Detection of Red Palm Weevil Infestation in Palm Trees

Red Palm Weevil (RPW) is the most harmful pest for palm trees. Because of its rapid spread and devastating effect, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has recently declared RPW as a category-1 threat to the palm industries in the United States [1]. This destructive pest was first reported in South Asia and later found in the palm tree farms in other continents. In 2011, RPW was detected in the palm trees of San Diego and is believed to be migrated from Tijuana, Mexico. The weevil is also detected in Imperial County, California, as well as in the Yuma, Arizona, and Alamo, Texas. Further spread of this virulent pest can affect the date tree industry that contributes about $89 million a year to California's and Arizona's economies. Also at risk are date, coconut, African oil, sago, and decorative palm trees valued at more than $280 million a year [2]. So, early detection of RPW infestation is essential to avoid serious economic consequences and safety hazards. Popular methods of detecting infested date trees include; visual inspection, thermal imaging, chemical and acoustic detection [3]-[5]. Visual and chemical methods are prone to human errors and can only detect the advanced stage of infestation. Thermal and acoustic methods use a scientific process for early detection of the infestation but are influenced by the thermal and acoustic noises present in the environment. In this research work, the change in the dielectric properties of the tree due to RPW infestation will be studied. Due to the difference in the dielectric constants of the healthy and the infested date palm tree, a non-destructive subsurface microwave technique is proposed to detect the initial stage of infestation. An antenna or antenna array is optimally positioned around the tree trunk to determine its dielectric property through monitoring the scattering parameters. Simulated results related to microwave scattering from different stages of infestation will be presented and analyzed. The microwave detection method can also be extended to treat the infected trees, where a high-power microwave signal is used to kill the larva's within an RPW infested tree. This can minimize the spread of the insects during the uprooting and discarding of the infected palm trees from the plantation. REFERENCES 1 "Red Palm Weevil | Food Chain Crisis | Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations" Online Accessed in 2018. https://www.fao.org/food-chain-crisis/how-we-work/plant-protection/red-palm-weevil/en/ 2 D. Danelski, "Invasive Weevil Threatens Californias Palm Trees and Date Industry", SCA Press release, 2014. https://www.iscatech.com/press_releases/invasive-weevil-threatens-californias-palm-trees-date-industry/ 3 N. AlDosary, S. AlDobai, and J. Faleiro, "Review on the Management of Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier in Date Palm trees," Emirates Jour. Food Agriculture, vol. 28, no. 1, p. 34, 2016. 4 A. I. Mahmud, J. Farminhao, and E. R. A. Viez, "Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus): Threat of palms," Jour. Biological Science, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 56–67, 2015. 5 V. SOROKER et al., "Early Detection and Monitoring of Red Palm Weevil: Approaches and Challenges," Afpp– Palm Pest Mediterranean Conference, Nice, 16-18 January 2013.