 |
 |
| Why Dates? |
Dates have always been held in very high esteem in almost all cultures and religions in the world. The real importance of this chief of all fruits in the world could well be gauged from the fact that date palms and dates have been referred in view of high nutritive value and universal appeal of the fruit; dates have been celebrated by poets.
World production of dates has almost tripled, while export has increased by 1.71% in the last 40 years indicating an increase in the demand for this nutritious fruit.
High-energy date fruits have been placed high on the diets of the health conscious. Though the fruit still has untapped potential in the food industry, it also lends itself to countless medicinal and other uses. |
|
 |
Placed in the mouths of newborn babies, eaten at wedding celebrations and at the beginning and end of each day of fasting in Ramadan - dates are said to have great medicinal value. A medical study cited in the British Medical Journal (Haouari et al.) found that placing a sugary substance in the mouth of a baby reduces pain sensation and heart rate.
Five dates (approx. 45 grams) contain about 115 calories, nearly all from carbohydrates. Bedouin Arabs, who eat them on a regular basis, show an extremely low incidence rate of cancer and heart disease.
|
|
|
The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fat and mineral products including copper, sulphur, iron, magnesium and fluoric acid. Dates are high in fiber and an excellent source of potassium.
|
Such Important Dates can be produced by growing DATE PALM in our NATIVE SOIL. Even you can grow this crop in ORGANIC CONDITION and you can EAT YOUR OWN ORGANIC NUTRITIOUS DATES. (No pesticides, No fertilizers Dates) |
|
 |
Is it possible?
Yes, it is possible. DATES INDIA is for it.
We give High quality variety saplings.
We give High quality variety offshoots.
We give High quality variety Tissue culture plants.
We give all technical Guidelines
We give all supports upto your sale of fruits. |
|
| |
| The Date Palm |
 |
Phoenix dactylifera is the botanical name for the date palm. It is also referred to as nakhl in Arabic, while the fruit of the date palm is called tamr in many Arab and African countries.
The date palm is a tall evergreen and consists of both male and female trees (called dioecious). Only the female trees produce fruit, but one male tree can produce enough pollen to pollinate 40-50 female trees. We can have 10% male trees on safer side.The date palm, which is most commonly unbranched, can grow up to 30 meters. Its 4-5 meter long leaves surround the trunk in a spiral pattern. Branched forms of the date palm also occur. |
|
|
Date palms produce between five and twenty bunches of dates per tree. A single large bunch may contain more than a thousand dates, and can weigh between 6 to 8 kg. They begin to bear fruit at 3 to 5 years, and reach full production after 6 -8 years. Date palms can survive up to 150 years. |
Date fruits vary in size, shape and colour. This drupe fruit is characterized by its thin skin, succulent, soft flesh and hard stone or seed in the middle. Unripe dates are green in colour, maturing to yellow, then reddish-brown when fully ripe. Each of these states (green to ripe) has been given a particular name in Arabic. |
The tree is grown in a nearly rainless belt in the Sahara, as well as in the Middle East in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran and Iraq. The variety of dates that are produced amount to 600 according to a report by the Agronomy and Range Science Management Department at the University of California. In three date-producing countries, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, there is reported to be about 1000 varieties of dates, many of which experience neglect and face possible extinction as efforts are concentrated on prized varieties (Campbell). |
| The date market in the noble city of Madinah, the Souq al-Tumour, sells about 150 varieties, differing in color, shape, taste and price! |
| |
| Cultivation Aspects |
| Varieties available with us : Aguah, Bahri, Makthumii, Sukkary, and MuscatSowing, Planting, Growth |
 |
Propagation is done by means of suckers, i.e. shoots arising from the base of the tree. Saplings and Tissue culture plants are also the planting materials. |
| Time of planting Any time. Preferably spring season. |
| Time to start bearing 4-5 years |
| Time to full production 6-8 years |
| Normal economic bearing life 100 years |
| Time of flowering Feb,Time of harvest July - Aug |
|
|
 |
Pits are prepared one month before transplanting, Normal pit size is 75 x 75 x 75 cm.
Date palm is a unisexual tree. Pollination in date is therefore absolutely essential. In commercial orchards, male trees in the ratio of 1 male to 20 females for better yield, otherwise artificial pollination by hand will be necessary to obtain good production.
Planting : Orchards are planted on a square system or Triangle system
Spacing: trees are spaced as 6 x 6 m or 20 x 20 feet or 112 trees/acre.
Pruning : No training or pruning is required except removal of dried and diseased leaves
|
|
Datepalm trees provide enough space for intercropping even if they are fully grown as they do not cover much area being a very tall tree. It is possible to grow a mixed fruit orchard, such as date intercropped with Afgan Fig, Amla, Dwarf Moringa, etc. Field crops, such as fodders and vegetables may also be grown together with date palms. |
There are no major pest and diseases of date palm except Red Palm Weevil and Rhinoceros beetle which can be manageable
|
 |
Annual Crop water demand: 900-1300 mm |
|
Rooting depth: 1.5 to 2.5 m |
|
Allowable depletion of soil 50% |
|
Irrigation intervals: 15-25 days / 7 days at planted stage |
Dates will also tolerate a longer irrigation interval of 30-40 days with gross applications of 130-140 mm. Irrigation depths and intervals will depend on the water requirements of the intercross grown with the date palm. |
Apply FYM 15-20 days before flowering in January at the rate of 30-40 kg per tree. At fruit setting in Mar/Apr, apply a further 30-40 kg per tree.
|
| The fruit is picked at three stages: |
|
Doka stage when the fruit is 50% ripe fruit and yellowish in colour, |
|
Dang stage when the fruit is fully developed and the tip of the fruit begins to soften. |
|
Pind stage when the fruit is fully ripe and dark reddish and the fruit is soft. |
| Expected yield is about 100-150 kg per tree. |
| |
