Plant Productions

Assessing Fruit Set Improvement of Tissue Culture Derived Date Palm cv. Barhee Through Bunches Spraying with Mineral Nutrition

Maryam Boroujerdnia; Ahmad Mostaan; Aziz Torahi; Hojat Dialami

Volume 45, Issue 2 , September 2022, , Pages 205-214

https://doi.org/10.22055/ppd.2022.37418.1979

Abstract

IntroductionDate palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important fruit crop in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Today, the development of tissue culture propagation methods has ... Read More IntroductionDate palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important fruit crop in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Today, the development of tissue culture propagation methods has enabled date palm to be rapidly propagated on a large scale. The production of genetically uniform and stable in vitro date palms has a critical importance. Low levels of fruit set and supernumerary carpels were detected in many date palm trees produced by tissue culture, especially in Barhee cultivar which leads to economic losses to gardeners. One of the best tools for date palm reproductive potential studies is the direct application of nutrient elements on inflorescences and fruits. Nutrients, such as boron and potassium on dates yield and fruit quality seems to play an important role in achieving satisfactory fruit set and fruit quality. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of boron and potassium spray on improving the fruit set of tissue culture- derived date palm cv. Barhee in grove of Date Palm and Tropical Fruit Research Center Ahvaz city. Materials and MethodsThe experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments of bunches spraying with nutrients and 3 replications for two years (2018-2019) and each tree was considered as an experimental unit. Experimental treatments included spraying with boric acid at 0.5 and 1% , potassium sulfate at 2 and 3% as individual application or in a combination between boric acid and potassium sulfate concentrations treatments and control (distilled water). All treatments were replicated three times: 2 hours before pollination, 2 and 5 days after pollination. In 5th weeks after pollination, fruit set percentage, parthenocarpic fruits percentage and flower and fruit drop percentage were recorded. Results and DiscussionAnalysis of variance showed that that bunches spraying with potassium and boron significantly increased fruit set, yield and fruit physical characteristics i.e. weight, volume, length and diameter of fruit and TSS (%) compared with the control treatment. Among the different treatments, potassium sulfate at 2% was more effective in improving fruit set and reducing parthenocarpic fruits (seedless) than other treatments. Increasing fruit yield due to boron or potassium may be attributed to their effect an increasing fruit set. Increasing fruit set due to boron may be attributed to its role in maintaining high pollen viability, germination, and pollen tube elongation. Applying the potassium element has a role in controlling cell water content and carbohydrates biosynthesis and mobilization in plant tissues, consequently, carbohydrates play a serious role in fruit set and retention. ConclusionBoron and potassium nutrients play an important role in fruit set, fruit retention and development and cause efficient yield and quality improvement. Our results revealed that spraying Barhee date palm inflorescences with boric acid and potassium sulfate as individual had a positive effect on fruit set, yield and fruit quality.

Study on the effects of dust on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pollination and fruit set

A. Torahi; K. Arzani

Volume 40, Issue 2 , September 2017, , Pages 63-74

https://doi.org/10.22055/ppd.2017.19084.1374

Abstract

Background and ObjectivesIn the recent years the phenomenon of dust increased in the environment, so has affected most agricultural products such as date palm. This study has been conducted ... Read More Background and ObjectivesIn the recent years the phenomenon of dust increased in the environment, so has affected most agricultural products such as date palm. This study has been conducted in order to study on the effects of dust on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pollination and fruit set. The experiment was carried out in two growing seasons 2014 and 2015 in order to evaluate the effect of combined treatments including dust, rain and pollination on fruit set, parthenocarpic fruits and fruit abscission of 8-years old `Estamaran’ (‘Sayer’) date palms in the field. In addition, dust sediment manner on the flower and stigmatic surface in the simulated environment at the laboratory was studied. Materials and methodsIn each combined treatment in the field, all bunches of experimental trees was treated as replications. At the laboratory, simulation operation has been done by placing the flowers under binocular camera and operating the combined treatments using soft brush for dusting and pollination on the stigma, also manual hand spray was applied. A month after treatments, traits such as fruit set, parthenocarpic fruit and abscission percentage and dust sedimentation manner on the flower and stigma was studied. The data were analyzed statistically using the analysis of variance using MINITAB17 software.Results and Discussion Results showed that treatments had significant effects on the studied traits. Maximum obtained from pollination (66.11%) and minimum fruit set obtained from non-pollinated treatment (0.5%). In the other applied treatments, in spite of pollination, existence of one or two other factors and their operation order had different effects on fruit set. Combined treatments that included dust caused significant reduction in fruit set and led to the increase in fruit abscission. The maximum parthenocarpic fruit set observed in non-pollinated treatment (23.38%) with the significant difference in comparison to other treatments and the minimum parthenocarpic fruit produced by combined dust, rain and pollination treatment (0.48%). The maximum abscission was observed in the combined dust, rain and pollination treatment (83.82%) and the minimum abscission observed in pollination treatment (32.88%). The simulated operation results at the laboratory was approved and quiet similar to the results obtained from the field experiment, so the formation of dust insulator layer on the stigmatic surface inhibited most of the pollen grains for direct contact to the stigmatic surface. The obtained results from this research showed the negative impact of the dust on fruit set, so we conclude and suggest the repeat of pollination after the dust storm during date palm pollination.

Effects of GA3 and BA on quantitative and qualitative traits of Date palm (cv. Estaamaran) in Ahvaz

M. Jalali; N. Moallemi; S.M.H. Mortazavi; A. Torahi

Volume 37, Issue 3 , December 2014, , Pages 105-114

Abstract

Growth regulators have important effects on improvement of quality and quantity of horticultural commodities. In this research, to study the effects of plant growth regulators (PGRs) ... Read More

The Most Suitable Method and Time of Ber Tree (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) Budding in Ahvaz

Aziz Torahi; Majid Alihori

Volume 34, Issue 2 , February 2012, , Pages 81-86

Abstract

Ber (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) is one of the tropical and subtropical fruit trees that grow in different countries in Europe, America, Africa, Australia, and Asia including Iran. Ber ... Read More

A study on the pollen morphology of Khuzestan male date varieties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

S.M.H M; A T; L B

Volume 33, Issue 2 , March 2011, , Pages 97-109

Abstract

Regarding the diversity of male date varieties in Khuzestan province used for pollination of female trees, the importance of pollen type in fertilization, its affect on quality and ... Read More

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Author = A. Torahi

Assessing Fruit Set Improvement of Tissue Culture Derived Date Palm cv. Barhee Through Bunches Spraying with Mineral Nutrition

Abstract

Study on the effects of dust on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pollination and fruit set

Abstract

Effects of GA3 and BA on quantitative and qualitative traits of Date palm (cv. Estaamaran) in Ahvaz

Abstract

The Most Suitable Method and Time of Ber Tree (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) Budding in Ahvaz

Abstract

A study on the pollen morphology of Khuzestan male date varieties by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Abstract