Asian Journal of Plant Sciences1682-39741812-5697Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/ajps.2008.105.108Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Al-Ahsa Saudi Arabia
]]>Al-SaikhanMohamed Salem 1200871A field study was carried out to determine
the effect of thinning fruiting bunches on fruit yield and quality of
Ruzeiz date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera L.) at Date Palm Research
Center, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Four thinning treatments included
control, no thinning of strands (T1), 1/3 shortening of the
total strands from the tips (T2), 1/3 removal of the central
strands (T3), 1/3 shortening plus 1/3 removal of central strands
(T4). All the thinning treatments improved the fruit quality
with respect to fresh fruit weight, fruit flesh weight, reducing sugar
and non-reducing sugar contents as compared to the control treatment.
Among the various thinning treatments, T4 (combination of 1/3
shortening and 1/3 removal of central strands) produced the best fruit
weight, flesh percentage, reducing and non-reducing sugars contents of
date fruit. Whereas the total date palm yield and bunch weight were significantly
reduced by the same treatment (combination of the shortening and central
removal of strands). However, the date fruit quality was identical for
T2 and T3 (i.e., 1/3 removal of central strands
and 1/3 shortening of total strands) treatments. There was no significant
difference of date palm yield and bunch weight obtained in control treatment
than that of strands removing and shortening treatments. Overall, the
removing and shortening of strands treatments showed promising results
for adoption at large scale to improve Ruzeiz fruit yield and quality.]]>Ali-Dinar, H.M., A.A. Alkhateeb, I. Al-Abdulhadi, A. Alkhateeb, K.A. Abugulia and G.R. Abdulla,2002Phoenix dactylifera L.).]]>17228238Al-Joumayly, A.A.M.,20032003Alkhateeb, A.A. and H.M. Ali-Dinar,20022002Annual Agricultural Statistics Book,20042004El-Gassas, S.E.,19861986pp: 187196El-Hamady, M.M., A.S. Khalifa and A.M. El-Hamady,19831983pp: 284295El-Shazly, S.M.,19991999Godara, R.K., N.R. Godara and N.S. Nehra,1990Phoenix dactylifera) cv. Shamran.]]>72125Gomez, K.A. and A.A. Gomez,19842nd Edn.,Pages: 704Pages: 704Hammam, M.S., A. Sabour and S. Ebeed,200210261271Ibrahim, A.M. and M.N.H. Khalif,19981998Lane, J.C. and J.A. Eynon,197512th Edn.,Leopold, A.C.,19641964Mustafa, A.A.,19931993Nixon, R.W.,1940172729Nixon, R.W.,1956331414Nixon, R.W. and J.B. Carpenter,19781978Osman, A.M.A. and A.H. Abdulrida,19891989SAS,20012001Tavakkoli, A., E. Tafazoli and M. Rahemi,2006Phoenix dactylifera L.).]]>2006pp: 911Waller, R.A. and D.B. Duncan,19696414841503