Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

This review is a thorough summary of date palm scales, including the green scale, red scale, and especially the withe scale caused by Parlatoria blanchardi. It intends to offer their biological characteristics, geographical distribution, damage they cause to the main host, Phoenix dactylifera L., and effective management practices, including chemical, cultural, and biological control.
Parlatoria blanchardi is one of the major date palm pests and is distributed worldwide, attacking all date palm-growing areas. Its lifecycle is highly suited to the Phoenix dactylifera L. environment, which promotes swift development and infestation. These pests are so serious that they cause significant damage through feeding on plant sap. This behaviour leads to diminishing the vigor of palm trees, the quality of fruits, and generally the overall production. Because of its severity, effective management strategies must be used, including a combination of chemical, cultural, and biological tactics, in order to decrease the infestation level. In addition, integrated pest management (IPM) can be a successful decision against date palm scales; it is an ecological approach that has shown significant results in controlling scale population levels under economic thresholds. With the aim of sustaining date palm vigor and productivity, a vital management strategy must be required to effectively control pest infestation, diminish damage, and assure production quality and crop health.