hello Sir
Date palm is cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions which are characterised by long and hot summers, no (or at most low) rainfall, and very low relative humidity level during the ripening period. Exceptional high temperatures (± 56°C) are well endured by a date palm for several days under irrigation.
Date palm is a dioecious species and consequently half of the progeny will be males and half will be females, with no certain way to determine at an early stage the sex of the progeny, nor fruit or pollen quality prior to flowering (often only seven years later).
Offshoot plants are true to type to the parent palm. The offshoots develop from axillary buds on the trunk of the mother plant and consequently the fruit produced will be of the same quality as the mother palm and ensures uniformity of produce.The offshoot plant will bear fruits 2 - 3 years earlier than seedlings. The life span of the date palm is divided into two distinct developmental phases: vegetative, in which buds forming in the leaf axils develop into offshoots; and generative, in which buds form inflorescences and offshoots cease.
The offshoot selected for removal must be disease and pest free and at least three to five years old with a base diameter between 20 and 35 cm (Table 32), weighing over 10 kg but not more than 25 kg because of handling difficulties.
When establishing a new date plantation, certain actions need to be implemented to ensure the long term success of the plantation.
these steps should be taken care of
- Field selection
- Mechanical actions to be implemented
- Chemical needs for pre-plant soil improvement
- Tools and equipment needed for date cultivation
- Labour needs
- Irrigation design and installation
- Leaching schedule
- Hole preparation
- Financial requirements and
- Time schedule.
plant spacing -9 m × 9 m (121 palms/ha) or 10 m × 8 m (125 palms/ha).
Planting should be done early in the morning to limit stress on the date plantlets and also to allow suffi cient time for adaptation (from the plastic bag to the soil). Bags are to be removed with care and the plant, with most of its surrounding substrate, to be planted carefully.
Mulching is done by putting a layer of organic material (e.g. wheat straw) around the base of the palm.
For at least the first 10 to 12 months, monitor and correct any adverse situations.
regards
kirti
