruits

Five fruits were taken from each replicate of the study and the weight of the fruit was calculated using a sensitive scale, It was dried in a drying oven at 45°C for 48 hours to calculate the dry weight and moisture content extract from the following equation:

Total Dissolved Solids Ratio

It was estimated as a weight of 10 g of chopped fruits, 30 ml of distilled water was added to it and mashed using an electric blender, then filtered, and the total dissolved solids percentage was estimated using a hand refractometer, and the results were adjusted on the basis of room temperature according to the method of.

Statistical Analysis:

The results were analyzed using a Complete Randomized Bloch Design C.R.B.D. As single-factor experiments, the averages were compared in all experiments according to the least significant difference test, averaged R.L.S.D, with a probability level of 0.05% [13].

Effect of chemical pesticides on the great pollen insect A. sabella

The results shown in Table 2 showed the effectiveness of chemical pesticides in combating the great pollen insect A. sabella, as the spraying treatment with Cypermethrin 10%EC and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC was superior in reducing population density and amounted to (86.93 and 80.42)%, respectively, with a significant difference from the rate of effectiveness of Organophosphorus 40% SL, which reached 69.11%. As for the effect of the treatment period in controlling the great pollen insect A. sabella, the results in Table (2) indicated that there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of the pesticides during the treatment period after 1, 3 and 7 days, as it amounted to (79.22, 79.66 and 79.03)%, respectively, with a significant difference for the treatment period after 14 days of the transaction, which amounted to 77.63, the results in Table (2) the highest effectiveness of the studied pesticides was at a concentration of 2 ml/L on all treatment days, while the highest effectiveness was for Cypermethrin 10%EC at a concentration of 2 ml/L. After spraying 3 days of treatment, it reached 98.68%, while the lowest effective percentage was for Organophosphorus 40% SL with a concentration of 1 ml/L after 1 day of treatment, and it reached 51.78%. The reason for the effect of the pesticide may be due to the fact that pyrethroid pesticides are characterized by their high toxicity and the possibility of using them in low doses in the field to control pests. They are also characterized by their resistance to decomposition by the effect of light, and their residues stay for more than ten days [12], the toxic effect of pesticides Pyrethroidism is due to the inhibition of the energy enzyme ATPase through the pumping of sodium to maintain the ionic concentration ratio on both sides of the nerve membrane and the energy needed for this process is taken from energy-rich phosphate compounds such as ATP, the toxic effect of pesticides pyrethroidism is due to the inhibition of the energy enzyme ATPase through the pumping of sodium to maintain the ionic concentration ratio on both sides of the nerve membrane and the energy needed for this process is taken from energy-rich phosphate compounds such as ATP, so the inhibition of energy greatly affects this mechanism. Otherwise Field experiments were conducted to verify the efficacy of some insecticides and biocides against the great pollen insect A. sabella in Egypt on date palm trees using Proclaim 05 SG (20 g / 100 liters of water) and Deltachem Super 2.6 EC (50 ml / 100 liters of water) It has reduced the incidence of mites to 85.48%. The pesticide Cypermethrin 10%EC was also used to control the nymphs and adults of the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the pesticide gave a significant difference from the comparison treatment, showed that pyrethroid pesticides are highly effective in reducing From the palm Dubas, Ommatissus lybicus, if the pesticides are sprayed in an appropriate manner from the top fronds of the palm trees. The current situation is by conducting control operations with the great pollen insect A. sabella during its appearance using pyrethroid pesticides such as Cypermethrin 10%EC and vasipermethrin in order to avoid the emergence of large numbers of the pest.

Effect of pesticides on the rate of fruit fall of date palm cultivar Barhi

The results shown in Figure 1 show that the percentage of fruit drop caused by the great pollen insect A. sabella did not differ significantly in the comparison treatments and spraying with the pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC, which amounted to 21.32%, 24.79% and 22.46% for the above treatments, respectively, while the percentage differed significantly regarding the treatment of spraying with water (Control), in which the percentage of precipitation was 37.11%. The reason for these results may be due to the fact that the repeated spraying of the water spray treatment led to an increase in the percentage of moisture outside and inside the taste due to the condensation of the fruits and the failure of ventilation to reach the inside of the fruit, which causes the growth of fungi. that causes rotting and falling of fruits. Al-Rubaie et al. confirmed that the moisture content in palm fruits dates are considered the main factor determining infection with fungi. Al-Abd al-Salam and Rizk [1] found that the high humidity resulting from rainfall increased the disease of palm fruits, which causes great losses to fruits, as the fungi attack these fruits and enter the tissues and cause rot and fruit fall, and in general, the rate of precipitation The results obtained for all treatments are considered acceptable. In a study conducted by Reuveni  to study the fruit drop of three cultivars of date palms, namely Al-Khadrawi, Al-Zahdi and Deglet Nour, it was found that the fruit drop rate of the Khadrawi cultivar ranged between 28-62%. The study also showed that the fruits fall in all stages of its growth, but at different rates.In another study carried out by Abdel-Wahhab on the fruit drop of five cultivars of date palms, it was noted that the Khadrawi cultivar continues to fall after 105-90 days with almost one pattern.

The physical characteristics of the studied fruits

Fruit and seed weight ratio

The results in Figure 2 show the effect of the chemical pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the weight of the fruits. The results show that there are differences  in  the  average  total weight between the fruit of trees treated with chemical pesticides and non-treated trees, as the highest weight of the fruits of trees treated with chemical pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC It reached 8.33 g, 7.04 g and 7.86 g, with a significant difference from the control treatment, which amounted to 5.07 g. Otherwise, the results showed in Figure (2) the effect of the chemical pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the weight of the seed, as the results showed that there were differences in the average seed weight between the fruits of trees treated with chemical pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC, and the untreated trees, and the highest weight of the fruit seeds was trees treatment with chemical pesticides reached 1.31 gm, 1.28 g and 1.35 g, respectively, while the lowest weight was in the untreated tree fruits and it reached 1.01 g.

Table 2: Effectiveness ratio of chemical pesticide concentrations during treatment periods against the great pollen insect A. sabella

L.S.D. for Pesticides = 10.527, L.S.D. for concentrations=15.545, L.S.D.for periods = 1.340, L.S.D. for pesticides×concentrations = 6.841

Figure 1: Effect of pesticides on the percentage of fall of fruits of date palm cultivar Barhi infested with the great pollen insect A. sabella

Figure 2: Effect of pesticides on fruits weight and seed weight of date palm cultivar Barhi infested with the great pollen insect A. sabella

The pesticides used in the study achieved the highest percentage of population reduction of the large pollen worm, as mentioned previously. It gave the highest fresh and dry weight to the fruits, and this may be due to the lack of feeding of this insect on the fruits due to the lack of its numbers in the treatment of pesticides. Al-Mayah 

Figure 3: Effect of pesticides on fruits length and average diameter of date palm cultivar Barhi infested with the great pollen insect A. sabella

Mentioned. The weight of the fruit is affected by the rate of infection, as the higher the rate of infection, the lower the weight of the fruit. The reason may be that the insect feeds on the content of the affected fruits or through the fact that the infection obstructs the growth of the fruit naturally, which is reflected in the chemical changes to its contents, and this leaves a negative impact on the weight . Several studies indicated the effect of chemical pesticides on the weight of the fruits of plants. Tewfik and Abou EL-lel [14] confirmed that spraying the bean with 2,4-D significantly increased the weight of the bean pods. Habib et al [15] found that the pesticide Methazole had significant effect on dry weight of onions.

Average length and diameter of the fruit

The results in Figure (3) show the effect of the chemical pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the length of the fruits. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the average height between the fruits of trees treated with the chemical pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC and the untreated trees, which were 3.95 cm, 3.62 cm and 4.01 cm, respectively, and without significant difference from the untreated trees, the lowest length was 3.41 cm.

Also ,the results show in Figure (3) the effect of the chemical pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the average diameter of the fruit. The results showed that there were no differences in the average diameter of the fruits of trees treated with the chemical pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC and the untreated, which amounted to 2.08 cm, 1.93 cm and 2.16 cm, respectively, without a significant difference from the untreated trees, and it was 1.89 cm.

The interpretation of the results of the effect of the pesticide Neron and Sulfur on the size of the fruits is identical with what was previously mentioned about their effect on the weight of the fruits. There are many studies that confirm the effect of chemical pesticides on the size of fruits. Shawky et al [16] confirmed that spraying oranges with 2,4-D pesticide had a role in increasing the diameter and size of oranges. Omran and Awad [17] also found that spraying pesticides The fungal Dithene M 45, Mancosan, Intracol and Manisan on onions increased the size of the bulbs by increasing the diameter of these bulbs.

The Chemical characteristics of the studied fruitsMoisture content of date palm fruits

The results shown in Figure (4) indicated the effect of treatment with chemical pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella on the moisture content of the fruits. The results showed that there were significant differences in the average moisture content of the fruits of trees treated with the chemical pesticides Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL, Alphacypermethrin 5%EC and untreated trees, where it was higher in the fruits of the treated trees. With chemical pesticides, it reached 45.64%, 44.38% and 45.99%, respectively, with a significant difference from the control treatment, which had the lowest percentage of moisture content in the fruits of the Barhi cultivar of untreated trees, which amounted to 41.68%.

The decrease in the moisture content of the fruits with the progression of the fruits to maturity was indicated by Ibrahim (1996), Abdul Wahed (1997) and Al-Mir (2000) in that the moisture content in the fruits gradually decreases in the khalal and wet stage, as the moisture content of the fruits is one of the important factors in determining the texture of the fruit, as indicated by Al-Jubouri (1994) that the gathering of dust particles falling on the fruits leads to a decrease in the moisture content inside the fruit, so the fruits become undesirable characteristics.

Total dissolved solids ratio:

The results in Figure (5) showed the percentage of total soluble solids in the fruits, as the effect of the treatment with the pesticides used against the great pollen insect A. sabella, the results of which showed that there were significant differences in the rate of total soluble solids in the fruits of trees treated and not treated with chemical pesticides, where it was higher in the fruits of trees treated with pesticides The chemical Cypermethrin 10%EC, Organophosphorus 40% SL and Alphacypermethrin 5%EC amounted to 27.96%, 28.87% and 30.33%, while the lowest percentage of total soluble solids in the fruits of the untreated Barhi cultivar was 22.12%.The reason for the increase in the percentage of total soluble solids with the ripening of the fruits may be due to the high content of the fruits of sugars, which represents the largest percentage of the total soluble solids in the fruits, and the amounts of dust falling on the fruits lead to a delay in  the    ripening of   the  fruits, which  leads   to   a decrease in the content of the fruits of total soluble solids (Ibrahim, 1995, Ibrahim, 1996, and Al-Mayah, 2000).

Figure 4: Effect of pesticides on fruits length and average diameter of date palm cultivar Barhi infested with the great pollen insect A. sabella.

Figure 5: Effect of pesticides on Total dissolved solids ratio of date palm cultivar Barhi infested with the great pollen insect A. sabella

The great pollen insect A. sabella has become a major and important pest in the palm fields in some palm-growing areas in recent years. There is not enough information to cover the aspects the importance of the life history of the insect, the dynamics of its preparation and the activity of its natural enemies. There is a need for more research on these thousands of special understandings of the good understanding of the life and environmental characteristics of the gospel, the method of monitoring, and the monitoring of its preparations, and the creation of a record method to challenge the economic blame and the extent of the fate and the extent of the sufficiency. All of the above represent the important foundations and pillars upon which the integrated management of this scourge is built. Educating farmers and intensifying organized extension campaigns would contribute effectively to the development and implementation of control programs that reduce the danger of this insect.

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