Atie Arab ^(1)*, Ruba Mouallem⁽¹⁾, Nizar Essa⁽¹⁾,and Aziza Gareeb⁽¹⁾

• Agricultural Scientific Research Center , general commission for scientific agriculture research,  Lattakia, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Atie Arab E-Mail: atiearab@hotmail.com).

Abstract

Keywords: Olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, fruit storage, free acidity, peroxide index.

Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae) is an important pest that affects olive oil quality (OOQ). The study aimed to determine the effect of olive fruit fly infestation and fruit storage period on OOQ. A field survey was carried out in olive orchards and olive decanters in Lattakia and Tartous governorates during olithe ve harvest in 2016 and 2017. The percentage of infestation with olive fruit fly, duration of fruit storage, free acidity, and peroxide index of oil, were determined. The results showed that the percentage of infestation with olive fruit fly in olive orchards in the 2016 season ranged 32.25 – 42.25% in Lattakia and 28 – 35.5% in Tartous, versus13 – 28%, in Latakia and 19.5 – 26% in 2017 season. The percentage of infestation in decanters were (32 – 60%) and (38 – 60%) in Lattakia and Tartous respectively. The findings also showed a positive significant correlation between infestation with olive fruit fly rate in decanters and the free acidity and peroxide index. In addition, there was highly positive significant correlation both free acidity percentage and peroxides index with fruit storage duration .

Full paper in Arabic: pdf