Influence of Pollen Source, Pollination Time, and Chelated Zinc on Physical Characteristics of Date palm c.v. Barhee

• Noora Maged Fendi Ahmed Thamer Homed

  Author

   A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 growing season at Al-Amir Private Model Farm, Al-Harouniyah, Al-Muqdadiya District, Diyala Province, Iraq, to investigate the effects of pollen source, pollination time, and chelated zinc application on the growth and yield of tissue-cultured 'Barhee' date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) trees aged 13 years. The experiment was arranged as a factorial trial within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three factors: pollination time (24 and 72 h after spathe opening), pollen source (Khadrawi, Berban, and a mixture of Khadrawi + Berban pollen), and chelated zinc foliar application (0, 50, and 100 mg L⁻¹). Eighteen treatment combinations were replicated three times.

   The results showed that the mixed pollen source (Khadrawi + Berban) significantly improved fruit set (77.70%), fruit weight (12.29 g), flesh weight (11.47 g), fruit volume (11.47 cm³), and total yield (135.9 kg palm⁻¹) compared with the other pollen sources. Pollination after 24 h produced superior values for fruit weight (12.08 g), flesh weight (11.29 g), and total yield (134.7 kg palm⁻¹). Foliar application of chelated zinc at 100 mg L⁻¹ significantly increased fruit set (78.02%), fruit volume (11.66 cm³), and flesh-to-seed ratio (16.97), whereas 50 mg L⁻¹ resulted in the highest flesh weight (11.26 g). The three-way interaction among mixed pollen, pollination after 24 h, and 100 mg L⁻¹ chelated zinc produced the highest values for fruit set (83.34%), fruit weight (13.64 g), flesh weight (12.71 g), fruit volume (14.16 cm³), total yield (176.5 kg palm⁻¹), and flesh-to-seed ratio (13.66). These findings indicate that combining mixed pollen (Khadrawi + Berban), pollination within 24 h, and foliar application of chelated zinc at 100 mg L⁻¹ can enhance fruit set, yield, and fruit quality of tissue-cultured 'Barhee' date palms.

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