The Natural History Research and Museum Center at the University of Baghdad, with the support and guidance of the Center’s Director, Assistant Professor Dr. Hanaa Hani Al-Saffar, organized a workshop entitled “Insect and Non-Insect Pests of Date Palms” on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The workshop was led by Senior Agricultural Engineer Inas Abdul Khalifa and presented by Lecturer Dr. Suhad Yassin Jassim, with the participation of Assistant Professor Dr. Hanaa Hani Al-Saffar.
Date palms are a strategic agricultural and economic resource; however, their production faces significant challenges due to pest infestations that negatively affect the vitality of the trees and the quality and quantity of the harvest. Palm trees are vulnerable to attacks from a vast number of insect and non-insect pests in almost every part of their bodies, causing serious damage that weakens the palm and reduces its date production in terms of both quality and quantity. This damage can even lead to the death of the palm. The workshop aimed to identify the types of insect and non-insect pests that invade palm trunks and cause numerous environmental and economic problems. The most important recommendations made by the researchers at the workshop included agricultural control measures such as removing severely infested palms, cleaning the palm of dry fibers, removing unwanted offshoots, and dusting with sulfur. Additionally, pheromone control using pheromone traps to attract red palm weevils was recommended, along with chemical control through spraying with approved systemic pesticides (such as dimethoate), especially in pruning areas and cracks. Finally, biological control was also considered.
