Evaluation and improvement of pollination efficiently of saidy date palm under new valley conditions

Abstract EN

This study was carried out during 2017 and 2018 seasons to found the best time and method of pollination of Saidy date palm grown under New Valley conditions.

Determination of period length which the female flowers of date palm remain receptive to fertilization is important for date palm growers.

Pollination was done by the traditional pollination or spraying pollen grains suspension (2.5 g pollen grains plus 5 g starch/L water).

Pollination was carried out on three days before spathe was cracked as well as within zero, three, six and nine days from cracking.

The obtained results indicated that there is a reduction on the percentage of fruit set and fruit retention as well as bunch weight and yield/palm as pollination was done before spathe cracking or within zero date as well as delaying to nine days.

There were no significant differences in bunch weight and yield/palm and fruit quality due to pollination by pollen grain suspension spraying done at three days before to three days after spathe cracking.

Fruit quality was greatly improved when pollination was done at three days before cracking or zero, six and nine days after spathe cracking compared to the traditional (three days after spathe cracking).

Furthermore, use of advancing pollination (pollen grains suspension spraying) throughout 3 to 3-days before or after spathe cracking, lead to obtain an economical yield with good fruit quality.

In addition, reduces pollen grain amount, human effort and production cost.

Therefore, using pollen grain suspension during 3 to 6 days before or after spathe cracking produce high yield with fair fruit quality and improved the efficiency of pollination process and reduce Saidy dates production cost.

These results are important for economic and horticultural point of view.