Effect of the Stimulative Solutions on Pollen Grain Germination, Fruit set, Anatomical development of Flower, Yield and Fruit Quality in Hayany, Orabi and Zaghlol Date Palm Cultivars .

Eldengawy, Elrefaey; Eliwa, G.; Gawish, Mohamed Saad; Attia, A.

doi:10.21608/djas.2024.406065

Effect of the Stimulative Solutions on Pollen Grain Germination, Fruit set, Anatomical development of Flower, Yield and Fruit Quality in Hayany, Orabi and Zaghlol Date Palm Cultivars .

Document Type : Original research papers

Authors

¹ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University

² Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, Damietta 34511, Egypt

³ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt

10.21608/djas.2024.406065

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of Brewbaker and Kwack’s (BK) and
Murashige and Skoog (MS) stimulating solutions followed by dusting pollination technique
of mixed pollen grains on improving the germination ability of Date palm pollen and
elongation of pollen tube through the flower styles on female date palm trees (Phoenix
dactylifera L.) of Hayany, Orabi and Zaghlol cultivars. Fruit set, fruit drop, yield/ palm,
physical and chemical characteristics of fruits were estimated. The results revealed that the
studied traits were influenced by spraying these two stimulating solutions. The highest
germination percentage was obtained by applying BK stimulating solution (92.1 %) with 24
hr. incubation period. The longitudinal and transversal anatomical sections of the flowers
72 hr. after pollination showed evolution of one carpel after fertilization and noticed
enlargement in size with condensation of tannin cells around embryo sac. Applying of BK
stimulating solution with Orabi date palm cultivar was significantly increased fruit set
percentage over the other treatments and also recorded the lowest percentage of fruit drop
and achieved the highest yield. The highest values of fruit weight, length, size and diameter
were coupled with spraying BK solution on the Zaghlol cultivar Spathes. Also, the highest
percentage of total sugars was in the Zaghlol and Hayany cultivars when using the spraying
treatment with the BK stimulating solution. The same treatment also achieved the highest
value in the TSS percentage in the Zaghlol and Orabi cultivars. Moreover, spraying either
BK or MS solutions exhibited the significant increases in the anthocyanin content
compared to the control with all cultivars. On the other hand, the control treatment recorded
the highest average of tannins content of Orabi cultivar fruit. Generally, the application of
BK and MS on Date Palm spathes enhanced the fruit set, fruit quality, shortening the
germination and elongation time of pollen grain tubes led to maximizing palm yield and
overcoming the unfavorable environmental conditions during pollination and fruit set
periods.

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