Abstract:
This study was conducted on preventive measures to combat Boufaroua in the palm groves of the Metlili and
Zelfana regions (wilaya of Ghardaïa). The survey targeted 31 palm groves during the winter/spring period. It was
found that the total number of palm trees in the Metlili commune is 1,760, with 515 affected trees, representing a
rate of 29%, while Zelfana has 1,460 trees with 468 affected palms, which corresponds to 32% of the total number
of palms. We observed that there is a relatively high percentage of losses caused by Boufaroua (Oligonychus
afrasiaticus). According to the collected data, it can be said that most farmers, 87% - 50% of whom have palm
groves threatened by Boufaroua, use some prophylactic measures, while 13% of farmers in Metlili and Zelfana
use no preventive methods. We also noticed the excessive use of chemical products by farmers in all the studied
locations. According to the farmers, chemical control provides satisfactory results for eliminating the date palm
mite and reducing its damage in the short term.
