Variability Of The Physicochemical Composition Between Unscathed And Dates Infested By The Moth Ectomyelois Ceratoniae Zeller

Résumé: In the Saoura region, the date moth is a pest of major economic importance where it causes considerable damage, either on the cluster, by the premature fall of dates or during storage where it degrades the commercial quality of the fruits. The damages can sometimes affect 80% of the global crop.The level of infestation in the cultivar Fégous is higher compared to the cultivar Hmira. This variation could be due to the physicochemical composition as well as the morphological characteristics of the variety. Fégous is considered among early-maturing varieties with a thin epicarp that makes the fruits fragile and vulnerable to attacks by the moth. The calculation of the pulp / nucleus ratio clarifies the reasons for the increase in the rate of infestation in Fegous, 51% We note that the rate of infestation is considerable in the dates without perianth 64.86% however 73.68% of the dates with perianth remain unscathed the total sugars of the two infested varieties either Fégous (64%) or Hmira (43%). This decrease is a consequence of the intensive degradation of sugars by date moth , it use them to cover its energy needs during its development and also to prepare itself for pupation however the protein content of infested dates was greater than that of unscathed.

Publié dans la revue: Applied Biology in Saharan Areas