Date palm in Arab countries

Date palms are grown in most of the governorates of Egypt. God has blessed Egypt with different climatic conditions, and this is
reflected in the different cultivars dates. Date palms are grown all over Egypt from the Mediterranean coast in the north, to the border
with Sudan in the south; and from the Red Sea coast in the east, to Libya in the west. The diversity in climatic conditions in Egypt, led
to having varied cultivars of dates in the different governorates of Egypt such as Dry, Semi-dry, Soft dates.
Therefore, it was necessary to produce an Atlas of Egyptian date palms, and this was accomplished via the cooperation between
the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through
its various projects one of which is the project on Date Palm Value Chain Development which is considered one of the outputs of the
National Plan for developing the Egyptian date sector as a first attempt to have Egypt get the ranking it deserves in the global market
being the first country in terms of production - 1.7 million tons from 15 million palm trees.
The Atlas of date palm in Egypt is an important and vital attempt for the date palm sector in the Arab Republic of Egypt to guide the
researcher, farmer, investor and manufacturer in the Egyptian dates sector about the most important types that has an added value in
terms of its use either in research programs or in the cultivation of export varieties, which enables the investor and the manufacturer to
invent new and varied products that cater to all tastes and age groups.
This Atlas also serves as an awareness tool to raise the Egyptian public’s interest in date palms and its various types, especially that
Egyptians are known for their passion for palms and its products especially dates. The Egyptian Government under the leadership of
His Excellency the President pays great attention to the date palm sector by planting 5 million palm trees in Toshka and the New Valley
governorate, which will result in gigantic changes in the global market over the next few years.

AbstrAct Solar dehydration is an old process for food preservation. Purpose to dehydrate the full matured date fruit is to reduce the water content into 25% or less of the fresh weight to preserve the fruit quality after harvesting or during storage. Date fruit contains up to 65% moisture at Khalal stage and decreases into 30-40% by ripening stage (Rutab stage) and less than 20% in the dry varieties by the time of Tamer stage while fruit remains on the tree. Problem appears when the fruit have to be harvested unripe due to inadequate ambient conditions. It could be monsoon rains coincidence during ripening like in Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia, USA and Pakistan. Consequently the unripe fruit cured under sun radiation for approximately 6 days exposed to dirt, pest attack or/and sudden rain fall. Otherwise alternative methods including the solar dryers used. There have different types of solar tunnels been using in different countries but the capacity was limited of 200-400 Kg of unripe fruit approx. per cycle, cost at high level and more effort required. Recently a design of solar tunnel

This paper deals with the date palm tree culture in pre-Islamic South Arabia, from its beginning until the 6th century AD. Crossing archaeobotanical data and epigraphic mentions of the date palm made it possible to draw up a diachronic map of ancient palm groves. This in turn served as a basis to discuss the issue of the origin and diffusion of the date palm culture at a regional scale: where and when did it begin? How did it spread? And what place did it take in the society, as foodstuff or as a symbol? It seems that this culture appeared only late in the region. It was mainly limited to the lower valleys of the inland and was not a long-lasting culture of South Arabia.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major fruit crop in most Arab countries. it has historically been connected with sustaining human life and tradition of the people in the old world as a major agricultural crop. Arab countries possess 70% of the 120 million world's date palms and are responsible for 67% of the global date production. During the past 50 years, date palm groves were subjected to degradation due to extensive exploitation resulting from the increase in the human population and domestic animals. Like many other plants, some palms are in danger of dying out because of human activity. Date palm production faces serious problems such as low yields as well as marketing constraints. Over the last decade, productivity of date palm trees has declined in the traditional growing areas. As much as 30% of production can potentially be lost as a result of pests and disease. In the Gulf countries and Egypt, the Red Palm Weevil has recently become one of the major date palm pests, while Bayoud disease caused by a parasitic fungus is a common threat to date palms in North Africa. Technical and socio-economic factors contributed for date palm degradation. Also, date processing and marketing have affected the economic revenue from date production and its quality. Rehabilitation of date palm trees in the Arab countries is crucial and needs collaborative efforts and a dedicated budget. Recommendations for stopping the degradation in date palm sector and strengthening this industry particularly for cultivation, harvesting, date processing and marketing in the Arab countries have been proposed.

Sap is a watery fluid that transports plant photosynthetic products towards various tissues
to support growth. Tapping palms for their sap is reported to have originated from India
approximately 4,000 years ago. Palm sap is rich in sugars with some inorganics and nutrients,
which are attractive components for bioethanol production. Based on advances and current
knowledge on the availability, collection, yield, and exploitation of various palm saps, this
article evaluates their potential and sustainability as feedstocks for bioethanol production

In this wide-ranging history of the African diaspora and slavery in Arabia in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Matthew S. Hopper examines the interconnected themes of enslavement, globalization, and empire and challenges previously held conventions regarding Middle Eastern slavery and British imperialism. Whereas conventional historiography regards the Indian Ocean slave trade as fundamentally different from its Atlantic counterpart, Hopper’s study argues that both systems were influenced by global economic forces. The author goes on to dispute the triumphalist antislavery narrative that attributes the end of the slave trade between East Africa and the Persian Gulf to the efforts of the British Royal Navy, arguing instead that Great Britain allowed the inhuman practice to continue because it was vital to the Gulf economy and therefore vital to British interests in the region.

Hopper’s book links the personal stories of enslaved Africans to the impersonal global commodity chains their labor enabled, demonstrating how the growing demand for workers created by a global demand for Persian Gulf products compelled the enslavement of these people and their transportation to eastern Arabia. His provocative and deeply researched history fills a salient gap in the literature on the African diaspora.

Background: Spathe of date palm (which is called Tarooneh by Persian folk) and its aroma water is widely used in Persian traditional medicine but according to best of our knowledge lack is done on its chemical composition or standardization of the herb for its quality control in herbal market. Methods and material: In this study microscopical and preliminary pharmacognostic properties of fractions obtained from date palm spathe (Tarooneh) were screened by thin layer chromatography. In addition, essential oils of the spathe were analyzed by GCeMS spectroscopy. Results: Different fractions of the spathe contain steroids, triterpene steroids, oils and flavonoids in different amount. Fourteen compounds accounting for 93% of the oil were identified by GCeMS analysis. Oxygen containing monoterpenes were the main class of components (73%) with carvacrol (37%), linalool (24%) and thymol (10%) as major constituents of the oil. Conclusion: Volatile constituents and preliminary pharmacognostic evaluation of Tarooneh can give some useful data for further phytochemical analysis, quality control and standardization of Tarooneh.

In this paper I discuss various aspects related to the imaginary and to the symbolism of the date palm in the written sources from ancient Mesopotamia through the analysis of two compositions. The first is a Sumerian text known as Inanna and Šukaletuda, which contains in the first part a myth describing the creation of the date palm by a raven instructed by the god Enki. The second is a Babylonian dispute, Palm and Tamarisk, in which the two trees try to prevail one over the other, proclaiming their virtues and functions. The analysis shows that, although prerogatives and associations are shared by other trees, the palm holds the primacy over all of them. In the conclusions, I argue that one of the possible reasons of such preeminence is that the palm is the only one of these trees that produces a fruit – the date – which, moreover, is on the economic and cultural level is equal to the primary cultivation of cereals.

Mesopotamia; Sumer; Sumerian and Akkadian literature; Debate poems; Mythology; Date palm; Tamarisk; Poplar; Cedar
mesopotamia, sumeri, letteratura sumerica, letteratura accadica, tenzoni, mitologia, palma da dattero, tamarisco, pioppo, cedro

Purpose: Furfural (C5H4O2), is an economic and business product in European countries such as America and Australia. Previous years have seen a remarkable increase in the number of palm trees in the Arabian region. The percentage of furfural present in dates seed is around 30%. This paper outline the extraction of furfural from waste Omani date seeds. Methodology: Date seeds were washed, sun dried, heated at 100 0 C, grinded, powdered, and mixed with solvent n-hexane for one day. Then filtered and filtrate was subjected to simple distillation at 60 0 C in round bottom flask. Furfural was recovered in round bottom flask and solvent was recovered in other beaker. This hexane was reused for furfural extraction from other batches. Findings: Extracted product was characterized by Carbon NMR, and Proton NMR. The Carbon NMR result the experiments were carried out in Bruker Avance III HD 700 MHz spectrometer equipped with 5mm TCI H/C/N cryoprobe. The proton NMR experiment was run using zg30 pulse program operating at 700.13 MHz. Occurrence of C-NMR peaks at 127, 131, 173 ppm confirms the presence of carbon atoms in furfural ring. And presence of H-NMR peaks between 4 to 8 ppm confirms the presence of furfural protons. Social Implications: Furfural substance is used in a number of the important chemical industries such as nylon, plastic, ratings that protect the metals from corrosion, solvents, adhesive, medicines, and plastics and is used in the industry of insecticides, fungicides, anti-microbe, and antiseptics. Therefore, it is widely used in the petrol refinery laboratories to treat the bad Carbon and different Sulfuric combinations existing in the lube oils and it is used in the operations of refining some types of fuel as well, such as diesel.

Sixteen Pakistani date palm cultivars from diverse origins were characterized morphologically to assess the similarity level, the overall point of polymorphism and important agronomic traits existing in the germplasm present in Pakistan. Forty two qualitative and quantitative features were explored and subjected to multivariate analyses. The results brought out important differences in phenotypic characters in all date palm cultivars. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that trunk length and diameter, total number of leaves, rachis length, leaflets length and width, number of leaflets per side, number of pinnae planes, length and grouping of spines were highly divergent. Similarly cluster analyses (CA) also revealed phenotypic diversity among date palm cultivars and, some close association or heterogeneity was also observed within cultivars of the same origin.

Please cite this article in press as: M. Jouiad, et al., Characteristics of slow pyrolysis biochars produced from rhodes grass and fronds of edible date palm, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. (2014), http://dx. a b s t r a c t Biochars from two different biomass (rhodes grass and fronds of date palm) were produced using the same pyrolysis condition (1 atm, 400 • C, heating rate of 5 • C min −1 , duration of 11 h) and compared in terms of chemical composition, thermal stability, and respective microstructures. Proximate analysis of the biochars showed rhodes grass has higher fixed carbon (56.6 wt%), lower volatile (11.8 wt%) and higher ash (28.8 wt%) compared to date palm biochar (fixed carbon 45 wt%; volatile 43.2 wt%; ash 7.1 wt%). The pH of the two biochars were similar (∼9.6). Elemental analysis showed that carbon becomes enriched, whereas hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur become depleted after pyrolysis. The elemental O/C and (O + N)/C ratios are lower in rhodes grass biochar (0.11 and 0.12 respectively) compared to date palm biochar (0.32 and 0.33 respectively), but both biochars have a similar H/C ratio (0.46 for rhodes grass and 0.49 for date palm). Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) performed in inert gas (N 2) showed considerable differences in the thermal degradation profile of the two biochars. Only one degradation event occurring over a wide temperature range (120–1000 • C; no obvious degradation maximum) was observed in rhodes grass, whereas two degradation events were observed in date palm – the first occurring rapidly (280–380 • C; maximum at 340 • C) and the second event occurring slowly over a wider temperature range (380–1000 • C; no temperature maximum detected). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of both biochars are featureless in comparison to raw biomass, but bands assigned to O–H stretching (3200–3000 cm −1) and C–H stretching (3100–3000 cm −1) while markedly decreased suggest cellulose might not have been completely decomposed during pyrolysis. The BET surface area of rhodes grass biochar is higher (16.78 m 2 g −1) compared to date palm biochar (1.99 m 2 g −1). This is in agreement with scanning electron microscopy investigations (SEM) which show that the average pore size diameter is smaller in rhodes grass biochar (3.1 m + 0.3 m) compared to the one of date palm biochar (7.2 m ± 2.9 m). Changes in the distribution of pore size diameter in the two biomass before and after pyrolysis suggests date palm is relatively heat sensitive in comparison to rhodes grass. Overall, our results demonstrate that both biochars are substantially different despite being produced under the same pyrolysis condition.

Morphological and physicochemical characterization of biochar produced by gasification of selected forestry species Caracterización morfológica y fisico-química de biocarbones producidos por la gasificación de especies forestales seleccionadas Caracterização morfológica e físico-química de biocarvões produzidos pela gasificação de espécies florestais selecionadas

In line with rapid growth of the transportation industry that facilitates the trade and business, companies send their products easily in the shortest time to most distant points of the world. Despite development in recent years, the business future of Arvand Free Zone in Khuzestan Province and markets related to it are at risk. The most important reason in this regard is consumer distrust in various stages of advertising. This investigation uses quantitative and qualitative method in order to experimentally show that negative concerns in the minds of the consumer will have a negligible and effective impact on market activity. Investigating the reasons for consumer distrust was started first by an interview. The findings of the interview revealed that negative beliefs and attitudes of the consumer had the highest impact on attitudes of people of a community towards a given market. Based on the qualitative studies, eight parameters in three dimensions are considered as final factors ...

An efficient protocol for rapid and large scale In vitro propagation of some Pakistani cultivars of date palm has been established using inflorescence explants at Date Palm Research Institute (DPRI), Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, Pakistan. Immature inflorescences of desired cultivars of date palm detached from mother palms followed by surface sterilization with low torrent of current tap water and then 30% NaOCl 2 solution, the outer cover were removed in order to get spike explants and cut into the 2-3 cm small pieces and cultured on modified MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg l-1 2, 4-D + 0.1 mg l-1 IAA + 5.0 mg l-1 NAA for initiation and establishment of cultures. The obtained somatic embryos were subjected to multiplication medium involved 0.1 mg l-1 NAA + 0.05 mg l-1 BA. Rooting was achieved using quarter strength MS medium containing 0.1 mg l-1 NAA without activated charcoal (AC) initially and then with 3 g l-1 AC. Strong rooted plantlets with 2-3 leaves were t...

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major fruit crop in most Arab countries. it has historically been connected with sustaining human life and tradition of the people in the old world as a major agricultural crop. Arab countries possess 70% of the 120 million world's date palms and are responsible for 67% of the global date production. During the past 50 years, date palm groves were subjected to degradation due to extensive exploitation resulting from the increase in the human population and domestic animals. Like many other plants, some palms are in danger of dying out because of human activity. Date palm production faces serious problems such as low yields as well as marketing constraints. Over the last decade, productivity of date palm trees has declined in the traditional growing areas. As much as 30% of production can potentially be lost as a result of pests and disease. In the Gulf countries and Egypt, the Red Palm Weevil has recently become one of the major date palm pests, while Bayoud disease caused by a parasitic fungus is a common threat to date palms in North Africa. Technical and socio-economic factors contributed for date palm degradation. Also, date processing and marketing have affected the economic revenue from date production and its quality. Rehabilitation of date palm trees in the Arab countries is crucial and needs collaborative efforts and a dedicated budget. Recommendations for stopping the degradation in date palm sector and strengthening this industry particularly for cultivation, harvesting, date processing and marketing in the Arab countries have been proposed.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder triggered by disturbances in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolisms, where either reduced secretion or sensitivity of insulin is observed coupled with poor glucose control. Date palm fruits are one of the fruits reported to have good potential in diabetes treatment due to its presence of polyphenols exerting strong antioxidant activities. Other possible mechanisms of action include the polyphenolic compounds, which can inhibit enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Flavonoids in dates can stimulate β-cells by increasing the number of islets and β-cells, recovering endocrine pancreatic tissues, reducing β-cell apoptosis, activating insulin receptors following the increase in insulin secretion, in addition to improving diabetes-induced complications. In this review, the in vitro, in vivo, and human study-based evidence of date palm as an anti-diabetic fruit is summarised.

In Open Access: follow the link!
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00004609

La présence d'oasis dans le Sahara peut sembler une aberration écologique. Les palmeraies et les jardins qu'elles abritent sont en fait le fruit d'une conquête millénaire qui se poursuit encore aujourd'hui. Ces paysages artificiels, terroirs irrigués soigneusement façonnés et entretenus, sont l'archétype des systèmes naturels anthropisés.

Cet ouvrage a été réalisé à partir d'enquêtes de terrain ethnographiques menées dans le Jérid tunisien, mais aussi dans le Tassili n'Ajjer (Djanet, Algérie) et l'oued Draa (Zagora, Maroc). Si cette perspective comparative révèle la diversité des pratiques et savoirs oasiens et des relations à l'environnement, à la "nature", elle met aussi en valeur les dynamiques locales qui se déploient au-delà de l'habituel dualisme entre tradition et modernité. Par ailleurs, plusieurs échelles d'étude, de la planche de cultures au jardin et du parcellaire à la palmeraie, permettent de souligner la variété des articulations entre facteurs écologiques, économiques et sociaux.

Le Sahara cultivé n'offre pas une mais des natures oasiennes en constante évolution, construites à partir de cette richesse anthropologique.

Sap is a watery fluid that transports plant photosynthetic products towards various tissues to support growth. Tapping palms for their sap is reported to have originated from India approximately 4,000 years ago. Palm sap is rich in sugars with some inorganics and nutrients, which are attractive components for bioethanol production. Based on advances and current knowledge on the availability, collection, yield, and exploitation of various palm saps, this article evaluates their potential and sustainability as feedstocks for bioethanol production.

Characterization of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars is valuable for identification, conservation and breeding programs. Three elite date palm cultivars (Taghyat, Tafsert and Talees) grown in one of the most important areas of date palm cultivation in southern region of Libya (Sabha, Ubari and Murziq). These cultivars were investigated throughout the physical characters of the fruit. The obtained results revealed that physical property of date palm fruit were affected significantly by different cultivars and geographical growing regions

The date fruit is a primary component of the human diet in many countries with arid and semiarid climates. The present study reflects the relationship of different biochemical attributes with progressive date fruit developmental stages. The study involved eight date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars from Pakistan examined at three different edible stages of dates (khalal, rutab and tamar). The antiradical efficiency (2.14-0.36), antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), total phenolic contents (468.99-108 mg GAE/100g, FW) and the soluble protein contents (5.73-2.75 g/100g) were higher in higher at khalal and thereafter, but declined at fully ripened (tamar) stage. Moreover, glucose (16.92-31.66%) and fructose (15.25-30.58%) have lower quantity at khalal and higher quantity at tamar stage, whereas non-reducing (sucrose) sugars were present only at khalal and rutab stage fruits. Makran and Chohara cultivars revealed best overall values in examined compounds. Our results revealed that variation in different biochemical attributes is mainly depended on the difference in fruit maturity stage and cultivar. Cultivars exhibiting high values of beneficial biochemical attributes may be considered for the expansion of date palm cultivation.

The date fruit is a primary component of the human diet in many countries with arid and semiarid climates. The
present study reflects the relationship of different biochemical attributes with progressive date fruit
developmental stages. The study involved eight date palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) cultivars from Pakistan
examined at three different edible stages of dates (khalal, rutab and tamar). The antiradical efficiency (2.14–
0.36), antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), total phenolic contents (468.99–108 mg GAE/100g, FW)
and the soluble protein contents (5.73–2.75 g/100g) were higher in higher at khalal and thereafter, but declined
at fully ripened (tamar) stage. Moreover, glucose (16.92–31.66%) and fructose (15.25–30.58%) have lower
quantity at khalal and higher quantity at tamar stage, whereas non-reducing (sucrose) sugars were present only
at khalal and rutab stage fruits. Makran and Chohara cultivars revealed best overall values in examined
compounds. Our results revealed that variation in different biochemical attributes is mainly depended on the
difference in fruit maturity stage and cultivar. Cultivars exhibiting high values of beneficial biochemical
attributes may be considered for the expansion of date palm cultivation.

 Background and Aims Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae) are of great economic and ecological value to the oasis agriculture of arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite the availability of a large date palm germplasm spreading from the Atlantic shores to Southern Asia, improvement of the species is being hampered by a lack of information on global genetic diversity and population structure. In order to contribute to the varietal improvement of date palms and to provide new insights on the influence of geographic origins and human activity on the genetic structure of the date palm, this study analysed the diversity of the species.  Methods Genetic diversity levels and population genetic structure were investigated through the genotyping of a collection of 295 date palm accessions ranging from Mauritania to Pakistan using a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a plastid minisatellite.  Key Results Using a Bayesian clustering approach, the date palm genotypes...

 Background and Aims Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae) are of great economic and ecological value to the oasis agriculture of arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite the availability of a large date palm germplasm spreading from the Atlantic shores to Southern Asia, improvement of the species is being hampered by a lack of information on global genetic diversity and population structure. In order to contribute to the varietal improvement of date palms and to provide new insights on the influence of geographic origins and human activity on the genetic structure of the date palm, this study analysed the diversity of the species.  Methods Genetic diversity levels and population genetic structure were investigated through the genotyping of a collection of 295 date palm accessions ranging from Mauritania to Pakistan using a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a plastid minisatellite.  Key Results Using a Bayesian clustering approach, the date palm genotypes...

In Open Access: follow the link! https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00004075 Diverses représentations symboliques émergent de l'emprise humaine qui associent spatialités et temporalités aux différentes échelles de la palmeraie dans la région oasienne du Sud-ouest tunisien. L'intensité de la présence humaine est certainement discernable dans la minutie des activités agricoles. Elle transparaît également à travers les sociabilités qu'abritent les jardins, les manières de nommer les lieux, ou encore les diverses modalités d'expression esthétique qui se font jour, parfois au sein même du travail.

Considering the markets open and international has always had benefits for demanders and suppliers. Moving from local to global as a result of the convergence of preferences cross-culturally is considered to result in multinational foundations and trading centers emergence. Date products employ a significant role in the business and farming of several countries worldwide and areas in south of Iran as one of the most important products in the non-oil export of Iran internationally. The objective of this study is to provide descriptive insight into the internationalization of date industries in general and Iran’s production, export quantity and value in particular. To this aim, quantitative data rendered from FAOSTAT (2017) regarding the top 10 countries at export quantity and value are compared based on the years 2002 and 2013 and Iran’s production quantity and value has been explained within a 12-year-scope from 2002 to 2013. It is concluded that the date industry in Iran has been in progress through investment and is highly potential to be a leading industry through internationalization.

JEL:  K23, O11, O12, O14

Date palms of 10 year old Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana varieties from Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia were evaluated under the agro-climatic conditions of Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan throughout the growing seasons from 2009 to 2011. The results obtained indicated better fruit quality similar to those fruits obtained from the original place of origin. The palms of the three varieties were thriving successfully. The edible stage of vars. Ajwa and Safawi is tamer and rutab for var. Ruthana. The fruit was harvested early from 13 to 20 th of July before the onset of monsoons. The fruit size of vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana at their edible stages were 3.16, 4.25 and 3.52 cm long, and 2.31, 2.05 and 2.38 cm in diameter, respectively. The average fruit and seed weight of vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana were 11.42, 10.49 and 12.42 g, and 1.23, 0.88 and 1.1 g, respectively. The fruit flesh percentage in vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana reached 89.14%, 90.84% and 90.92%, respectively. It was found that the cl...

An efficient reproducible protocol has been developed for in vitro propagation of endangered medicinal plant (Tylophora indica). The concentration of plant growth regulators and explant types exhibited discrete roles in the efficiency of plant regeneration. Stem ...

An efficient reproducible protocol has been developed for in vitro propagation of endangered medicinal plant (Tylophora indica). The concentration of plant growth regulators and explant types exhibited discrete roles in the efficiency of plant regeneration. Stem ...

 Background and Aims Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae) are of great economic and ecological value to the oasis agriculture of arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite the availability of a large date palm germplasm spreading from the Atlantic shores to Southern Asia, improvement of the species is being hampered by a lack of information on global genetic diversity and population structure. In order to contribute to the varietal improvement of date palms and to provide new insights on the influence of geographic origins and human activity on the genetic structure of the date palm, this study analysed the diversity of the species.  Methods Genetic diversity levels and population genetic structure were investigated through the genotyping of a collection of 295 date palm accessions ranging from Mauritania to Pakistan using a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a plastid minisatellite.  Key Results Using a Bayesian clustering approach, the date palm genotypes...

Background and Aims Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae) are of great economic and ecological value to the oasis agriculture of arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite the availability of a large date palm germplasm spreading from the Atlantic shores to Southern Asia, improvement of the species is being hampered by a lack of information on global genetic diversity and population structure. In order to contribute to the varietal improvement of date palms and to provide new insights on the influence of geographic origins and human activity on the genetic structure of the date palm, this study analysed the diversity of the species. Methods Genetic diversity levels and population genetic structure were investigated through the genotyping of a collection of 295 date palm accessions ranging from Mauritania to Pakistan using a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a plastid minisatellite. Key Results Using a Bayesian clustering approach, the date palm genotypes can be structured into two different gene pools: the first, termed the Eastern pool, consists of accessions from Asia and Djibouti, whilst the second, termed the Western pool, consists of accessions from Africa. These results confirm the existence of two ancient gene pools that have contributed to the current date palm diversity. The presence of admixed genotypes is also noted, which points at gene flows between eastern and western origins, mostly from east to west, following a human-mediated diffusion of the species. Conclusions This study assesses the distribution and level of genetic diversity of accessible date palm resources, provides new insights on the geographic origins and genetic history of the cultivated component of this species, and confirms the existence of at least two domestication origins. Furthermore, the strong genetic structure clearly established here is a prerequisite for any breeding programme exploiting the effective polymorphism related to each gene pool.

Shareef, H.J., Alhamd, A.S., Naqvi, S.A., Eissa, M.A., 2021. Adapting date palm offshoots to long-term irrigation using groundwater in sandy soil. Folia Oecologica, 48 (1): 55-62. The date palm can grow in desert areas using high salinity groundwater by increasing the number of irrigation cycles. A field experiment was carried out on date palm cv. Sayer offshoots grown in sandy saline soil during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The outcomes demonstrated that the application of saline (10 dS m-1) groundwater every four days increased plant height, number of new leaves, total chlorophyll, and relative water content. In turn, the hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage were reduced. Also, the effect of this treatment improved the growth of the plants, thus reduced the absorption of sodium, chloride, and increased potassium, then decreased the Na/K ratio. Cluster analysis showed two distinct cluster groups. In the first group, the dissimilarity between the treatments is illustrated by the influence of freshwater. While the second group showed the similarity between the treatments of four days and every week in the subgroup. Whereas treatment of two weeks duration shows the most detrimental effect on growth indices and chemical properties of offshoots. The utilization of saline groundwater in the water system of the date palm is the best option among the solutions possible in the current conditions of drought and thermal retention.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder triggered by disturbances in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolisms, where either reduced secretion or sensitivity of insulin is observed coupled with poor glucose control. Date palm fruits are one of the fruits reported to have good potential in diabetes treatment due to its presence of polyphenols exerting strong antioxidant activities. Other possible mechanisms of action include the polyphenolic compounds, which can inhibit enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Flavonoids in dates can stimulate β-cells by increasing the number of islets and β-cells, recovering endocrine pancreatic tissues, reducing β-cell apoptosis, activating insulin receptors following the increase in insulin secretion, in addition to improving diabetes-induced complications. In this review, the in vitro, in vivo, and human study-based evidence of date palm as an anti-diabetic fruit is summarised.

مو�شم جمع الثمار يبداأ من �شهر يونيو ويوليو شبتمبر � في منطقة خيربور ويمتد لأغ�شط�ض في وليتي البنجاب وبلوت�ش�شتان. حيث ترتفع درج��ات الح��رارة ب�شدة في و�شط باك�شتان في  50منطقة «�شكر» و «خيربور» لحدود تزيد عن درجة مئوية في منت�شف ف�شل ال�شيف. �شقوط الأمطار المو�شمية في ف�شل ال�شيف خا�شة في شبب خ�شائر � أا�شهر يونيو، يوليو، اأغ�شط�ض جمة لمزارعي النخيل في ه��ذه المناطق بلغت % من المح�شول خا�شة 100في بع�ض ال�شنوات انه ياأتي في فترة ن�شج الثمار علي الأ�شجار. يتفاوت ال�شرر من عام لعام آاخر تبعا لموعد ومكان �شقوط الأمطار وعدد �شاعات �شقوط المطر (كمية المطر). في منطقة خيربور محل الدرا�شة عند �شقوط المطر في بداية �شهر يونيو ل�شاعة اأو �شاعتين فقط فاإنه ل يوؤثر اإل علي  ”Gajarالأ�شناف مبكرة الن�شج مثل �شنف « وه��ي من الأ�شناف ”Kasho-wari“و�شنف الن�شف جافة التي ل يمكن أاكلها في مرحلة الخال طازجة لرتفاع المادة التانينية بالثمار. وتتمثل الأع��را���ض ال�شلبية في ت�شقق الق�شرة الخارجية للثمرة كما حدث بالمو�شم الحالي حيث ت�شققت  ”أاوطاقن“ لثمار �شنف 2010 الق�شرة الخ��ارج��ي��ة للثمار وه��ي في مرحلة

Date palms of 10 year old Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana varieties from Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia were evaluated under the agro-climatic conditions of Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan throughout the growing seasons from 2009 to 2011. The results obtained indicated better fruit quality similar to those fruits obtained from the original place of origin. The palms of the three varieties were thriving successfully. The edible stage of vars. Ajwa and Safawi is tamer and rutab for var. Ruthana. The fruit was harvested early from 13 to 20th of July before the onset of monsoons. The fruit size of vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana at their edible stages were 3.16, 4.25 and 3.52 cm long, and 2.31, 2.05 and 2.38 cm in diameter, respectively. The average fruit and seed weight of vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana were 11.42, 10.49 and 12.42 g, and 1.23, 0.88 and 1.1 g, respectively. The fruit flesh percentage in vars. Ajwa, Safawi and Ruthana reached 89.14%, 90.84% and 90.92%, respectively. It was found that the climatic conditions of Khairpur are suitable for the cultivation of these three exotic varieties. The vegetative, flowering and fruit characteristics of the three varieties were described, and the impact of climatic conditions on fruit quality was discussed in this study.