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BAGHDAD, Iraq – The production of dates in Iraq has long been a matter of national pride. Over the next six-weeks, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture will launch a pesticide spray campaign throughout Iraq against the primary agricultural pests of date palms, the dubas bug.
"Iraq used to be the largest producer of dates in the world," said Lt. Col. Van Sherwood, Task Force 3rd Medical Command entomologist. "It's important that spraying the date palm groves take place in order to protect the date crop."
The date palm has provided Iraq a source of food and shelter throughout history and is linked culturally and spiritually with the country. Iraq dominated the date market until the late 1970's, producing 75 percent of the world's exported dates. Market share fell dramatically as Iraq became involved in wars and faced trade embargos.
Dates still remain the second largest industry in Iraq but production is threatened by a large number of pests including arthropods, fungi, nematodes and phytoplasma.
Of the several enemies to date palms, the dubas bug is considered the number one pest. The dubas bug causes significant damage to the date palm and the dates it produces by feeding on tree sap. Even low to moderate infestations can cause serious reductions in date production. A secondary effect of the dubas bug is damage to any crops growing under the date palms, often citrus trees.
The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture has traditionally controlled dubas bugs through the aerial application of ULV pesticides. "The best way to control the dubas bug is by aerial spray," said Sherwood, "because date palms can grow 30 feet tall and the bugs feed in the canopy.
Due to the to a loss of aircraft, and security concerns following Operation Iraqi Freedom, aerial spraying was not done from 2003 thru 2005. Infestation levels rose, causing a significant decrease in date production.
In 2006, the MOA, in conjunction with Multi-National Forces – Iraq, conducted a joint effort and contracted internationally for the aerial spraying of over 77,000 hectares of date palms – just more than 190,000 acres.
"This year will be the first time since 2002 that Iraq will execute this important program on its own," said Sherwood. "The plan is to spray within the six main date producing provinces - Karbala, An Najaf, Babil, Wasit, Baghdad and Diyala - over a total of approximately 68,000 hectares."
The MOA has procured an inventory of several different classes and formulations of pesticides for use in the aerial and ground treatment campaigns against the dubas bug, sunn pest and other agricultural pests.
"The MOA will use Iraqi MI-2 helicopters with two attached tanks and spray booms on each side of the aircraft," said Sherwood. The aircraft will fly approximately 10-20 feet above the tree line to get an accurate and uniform spray on the date palm groves.
"Coalition and Iraqi forces on the ground will be given sufficient notice of where and when the date palm grove spraying will take place in order to limit activity as appropriate," said Sherwood.
Another agricultural pest, the sunn pest, is a very damaging insect to wheat and barley. During feeding, the insects inject saliva that contains chemicals that greatly reduce the baking quality of flour made from the damaged wheat. The wheat fields of the northern provinces of Dahuk and Irbil are also scheduled for aerial spray.
"This aerial spray program is entirely an Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture operation" said Sherwood. "It represents tangible progress for the government and is a matter of intense national pride."
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.26.2007 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 10133 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,038 |
| Downloads: | 857 |
This work, Iraqi Date Production - A Matter of National Pride, by MAJ John Heil, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
