Study on the effects of pollen sources on the agronomic, biochemical, mineral, and pomological traits of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv 'Deglet Nour' fruits in Degache Oases (Tunisia)

• DOI: 10.1007/s10722-024-01885-9
• Publication Date: 2024-02-02T15:02:38Z
• Authors: Karim Kadri; Monia Jemni; Mohammed Mesnoua; Shyam Sundar Sharma; Anoop Anand Malik; Souhayla Makhlouf; Mohammed Elsafy
• Keywords: Phoenix dactylifera; Brix; Pollen source

Abstract Given the dioecious nature of date palms, selecting an effective pollinizer bearing a substantial quantity high-quality pollen is imperative. In this study, we investigated effects 11 male palm cultivars from Tunisia on production female trees, fruit sets, and characteristics 'Deglet Nour' cultivar dates. The comparison germination rates showed that ABD1 P169 pollens exhibited outstanding viability, with 98.7% 98.3%, respectively. On other hand, had highest rate, at 86.3%. most remarkable set (90.7%) retention rate (69.7%) were observed in response to P13 pollen. P165 pollinator, stood out among resulting fruits for their notable weight, averaging 11.6 g. addition, pollination P90 increased total soluble solids (measured 74.4°Brix Tamr stage), whereas P7-pollinated recorded levels reducing sugars, reaching 41%. Notably, acidity found (0.29%), sources significantly influenced fruits' mineral content. Moreover, regarding pomological characteristics, pollinated P4 attained maximum size, measuring 4.10 cm. Conversely, width 2.02 These findings illustrate possibility selective application high-value pollinizers emphasize direct influence quality.