Changes in suger quality and mineral elements during fruit development in five date palm cultivars in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah

Abstract EN

The reducing and non-reducing sugars and nine nutrient were determined in fruits of Ajwa.

Beid.

Burni, Rabeia and Safawi Date Palm cultivars.

grown at AI-Madinah AI-Munawwarah, during four stages of fruit development.

Results showed that most of the studied characters (physical and chemica! composition) at four stages of fruit maturity differed from one cultivar to another.

Higher values of fruit and seed weight as well as length and diameter were found during the early stages of development and minimum in the Tamre stage.

Sugars contents accumulated gradually during fruit development in all cultivars were also found to vary among the five cultivars.

Nitrogen and potassium contents were higher as compared to the minerals in the different cultivars.

Also in the micro-elements.

iron was present in higher concentration than zinc and copper.

The change from Kimri to the Tamre stage was accompanied with a reduction in the amounts of all minerals for all the cultivars