🌸 Date Palm - Soil,
Date Palm.
This lesson compiles the core production technology concepts in a structured, exam-focused format while preserving the original subject content.
NUTRIENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT, SPECIAL CULTURAL
OPERATIONS, PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS, PESTS AND DISEASES,
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
DATE PALM
Phoenix dactylifera Family : Palmae
Date palm is a nutritive fruit rich in sugar and iron and predominantly seen in desert
oasis. It is believed to have originated in countries around persian gulf such as Iraq
(Mesapatomia) and Egypt. The flesh contains 60 – 65 percent sugar, 2 percent protein, 2.5 per
cent fibre, 0.4 per cent fat and 2 per cent mineral matter. It is a good source of easily assimilable
iron (7.3 mg/100g) and hence prescribed to anemic patients along with honey.
Climatic and soil requirements :
Dates can be successfully cultivated in areas having long hot summer and mild
temperature during flowering (February to April) and fruit ripening (May to August) should be
25 to 29 [0] C. As in the case of grapes, this crop also requires specific heat units (above a base of
10 [0] C nearly 3000 units for successful fruit maturation. Three should not be any rains or high
humidity during fruit maturity and ripening. Otherwise the fruits will be spoiled. The crop is
susceptible to frost.
Deep sandy loam are the best suited though it is very hardy and can be grown in a wide
range of soil conditions. Better water holding capacity with good drainage is desirable. It can
grow in alkaline and saline soil, however, the growth and productivity are affected.
Cultivars :
Depending on the season of ripening, the cultivars are classified as early, mid and late
cultivars. Though there are nearly 40 cultivars imported from Middle East and North Africa, few
only were found to be promising, under Indian conditions.
Halawy :
An early variety with small fruits. At full maturity before ripening (doka stage) the fruits
are yellow in colour and free from astringency.
Khadrawy :
Small to medium sized fruits; light yellow at doka stage.
Barhee :
Mid –season to slightly late cultivar with small to medium sized fruits, yellow colour and
low astringency at doka stage.
Zahid :
Mid – season cultivar with small to medium sized fruits ; it is tolerant to rain and
humidity.
Medjool :
A late cultivar; fruits are large, broad, oblong-ovate, orange yellow with reddish brown
stippling at doka stage.
Propagation and planting :
Though it is propagated by seeds, the seedlings exhibit a very long juvenile phase nearly
taking 7 – 8 years for flowering. Besides this, the population segregates for male and female
plants and the resulting all female plants also may not be uniform in bearing. Hence vegetative
propagation through off-shoots produced by a female mother plant of particular cultivar can be
used for planting . After about 4- 6 years, 2-3 off shoots can be obtained from a mother plam for
a period of 8 – 10 years. To encourage rooting, the base of off-shoots arising from the mother
plant are applied with moist soil by putting a soil boxes at least for a period of one year before
separation. Each matured off-shoot may weigh 25-35 kg. Planting of off-shoots can be done
during late spring or early summer by cutting with a help of a specially designed chisel. Most of
the basal leaves are removed and only the terminal bud with 10-12 leaves around it are retained.
Depending on the soil fertility, the spacing varies from 4M – 9M. Commercially as spacing of 6
to 8 M is adopted. In India a spacing of 3 M – 4M is adopted. For effecting pollination under
commercial cultivation 2-3 male plants are planted for every 100 female plants.
Irrigation, manuring and interculture :
Light and frequent irrigations have to be given immediately after planting and the basins
can be mulched. Though date palm is drought tolerant, 2-3 M around root zone is to be kept
moist for maximum growth. The irrigation frequency varies with season. Date palm is highly
tolerant to saline water (even upto 2500 ppm). But to overcome drainage problem arising out of
saline water usage, periodical leaching with food water should be done. Each palm should be
applied with 50 kg of FYM, 600 g N, 100 g p and 700 g K. In date palm older leaves which are
in surplus than required are normally pruned. To get optimum yield with food palm are retained.
The leaf pruning is done during June. By this pruning, the bunches will be better ventilated
during July and early August, which will be otherwise spoiled. The spines from the leaves
around the bunches are also cut during spring to facilitate pollination.
Hand pollination is done by inserting 2-3 strands of male flowers between strands of
female flowers when the female spathes have crack open. Though the dried pollen can be stored
at 4-5 [0] C until next season, the fresh pollen produces the best fruit. The spathes emerge during
February – March and flower opening starts during March – April. Immediately, the flowers
should be pollinated (2-3 days after spathes open). Pollen grains of certain varieties can advance
ripening of certain varieties. So specific polliniser varieties should be identified for specific
varieties of female plantation.
Fruitset :
Fruit thinning has to be resorted to so as to retain 1300 – 1600 fruits in 8-10 bunches per
palm will be optimum. Bunch thinning can be done either by removal of entire strand or
shortening of strands. Spraying ethephon @ 200 ppm 10 – 30 days after fruitset will help to thin
fruits effectively. It also helps to overcome biennial bearing and encourage earlier ripening and
to get better fruit weight and soluble sugar.
The different stages of development of fruit are as follows :
| Gandara | Chimiri | 4-13 Weeks after pollination | Hard, Green Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doka | Khalal | 13-17 weeks after pollination | Hard, yellow pink or red may be sweet or astringent, Edible stage. |
| Dang | Rutab | 17-21 weeks after pollination | Fruits soften at tip, edible stage. |
| Pind | Tamer | 21-22 weeks after pollination | Fully ripe 60-84% TSS, edible stage. |
Plant protection :
Termites in young plantation can be controlled by application of BHC 10% dust.
Rhinoceros beetle and red palm weevil are also attacking as in coconut. The control can be
achieved by dusting BHC 10 % in manure pit for former while for later injecting Monocrotophos
or a fumigant like celphos will give good control. To control black headed caterpillar ( Nephantis
serinopa ) which fees on leaves hiding inside the tunnels in the folds of the leaves, root feeding
with 10 mil of monocrotophos mixed with 10 ml of water per tree and releasing the predator
Gonioyis nephantidis can be done. False smut a disease caused by Graphida phoenicus
characterized by dark brown or black pustules full of yellow spores particularly under humid
conditions can be controlled by spraying 01.% Bavistin or 0.2 % Copper oxyhloride. Fruit rot
can be controlled by collected and destruction of infected fruits followed by spraying indofil Z
78 (0.2%). To prevent birds damage wire gauges can be used.
Harvest, yield and processing :
Under Indian condition, since the fruit ripening period is not free of rains, the fruits have
to be harvested at doka stage during June – August. The fruits harvested at doka stage have to be
dipped in boiling water for 5 minutes followed by dehydration in electric oven at 50 [0] C for 160
hours or in solar drier to obtain best quality ‘Chhuhara’ which is the commercial date or produce
of commerce. The Chhuhara recovery would be 33 – 35%.
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Topic | Key exam points |
|---|---|
| Climate | Date palm is suited to hot arid climates with low atmospheric humidity during ripening. |
| Soil | Prefers deep, well-drained soils but shows tolerance to salinity relative to many fruits. |
| Planting | Offshoot-based establishment and proper field layout are central for uniform orchards. |
| Management | Irrigation, nutrition, and bunch management influence fruit quality and yield. |
| Protection | Timely pest and disease management is needed in dense or irrigated systems. |
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
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