Date Palm

Sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa) is an anionic water soluble polyelectrolyte widely used in many industrial sectors including food, textiles, papers, adhesives, paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and mineral processing. CMCNa was produced by chemical modification of cellulose, and represents many advantages: natural, renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable. In this study, different kinds of CMCNa, prepared from an agricultural waste date palm rachis, were tested as eco-friendly flocculants for drinking water treatment and their performances as flocculants in turbidity removal enhancement were assessed. The prepared materials were characterized by the degree of substitution (DS) and polymerisation (DP). The study of the effect of some experimental parameters on the coagulation-flocculation performance, using the prepared materials combined with aluminium sulphate (as coagulant), showed that the best conditions for turbidity treatment were given for pH 8, coagulant dose 20 mg/L, f...

Bagaimana peluang bisnis kebun kurma di Indonesia? Apakah memiliki prospek yang bagus ke depannya? Tentunya pertanyaan ini terbesit di sobat-sobat petani kurma di Indonesia.

Mari kita ulas, seperti kita ketahui negara-negara di Sahel (gurun) di Timur Tengah dalam beberapa dekade ini sedang dilanda perang seperti negara Irak, Afganistan, Suriah, dan Yaman. Beberapa negara Sahel lainnya mengalami embargo ekonomi.

Selain itu, meningkatnya kebutuhan tanah untuk pemukiman dan permasalahan phytosanitary menyebabkan penurunan produksi kurma hingga 30% di negara produsen kurma. Hal ini berbanding terbalik dengan peningkatan kebutuhan kurma dunia yang mencapai 36 juta kg kurma per tahun.

Melihat peluang tersebut, negara-negara ASEAN berlomba membudidayakan buah kurma secara besar-besaran, seperti Thailand dan Malaysia. Kedua negara tetangga tersebut sangat persis sekali dengan kondisi tanah di Indonesia bahkan, bila dibandingkan, kondisi tanah di Indonesia lebih subur dibandingkan Malaysia dan Thailand. Namun sayangnya, Indonesia telah tertinggal 8 tahun dari Malaysia dan 11 tahun dari Thailand untuk budi daya kurma.

Beberapa keunikan khas pohon kurma di antaranya:
a. Kurma  tumbuh pada rentang suhu yang ekstrim  -15 °C s.d. 51°C. Namun idealnya kurma paling cocok pada suhu sekitar 25°C. Tanaman ini tumbuh di ketinggian  -400 mdpl hingga 2.000 mdpl.
b. Untuk satu hektar, hasil  panen kurma berkisar antara 15-45 ton/Ha/tahun, dengan asumsi 150  pohon per HA dan hasil 100-300 kg per pohon/tahun. Panen  mulai tahun ke 3-7 hingga 100 tahun. 
c. Produktivitas yang tinggi dan usia produktif yang panjang (hingga umur 100 tahun) sehingga memberikan keuntungan usaha yang sangat menarik  untuk keuntungan jangka panjang.
d. Akar pohon kurma sangat unik, berbeda dengan akar pohon kelapa ataupun  kelapa sawit. Akar serabutnya terbagi atas akar atas/udara, akar samping,  akar tengah, dan akar dalam (Meristem). Akar dalamnya bisa menembus tanah  hingga 12 m sedangkan akar sampingnya merayap tak lebih dari 1 m dari  bonggolnya. Formasi akar ini menjadikannya sangat kokoh, sekaligus ramah  pada tanaman tetangganya. Kurma tidak merebut air dan unsur hara jatah  tanaman tetangganya. Justru menahan laju perembesan air ke dalam dan  membantu "memompa" air dan memancarkan mata air ke atas sehingga cukup  air di dekat top soil. Payungan daunnya yang berwarna keperakan,  memantulkan sebagian cahaya dan panas matahari, mengalirkan angin,  meningkatkan kelembapan, menurunkan suhu, dan membantu menciptakan  micro climate yang baik di sekitarnya.
e. Pohon kurma memiliki kemampuan adaptabilitas tinggi dengan lingkungan barunya dan menghasilkan jenis buah baru yang khas karena  lingkungannya dan hasil persilangannya.
f. Selain buah, kurma juga menghasilkan cabang, ranting dan daun yang dapat dimanfaatkan untuk  beberapa kerajinan tangan.

Peluang Bisnis Tanam Kurma di Indonesia
• Permintaan pasar ekspor kurma dunia masih belum tercukupi.
• Era globalilasi mempermudah pengusaha untuk berbisnis antar negara.
• Kurma memiliki banyak khasiat sehingga menjadi komoditas herbal dan saat ini kesadaran untuk hidup sehat semakin tinggi.
• Kurma merupakan salah satu produk pangan utama  yang bisa digunakan sebagai makanan pokok di beberapa negara, nilai dan kompleksitas gizinya sangat tinggi dan berkhasiat tinggi, rasanya enak, dan produk turunannya sangat diminati.
• Pemerintah mendukung dalam pengembangan produksi kurma tropis nasional.
• Regulasi pemerintah untuk ekspor semakin dipermudah.

Tertarik berbisnis kebun kurma?
Membutuhkan bibit pohon kurma kuljar impor dari Inggris atau Iran?
Ingin konsultasi perkebunan kurma?

Hubungi kami via chat WA nomor 087865602228

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Recent studies on salinity tolerance in date palm revealed the discovery of salt-responsive genes including PdPIP1;2, a highly conserved aquaporin gene in plants, which was functionally characterized in this study to investigate its precise role in drought and salinity tolerance. Immunoblot assay showed a high level of PIP1 protein accumulation only in the leaves of date palm plants when grown under drought, an observation which may imply the involvement of PIP1;2 in CO 2 uptake. Heterologous overexpression of PdPIP1;2 in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) improved tolerance to salinity and oxidative stress. While, heterologous overexpression of PdPIP1;2 in Arabidopsis had significantly (p < 0.05) increased biomass, chlorophyll content, and root length under drought and salinity. In addition, a significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage of transgenic plants could be recovered by rewatering after drought stress, indicating the ability of the transgenic plants to maintain water and viability under drought. Transgenic plants under drought and salinity maintained significantly (p < 0.05) higher K + /Na + ratios than wild type (WT) plants, an observation which may represent an efficient tolerance mechanism controlled by the transgene. Collectively, this study provided an insight on the mechanism by which PdPIP1;2 conferred tolerance to salt and drought stresses in date palm.

Acrimonium strictum is reported as a new causal agent of a disease it names (bunch blight) in date palm (phoenix dactylefera) in Saudi Arabia. Symptoms and necrosis caused by A. strictum in susceptible cultivars showed small brown necrosis streak at midrib of fruit stalk in an early stage. There was an increase in number and size as the disease progresses; then extended to the bases of fruit strands due to death of bases and strands wilt, the infection of fruit strand caused drying the fruits and their fall. A. strictum attacks the bunches and move quickly inside and out the tissues causing brown necrosis and death of the tissues. A. strictum was isolated and pathogenicity tests were repeated more than once during two seasons and the identifications was caried several ways to confirm The confirmation of results by Biolog technique and DNA sequence were done. The proper temperature for infection was between 20-30 °C and the optimum 25 °C. When testing the susceptibility of varieties of infection, more varieties like Medjool, Saqae and Kholas were susceptible to infection and the most resistant to infection were Barhy and Khidri. The best results in the control of the fungus in vitro were due to use of Karpendazem followed Topsen M70, at the same time, the worst results were seen with the use of Abredion followed Karant (Cupper hydroxide).

Open-graded friction course (OGFC) or porous asphalt mixtures are special mixes used for improving the surface friction, increasing surface permeability, and reducing pavement noise. The mix consists mostly of coarse size aggregate with little fines. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two types of organic fibers: date-palm fibers and textile fibers, in combination with styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) polymer on the properties of OGFC mixes. A total of six different mixes were evaluated. Mix designs were performed ...

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera ( L.), a diploid with 2n = 36, is a member of the monocot family Arecacea classified as a dioecious tall evergreen. Date palm female trees bear fruits at 3 to 5 years and are fully mature at 12 years. The fruit is a nutritious source of sugar, minerals, ...

The analysis of botanical macro-remains (seeds, fruits and wood) from the fortress site of Îgîlîz, situated in the Anti-Atlas mountain range of southern Morocco, provides a first glimpse of the plant economy of a medieval rural community in this part of North Africa. Considered as the original stronghold of the religious community led by Ibn Tûmart, the founder of the Almohad dynasty, the site was occupied from the 10th to the 13th century a.d. The crop assemblage identified from ashy contexts in a central grouping of buildings (the qasba) comprises barley (Hordeum vulgare), sorghum (Sorghum sp., earliest occurrence known so far from Morocco), wheat (Triticum sp.) and a pulse (Lathyrus sativus/cicera). Several arboreal fruit species are also identified: fig (Ficus carica), almond (Prunus dulcis), date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and argan (Argania spinosa). The latter, predominant in the archaeobotanical record in the form of both fruit and wood remains, is of particular interest as it is the first time that this species, endemic to south-western Morocco and of prime economic interest regionally, has been identified from an archaeological context. In the past, as today, the argan tree seems to have played a major role in village economies as a source of wood for fuel and construction, fodder for livestock and food in the form of an edible oil, extracted from the oleaginous seeds. This article focuses on present and past uses of Argania spinosa as well as on the ecology and morpho-anatomy of this emblematic species.

Date palm is an important crop plant in the arid and semi-arid regions supporting human population in the Middle East and North Africa. These areas have been largely affected by drought and salinity due to insufficient rainfall and improper irrigation practices. Date palm is a relatively salt-and drought-tolerant plant and more recently efforts have been directed to identifying genes and pathways that confer stress tolerance in this species. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a promising technique for the analysis of stress-induced differential gene expression, which involves the use of stable reference genes for normalizing gene expression. In an attempt to find the best reference genes for date palm's drought and salinity research, we evaluated the stability of 12 most commonly used reference genes using the geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper statistical algorithms and the comparative ΔC T method. The comprehensive results revealed that HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN (HSP), UBIQUITIN (UBQ) and YTH domain-containing family protein (YT521) were stable in drought-stressed leaves whereas GLYCERALDEHYDE-3-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGE-NASE (GAPDH), ACTIN and TUBULIN were stable in drought-stressed roots. On the other hand, SMALL SUBUNIT RIBOSOMAL RNA (25S), YT521 and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S); and UBQ, ACTIN and ELONGATION FACTOR 1-ALPHA (eEF1a) were stable in leaves and roots, respectively, under salt stress. The stability of these reference genes was verified by using the abiotic stress-responsive CYTOSOLIC Cu/Zn SUPEROXIDE DISMUT-ASE (Cyt-Cu/Zn SOD), an ABA RECEPTOR, and a PROLINE TRANSPORTER 2 (PRO) genes. A combination of top 2 or 3 stable reference genes were found to be suitable for nor-malization of the target gene expression and will facilitate gene expression analysis studies aimed at identifying functional genes associated with drought and salinity tolerance in date palm.

The adsorption of lead onto date palm fibers (palm fibers) and leaf base of palm (petiole) has been examined in aqueous solution by considering the influence of various parameters such as contact time, solution pH, adsorbent dosage, particle sizes, ionic strength, and temperature. The adsorption of Pb(II) increased with an increase of contact time. The optimal range of pH for Pb(II) adsorption is 3.0–4.5. The linear Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms, and both models fitted well. The monolayer adsorption capacity of Pb(II) on palm fibers and petiole was found as 18.622 and 20.040 mg/g, respectively, at pH 4.5 and 25°C. Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm model was also applied to equilibrium data. The mean free energy of adsorption (2.397 and 4.082 kJ/mol) onto palm fibers and petiole, respectively, may be carried out via physisorption mechanism. Pseudo-first-order rate equation and pseudo-second-order rate equation were applied to study the adsorption kinetics. In comparison to first-order kinetic model, pseudo-second-order model described well the adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) onto palm fibers and petiole from aqueous solution. From the results of the thermodynamic analysis, Gibbs free energy ΔG, enthalpy change ΔH, and entropy ΔS were determined. The positive value of ΔH suggests that interaction of Pb(II) adsorbed by palm fibers is endothermic. In contrast, the negative value of ΔH indicates that interaction of Pb(II) ions by petiole is exothermic. The negative value of ΔG indicates that the adsorption of Pb(II) ions on both palm fibers and petiole is a spontaneous process.

RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats) markers assay were employed to validate the genetic stability of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plants multiplied through somatic embryogenesis with upto forty two in vitro subcultures. Out of the 160 RAPD and 21 ISSR primers screened, 30 RAPD and 12 ISSR primers produced a total of 347 (246 RAPDs + 101 ISSRs) clear, distinct and reproducible amplicons, which were monomorphic across all micropropagated plants (27) studied. Thus, a total 8592 bands (number of plants analysed x number of amplicons with all the primers) were generated which exhibited homogeneous banding patterns with both RAPD and ISSR markers. These results indicate that the micropropagation protocol developed by us for rapid in vitro multiplication is appropriate and suitable for clonal propagation of date palm and corroborated the fact that somatic embryogenesis can also be used as one of the safest modes for production of true-to-type plants.

Open-graded friction course (OGFC) or porous asphalt mixtures are special mixes used for improving the surface friction, increasing surface permeability, and reducing pavement noise. The mix consists mostly of coarse size aggregate with little fines. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two types of organic fibers: date-palm fibers and textile fibers, in combination with styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) polymer on the properties of OGFC mixes. A total of six different mixes were evaluated. Mix designs were performed ...

The present study was carried out at a private orchard , in Abu-Al-Khaseeb region –Basrah, during the season of  2008 .The aim was to investigate the  effect  of  bunches bagging by brown paper and spraying of liquorice extract  at  three concentrations of  ( 0 , 5 , 8 ) g l−1,Treatment the trees was done 50 days after  Pollination  , The study included the interaction effect of all factors on  activity of enzymes (invertase and cellulose) and percentage of total and reducing sugars and sucrose  of  two date palm cultivars ( Sayer and Hillawi ) . The results were summarized as follows: treatment of bagging bunches, treatment of spraying with 5 g l−1 liquorice extract and Sayer cultivar increased activity of invertase and cellulase and total and reducing sugars significantly, but sucrose decreased significantly compared with other treatments, interaction effect between the factors were the treatment of  bagging Sayer bunches and the treatment of  spraying bagging bunches with 5 g l−1 liquorice extract significantly increased activity of invertase and cellulase significantly compared with other treatments,while did not significant interaction effect between the factors on study characteristics compared with other treatments.

Plants exposed to certain abiotic stress conditions tend to produce the amino acid proline, which acts as an active osmolyte, a metal chelator, an antioxidant, and a signaling molecule. There is increasing evidence that proline accumulates in plants due to a wide range of abiotic stress, in particular high soil salinity and drought. Therefore, proline content is often used as a marker-assisted breeding tool aimed at improving drought and salinity tolerance. In this study, it was investigated whether proline accumulation in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedlings occurs solely due to high salinity and drought stresses or due to other unspecified abiotic stresses, including salinity and salinity shock, drought, extreme temperatures, and abscisic acid. The free proline assays revealed that this amino acid over-accumulated in the roots and leaves of each stress-treated plant, and was remarkably high when leaves were exposed to suboptimum temperatures and salinity stress. These results indicate that the production of proline is a common response to various abiotic stresses and its differential accumulation cannot be used as a molecular marker in date palm breeding programs aimed at improving drought or salinity

ABSTRACT This study aim to promote growth plantlets of date palm cv. Zaghlool by decreasing ethylene production inside the containers during rooting stage. Data obtained declared that three silver thiosulphate (STS) levels added to one half strength MS rooting medium improved significantly three rooting measurements (rooting percentage; number and length of developed rootlets). However, the lightest STS level (0.25 ml/L of 4 mM STS solution) was the superior, while highest one (1.0 ml/L) was the inferior from statistical point of view. Data obtained displayed that providing MS rooting medium with silver nitrate improved 3 rooting measurements (rooting %; number of rootlets and their length) for Zaghloul date palm shootlets proliferated from somatic embryos. However, the 0.50 mg/L AgNO3 provided MS medium was the most preferable in this concern. Plantlets were transferred to capped tubes contained 1/4 liquid MS medium through 3 weeks in the growth chamber (under aseptic condition). Ventilation was allowed gradually by punching holes in aluminum foil caps during first five days of 2nd week.  After then, the plantlets were transplanted in acclimatization green house on mixture from (peat moss + perlite + vermiculite at 1:1:1) and survival percentage was 75% after three months. Key words:  Rooting stage, Silver thiosulphate, Silver nitrate, Date palm

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L., 2n=36) is outstanding for the economic value of its different parts and its socio-economic significance in agro-systems of arid zones. Date palm trees are propagated either from seed or vegetative offshoots. Propagation with seeds is unsuitable for commercial production because half of the progeny are males and to date there is no way to distinguish the sex in date palm plants at an early stage of development. During the past decade, there have been numerous attempts to use molecular markers to discriminate among male and female trees in date palm. Here, we employed an effective approach to develop sex-specific PCR-based markers to distinguish the genders in Egyptian date palm. A set of 23 SCoT and 122 RAPD primers were applied against five superior Egyptian date palm cultivars to identify any sex-specific markers. Two SCoT (SCoT36 and SCoT41) and four RAPD primers (OP-A11, OP-M11, OP-O07 and OP-S07) exhibited differential fragments/bands between males and females (Two male-associated markers and five female-associated markers). To verify these results, the PCR reactions were repeated at least three times by different professional hands and by using different commercial reagents (Promega, Ferments and Takara). Then, these differential bands were extracted, cloned to pGEM-T Easy Vector System and transformed into DH5-alpha E. coli competent cells for subsequent sequencing analysis. The BLAST analysis results indicated that SCoT36 revealed high degree of similarity with mitochondrial rpl2 gene in date palm while, SCoT41 revealed high degree of similarity with putative DEIH-box RNA/DNA helicase gene (Os01g0767700) in Oryza sativa Japonica. On the other hand, the BLAST analysis of (OP-A11, OP-O07 and OP-S07) revealed no significant similarity to any well-defined sequences or protein on databases. While, they showed very low similarity with the date palm published sequences which give high probability that this sequences may be a novel or non-sequenced parts of the date palm genome. Meanwhile, OP-M11 exhibited high degree of similarity with the date palm genome (cultivar Deglet Noor, fosmid 9B12) and partial similarity with both putative glucuronoxylan glucuronosyltransferase protein (Triticum urartu) and Exostosin-like family protein (Oryza sativa).  These results represent the first case-study focusing on the applications of SCoT technique as a gene targeting marker in sex-determination in date palm. Moreover, indicate that these promising primers should be helpful in rapidly distinguishing between male and female trees in date palm at earliest stages.

In this paper, adsorption isotherm and kinetics of disperse blue dye on activated carbon
prepared from Iraqi date seeds (Zahdi date seeds ZDS) were determined from batch tests. The effect of
different parameters, such as, different doses, pH and contact time were investigated. Equilibrium
adsorption data for synthesized activated carbon (ZDSAC) were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich
isotherm. The equilibrium data were best fitted with Langmuir isotherm model, showing maximum
monolayer adsorption capacity of 8.13 mg/g. Kinetic analyzes were tested using pseudo-first order,
pseudo-second order and the intraparticle diffusion model. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption
kinetics was more accurately represented by a pseudo-second order model. Among ZDSAC removes
66.47% of disperse blue at the dose of 0.3 g, whereas the commercial activated carbon removes 54.33%
of disperses blue.

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.

In the present study the effect of different biochemical attributes on date fruits at their three different edible
stages were studied in Aseel, Dhakki (Pakistan) and Deglet Nour (Algeria) cultivars. The results depicted that total
phenolic contents, antioxidant activity (DPPH), antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POD) and protein decreased gradually
from khalal to tamar stage during date fruit development in all selected cultivars. Despite, the amount of glucose
(23.89-32.31%) and fructose (20.34-30.45%) increased significantly during ripening process among examined
cultivars. The characterization of fibers of date fruits at three edible stages by Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (FTIR) showed lignin (1514 cm-1), amide (1649 cm-1), cellulose-I and cellulose-II (1635 and 1420 cm-
1), respectively, whereas, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed crystalline surface morphology of date
fruit fibers at last three edible stages. Furthermore, our results revealed that variation in chemical composition and a
significant variability in all the characterization techniques were recorded of date fruit fibers during ripening process.

In Open Access: follow the link!
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00004025

The Kel Ajjer Touaregs of Djanet cultivate date palms in their oasis grove as practised elsewhere in the Sahara, but with one difference: subterfuge. This is not simple plant domestication in which humans deal with insensitive biological material shaped by generations of oasis dwellers, but a kind of interaction as in animal domestication; people use subterfuge so as not to clash with the temperament of the species, which shuns the sui generis smell of humans.

Plantation crops include perennials grown over large areas in monoculture, excepting fruit trees grown in orchards. These crops face both abiotic and biotic stresses, incited by factors those coexist in plantations. Plantation crops are well adapted and are grown mostly in the tropics, where innumerable stress factors operate. Historical significance of few stress havocs in plantation species is remarkable. A wide range of anatomical, physiological and biochemical features contribute to various stress adaptation in plantation crops. Notwithstanding, improvement of stress resistance in plantation species has been mandated to combat unfriendly factors that jeopardize intensive and extensive cultivation. Conventional breeding is cumbersome in plantation crops, where in the process got have to involve many generations running for decades, and expensive in terms of time, space and large volume of individuals handled. Recent developments in molecular genetics and biotechnology are aiding acceleration of breeding process plantation species. Integration of proper crop management strategies with improved cultivars is essential to meet the goals of stress management. This review presents a comprehensive coverage of various adaptive mechanisms and mitigation strategies for several biotic and abiotic stresses affecting major plantation crops like cardamom, cashew, cocoa, coconut, coffee, date, eucalyptus, oil palm, rubber and tea.