dates

Dates with the scientific name Phoenix dactylifera, a monocotyledonous plant native to tropical regions, Africa and South Asia, are among the palm trees with large leaves, whose fruit is edible and has a hard core and thin skin and a sweet taste that is in the form of a cluster.

Flowering date
The date palm produces a number of spots every year, and in the female palms, these spots will turn into fruit clusters after opening and pollination by the male palm pollen (which is prepared from the male palm spots).

The climate is suitable for dates
Most of its cultivars are divided into sensitive, semi-sensitive and resistant groups. Zahedi dates are resistant to cold, varieties of Hayani, Jozi, Otamran and Veturi are semi-sensitive to cold, and varieties of Barhi, Diri, Daglet Noor, Khadravi, Majul and Maktoum are sensitive to cold.

Date palm propagation method
The date palm can be propagated by three methods: seeds, grafting and tissue culture.

The pajushs used should have suitable weight and size (between 10 and 20 kg), good freshness and free from pests and diseases. Pajushs should be prepared from the mother palm of the desired number, which is free from any pest and disease contamination.

Date cultivars based on fruit moisture percentage
Dry cultivars: Deiri, Rabi, Zahedi, Tori, Kalgi, Pimazo, Stone Crusher

Semi-dry cultivars: Majul, Estamran, Deglat Noor, Pyaram, Farsi, Halvi, Shahabi and Haj Ghanbari.

Soft cultivars: Mardasang, Barhi, Khasowi, Khasab, Khanizi, Karite, Shekar, Brim, Haji Mohammadi, Shahkhoni and Shahani.

The soil is suitable for the grove
Heavy clay soils and sandy soils poor in nutrients are not suitable for planting palm trees. Saline soils with high salinity will reduce the growth and development of the palm tree, decrease the yield or even the death of the palm tree.

Preparation of the substrate
Plowing, disking, leveling, creating passageways and planting pits. Due to the lack of water, drip and bubbler irrigation systems can be used.

Creating pits in the grove
The dug pits should be exposed to strong sunlight for 20-30 days, and then action should be taken to fill them. After construction, the pits must be filled again with a suitable soil mixture. The soil mixture in question consists of the combination of soil + animal manure + sand + chemical fertilizers. The more rotten the manure is, the better. Because in this case there are less weeds, it will produce less heat and more absorbable materials for the plant. If the initial soil of the pits has problems such as salinity or alkalinity, it should be corrected by using possible methods such as drainage and washing. Saline soils or the use of soil modifiers such as sulfur in calcareous or sodium soils. The following formula can be used to fill the planting holes:

fertilization
Mixture of topsoil + 10 to 15 kg of fully decomposed animal manure + 15 kg of mineral gypsum in sodium lands + chemical fertilizer ammonium sulfate 1.25 kg + potassium sulfate 1.08 kg + super phosphate 0.7 kg. Ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate can be mixed with topsoil and used or can be used after planting seedlings along with the irrigation system.

After the desired soil mixture is prepared, the process of filling the pits begins. The pits should be filled in such a way that they are at the level of the farm soil, and usually a short wall of soil in the form of a pan is built around them so that the initial irrigation operation (before planting) can be done well. Of course, it should be noted that it is better to leave some of the prepared soil mixture next to the pits so that it can be used in the next stages, if the pit soil settles after irrigation or other cases.

Among the fertilizers that are produced by Yadnegar Structures Company (Cinco) and can be used for dates are liquid fertilizer 20-20-20, liquid sulfur, potassium sulfate, and NPK 20-20-20.