Bassam Oudeh*1 and Mohammad Al-Allan2
1Research Center in Homs,General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria.
2 Department of Entomology, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Bassam Oudeh, Email: oudebassam@gmail.com).
Received: 18/03 /2026 Accepted: 12/07 /2026
Abstract:
This study was conducted in the olive orchard of the Homs Agricultural Research Center during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons to evaluate the susceptibility of 25 local and introduced olive cultivars (Sourani, Mahzam Abu Satl, Jallat, Manzanillo, Souri Baladi, Khodairi, Maoui, Abu Shawki, Leccino, Ezmerli, Abadi, Qaisi, Arbequina, Doebli, Dan, Coratina, Mahati Tadmur, Shami Moadabal, Shamlali, Zozalina, Nabali, Picholine, Bairini, Frantoio, and Zaiti) to the leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina L.). Assessment was carried out using the number of active larval tunnels, an infestation severity scale, and the Area Under the Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). The results showed a clear variation in susceptibility among the studied cultivars. The Sourani cultivar was the most resistant (Grade 0), with a cumulative mean infestation of 0.9 tunnels/tree and an AUDPC value of 13.4. It was followed by the lightly infested cultivars (Grade 1): (Mahzam Abu Satl, Jallat, Manzanillo, and Souri Baladi), with mean infestation rates ranging from 3.0 to 4.5 tunnels/tree and AUDPC values between 42.0 and 63.8. In contrast, the Zaiti cultivar recorded the highest infestation rate (Grade 4), with a mean of 184.4 tunnels/tree and an AUDPC value of 2836.1, followed by other highly susceptible cultivars (Dan, Coratina, Mahati Tadmur, Shami Moadabal, Shamlali, Zozalina, Nabali, Picholine, Bairini, and Frantoio) with mean infestation rates ranging from 32.0 to 145.9 tunnels/tree and AUDPC values between 505.0 and 2484.8, which resulted in complete tree deterioration due to high infestation in the main trunk. Other cultivars were classified as moderately infested (Grade 2) (Khodairi, Maoui, Abu Shawki, Leccino) and highly infested (Grade 3) (Ezmerli, Abadi, Qaisi, Arbequina, Doebli). Consequently, it is recommended to adopt the resistant Sourani cultivar in future agricultural expansions to ensure production sustainability and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides within Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs in the Homs Governorate.
Keywords: Olive, Zeuzera pyrina L., resistant cultivars.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF