Evaluation of Eight Seedling Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Males and Their Effects on Fruit Character of Three Female Cultivars PDF

Keywords

seedling, pollen source, fruits

Abstract

Some morphological characters of eight seedling males grown in Al-Hassa were studied. Males varied considerably with respect to vegetative and reproductive characters. Pollen quality, percent germination and pollen tube length after six hours showed major differences. Pollen from the eight seedlings males was used to pollinate three commercially important female cultivars, i.e. Khalas, Rizaiz and Shieshi. Fruitset, Fruit weight, flesh or pulp weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, moisture content, seed weight and seed length and diameter were recorded. Pollen source was found to affect fruit and seed characters and exhibited met axenic effect depending on the female cultivar used and the character investigated. The influence of seedling males on fruit and seed characters showed within and between female variation.