Since I started working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I have noticed how proud the Saudi people are of date palms, which are considered a national symbol in this honorable country. This is very logical, as the Kingdom produces 1.5 million tons of dates annually – nearly 20% of the dates that are produced globally – with a total value of more than 7.5 billion riyals (about 2 billion dollars). Most Saudis share everything they know about dates, from naming their different types, to identifying the different regions they come from, and how to grow and harvest them, which is what made the roots of this nutritious and delicious fruit firmly rooted in the heart of Saudi customs.
However, palm trees in Saudi Arabia suffer from an existing threat of the red palm weevil. It is a deadly pest that invades this area and kills these trees. The red palm weevil is a type of beetle that makes its way to the trunks of palm trees, where it lays its eggs inside, and lives and devours the palm tree from the inside. The losses caused by this insect to the date trade in the Kingdom are estimated at nine million dollars every year, and this amount doubles if we take into account the total losses throughout the region and neighboring countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective solutions and put forward coordinated measures to control this pest before it completely eradicates this valuable crop.
Ajwa Al-Madina is the best kind of dates I have
Ajwa Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is one of the best types of dates I have. Although I am a scientist, I find it hard to tell the difference between salvation and diabetes. But it's a completely different matter for KAUST scientists who are working apace on pioneering research aimed at protecting date palm trees in Saudi Arabia.
One of the innovative solutions developed by our researchers in this regard is a fiber-optic acoustic sensor, which is the first of its kind to be used in the early detection of the red palm weevil inside the palm. This acoustic sensor can capture even the most subtle sounds resulting from the larval feeding and activity inside the trunk of the palm since the beginning of the outbreak. The device also uses machine learning algorithms to analyze signals and determine the infection status of each palm tree to enable farmers to intervene early, which is usually by injecting infected trees with pesticides to kill larvae and beetles.
This promising research project is led by the team of Professor Bon Oi at KAUST, one of the world's leading scientists in the field of semiconductor photonic technologies and optical sensors.
The team is now working with multiple institutions in the Kingdom, including the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, NEOM, the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, and the Tabuk Agricultural Company, to deploy early detection techniques for RPW in agricultural sites and farms across the country.
Compared to other control methods for this pest, which are usually very expensive and useless, this technology developed by KAUST is characterized by its low cost, reliability and scalability, with the ability to monitor thousands of trees per scan, which speeds up the identification of infected palm trees. And then control the spread of these beetles and protect palm plantations from damage.
The results of this innovative technology have been published in the journal Scientific Reports, which is one of the distinguished publications of Nature Publishing Group. Members of the KAUST team and their collaborators on this research project from the Center for Palms and Dates of the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Water received an international award of excellence. Innovative Technologies for Date Palm 2022 from the National Center for Palm and Dates in Riyadh, and the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm 2023 from the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
I feel deeply proud when I see our research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology being translated into impactful collaborative actions that contribute to preserving history and protecting this natural resource and authentic national symbol.
Professor Tony Chan – President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)