The date palm is native to the Middle East region around Iraq and can grow over 100 feet tall. It bears fruit in large bunches containing thousands of dates that take 5-6 years after planting to mature. Date palms are wind and salt tolerant and can live for over 150 years. They are propagated through seeds, offshoots, or tissue culture and do best in hot, arid climates. Pakistan is a major producer of dates and has several popular varieties. Dates are an important crop providing food, shade, and income to farmers in dry regions.

3. Originated from around the Babel, Iraq
Persian Gulf, South Africa, or India
Saudi Ariabia
Horqan (an island on the Arabian Gulf in
Behrain)

4. Erect palm (100-120ft)
Long leaves(6m or 20ft)
Fragrant flowers
6,000-10,000 flowers
per inflorescence

5. Perennial
Female start bearing five of years from the
time of planting of offshoot
Average life is 150 years

6. 3 techniques of propagation
1. By seed(take 6-10yrs to fruit,50% turn male)
2. By offshoots(3-5yrs old, 18-34 kg in wt)
3. Tissue culture

7. Can best be grown in;
Arid and semi arid regions with long and hot
summer
Low relative humidity during ripening
Withstand temperature upto (±65)
Zero vegetation point of date palm is 7
0
C
Upto 38
0
C – 40
0
C growth is max and then
ceased

8. Dhakki, Gulistan, Aseel and Karbala of DI
Khan
Fasli and Kupro of Sindh
Jangi, Jaan Swore, Kehraba and Rabai of
Balochistan
A seedless variety of Punjab

10. • Soidy
• Khastawy
• Maktoom
• Sayer
• Khadrawi
• Hayan
• Deglet Noor
• Barhi, Aajwa and Amber

11. 5th producer of date palm
Annual production is 0.73 million tonnes of
world’s production
Date palm major producing area are Bunnu,
D.I khan and sakkhar
Area under cultivation in D.I Khan is 677 hec
and production is 4002 tonnes

12. More water not a lot of water (improve
quality of date crop)
Ditch under palm should never dry with
proper drainage otherwise palm suffer from
lack of air

13. Flooding water lower the temperature of the
ground so delay the date ripening
Well prepared soil for receiving enough
water and reduced water losses which are
required.

14. Plenty of organic material particularly of
nitrogenous nature should be applied
Commercial fertilizer are use very little
Organic matter and green manure is
preferably used

15. When date palm is young, low shallow root
crops like vegetable are recommended
When palm become tall other fruit trees can
be grown

16. No proper pruning
Remove dead leaves when they turn brown
and hanging

17. Date thrives in sands, sandy loam,clay or
other heavy soils
Need good drainage areation
Alkali tolerenat

18. Pollens are abundant but not airborne very
far
Artificial pollination is required. (Plant one
male tree for every 48-50 female trees)
Refrigerated and dried pollen are also used

19. High quality dates are picked by hand
individually
Most are harvested by cutting off the entire
cluster
Extension ladder, mobile steel ladder or
forked sticks are used in many countries

20. In low humidity and adequate sunshine,
dates are sun dried
Processes used in dates storage are
fumigation, cleaning, grading, packing and
refrigeration in US

21. Immature fall by Coccotrypes dactiliperda
(insecticide)
Red weevils(Major problem in Pakistan,
control by fastoxin tablets)
Beetels
Cale insects and moth(trimming of infested
leaves)

22. Consumed fresh and dried
Used in bakery products like bread, cakes
and buiskets
Syrups
Because of tannin content, dates are used in
intestinal troubles, sour throat, cold and
bronchitis
Diuretic functions