Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30020
Title: Ommatissus Lybicus Infestation in Relation to Spatial Characteristics of Date Palm Plantations in Oman
Contributor(s): Al Shidi, Rashid H (author); Kumar, Lalit  (author)orcid ; Al-Khatri, Salim A H (author); Al-Ajmi, Najat A (author)
Publication Date: 2019-03-08
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/agriculture9030050
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/30020
Abstract: The agricultural ecosystem and its interaction with the outside environment plays a major role in the population of herbivores. The infestation of the Dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus, has shown a spatial and temporal variation among different date palm plantations in Oman. This study focused on the relationship of infestation with date palm cultivation environments. The infestation and some selected environmental factors were evaluated in 20 locations for four consecutive infestation seasons over two years. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to identify the significant factors and the global relationship. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was used to determine the spatial relationship. The results showed that GWR had better prediction than OLS. The model explained 61% of the infestation variation in the studied locations. The most significant coefficient was the tree planting pattern, the trees planted in uneven rows and columns (irregular pattern) had a positive effect; the infestation increased as the irregularity increased due to an increase in tree density. This reduced the interaction of harsh outside weather with the date palm plantation microclimate. The proportion of side growing area had a negative effect on insect population; as the percentage of side growing area increased as the infestation decreased, assuming the side growing crops hosted natural enemies. The study concluded that the variation of spatial and temporal infestation was primarily due to the variation of the cultural practices and spatial environment of the date palm plantations.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Agriculture, 9(3), p. 1-14
Publisher: MDPI AG
Place of Publication: Switzerland
ISSN: 2077-0472
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 090903 Geospatial Information Systems
050204 Environmental Impact Assessment
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 401302 Geospatial information systems and geospatial data modelling
410402 Environmental assessment and monitoring
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960504 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Farmland, Arable Cropland and Permanent Cropland Environments
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 180601 Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

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