Cartagena Spain, researchers trial Beauveria Bassiana in fight against Picudo Rojo, Red Palm Weevil

2010-05-04

A team from Alicante University were in Cartagena yesterday to administer the first stage in trials of the fungus Beauveria Bassiana which could be the big breakthrough so desperately needed by Murcia to help it fight the devastating Picudo Rojo , the Red Palm Weevil, which has wrought so much havoc to our palm population.

Juanele, who has the unenviable task of overseeing all of Cartagenas' parks and gardens talked about the long battle Cartagena has had with the weevil, the various methods which they've employed to try and deal with the problem, his frustration that in spite of their best efforts, treated trees can become re-infested just days after the previous inhabitants have been eliminated due to the large distance which the weevil are capable of flying ( 3km without stopping) and his sorrow at the failure of other councils to contain the problem within their own municipalities.

He's had to take out over 600 infected trees, but has 12,000 trees under his care, which requires constant vigilance and endless chemical treatments.

He showed us one tree which had been literally scooped out like a large ice cream, the rotten, infested centre completely removed, yet had re-grown with a new crown, and now sported a double bulge of lush new leaves. The tree had been injected with chemicals from within, and doused with chemicals from above, but apparently this lavish, and expensive treatment had been done with love and care because the tree is right outside the window of the Mayoresses' office, and she is determined that Cartagena will not lose its' emblematic palm trees , and has ensured that the funds are found to fight the battle.

It's horrendously expensive to keep up the fight; this trial alone is costing 18, 000 euros, but if a solution can be found to deal with the problem of the weevil, then it can be brought under control, but at the moment few councils can afford to keep paying out for the chemicals and staff to administer them. Juanele says the chemicals have halved in price, but he still doesn't have the money to treat every tree in every park and is hoping that this fungal treatment may offer a way forward.

The researchers explained that this is the third batch of fungus which they have produced in the research facility, the second batch proving to be 100% effective during tests carried out in intensive cultivation areas of Elche, which has a high concentration of commercial growers.

Treatments are administered in a sachet powder form, sprinkled into the crown of the tree which is where the greatest concentration of weevil are found.

As the fungus takes hold, it spreads to nearby trees, and researchers were excited to discover that not only the weevil within the treated tree died, but also those in surrounding trees.

Part of their ongoing testing involves closely monitoring the re-infestation rates of treated trees , and also the spread of the fungus once it had been administered.

We asked about whether the fungus was dangerous to other wildlife, such as bees, but the researchers explained that specific strains can be developed to deal with specific pests and that this was not harmful to beneficial insects such as the bee population.

 

Now , before everyone gets too excited and just in case any of the local press do a Paramount Studios report again, this is not going to save the region tomorrow and is still only in the testing stages.

It takes about 15 days to produce a batch of fungus, but the lab only have limited capacity to produce on a research level, and although they are already talking to various commercial producers who would be able to produce on a large scale, are reluctant to begin any sort of commercial manufacture until they have conducted more extensive tests in situ and had time to ensure that there are no dangerous side-effects or long-term unforeseen problems.

Although the fungus is used worldwide as a biological control, this is groundbreaking research into its' effectiveness against the Red Palm Weevil ,and the outcome of these trials is of international significance, so the parks department will be anxiously scanning the palms in the Heroes de Cavite Plaza in Cartagena throughout the next few days for signs of life amongst the palm trees.

 

Just a little thing we found quite amusing. In case you ever wonder at the luck of the press in being in the right place at the right time and getting that unbelievable shot, here's how it happens sometimes. One of the press pack was determined to show his readers just how many Palm Weevil are marching around in the centre of Cartagena and had brought his own with him to photograph just in case he couldn't find one on the day. He guarded it jealously and none of us were allowed near enough to get a shot, so the reporter was photographed with the palm weevil in front of the Town Hall, so the readers could see just how infested the centre of Cartagena really is........look, I found one, the place is crawling with them.......

 

Juanele said that vigilance is the key to fighting the weevil , and immediate action once the first signs of infestation are detected. He is adamant that 95% of trees can be saved if treated as soon as infestation is diagnosed, but confirmed what we've been told before that there is no known method of preventative treatment.

He had three pieces of crucial advice- don't prune green branches during the summer when pheremones emitted are at their most concentrated level, apply a sealant immediately following pruning and spray with insecticide.

His other advice for those worried about Palm Weevil- plant something else.

 

If  you'd like more information about the Beauvaria Bassiana fungus, click here, which takes you back to the previous article about the trials and then onto our information pages in the gardening section.

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