|
Abstract
|
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important fruit crop in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Limitation of date palm propagation through off-shoat especially in case of elite cultivars, is a serious obstacle in expanding Date palm plantations. Today, plant tissue culture technology as a commercial propagation method provides the propagules of some cultivars needed for expanding Date palm plantations. However, one of the major draw bakes of propagation by this technology is appearance of abnormal phenotypes such as delay in flowering, low levels of fruit-setting and setting of parthenocarpic multicarpel fruits. Low levels of normal fruit-setting through producing high rate of three carpel fruite and high rate of fruitlets drop is usual particularly in tissue culture derived ‘Barhee’ plants and som other prone cultivars that leads to economical loss to the growery. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of foliar spraying with nitrogene, potassium with boric acid and zinc sulfat on fruit-setting and quantitative and qualitative characteristics of fruits of tissue culture-derived Barhee trees. This study was conducted in completely randomized design with 3 replicates on 14-years-old tissue culture derived Barhee trees in Dashtestan Date palm and Tropical fruits research station in 2014-2015. Treatments used include ammonium nitrate 1% and 2%, calcium nitrate 1% and 2%, potassium nitrate 1% and 2% and potassium sulfate 1% and 2% of all 8 groups mentioned in combination with boric acid and zinc sulfate 0.1%. one tree was sprayed with distilled water as a control treatment. Foliar sprays on three occasions, the first time about two weeks before the spath emergence, the second and third times were 4 and 8 weeks after pollination. The results showed that the characteristics of fruit-set in two years calcium nitratet1%, physical traits and fruits, totaling two years ammonium nitrate1%, calcium nitrate 1% and 2% showed the best performance. In terms
|