Influences of Pollination Methods and Plant Growth Regulators on Some Quantitative and Qualitative Parameters of Date Fruit

Influences of pollination methods and plant growth regulators spraying; gibberllic acid (GA3) or naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on some quantitative and qualitative parameters of date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera cv. ‘Kabkab’) was investigated in two years (2009 2010). The experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with eight treatments including embedded male inflorescence in spadix (EM), hand pollination (HP), hand duster (HD), motorized duster (MD), hand pollination + GA3 (100 mg l-1) (HP + GA100), hand pollination + GA3 (100 mg l-1) (HP + GA150), hand pollination NAA (150 mg l-1) (HP + NAA) and free strand (FS). Results showed that the highest fruit set percent, the lowest fruit abscission, the greatest fruit number per strand, the highest strand weight, the greatest fruit weight, the highest yield, the greatest fruit length, the greatest fruit diameter, the greatest fruit volume, the greatest pulp/seed ratio and the highest fruit growth rate were obtained by HP+GA150 treatment application. The highest fruit abscission and the lowest fruit number per strand were measured by MD treatment application. The lowest fruit weight was obtained in control (EM), HP and HD treatments. Control (EM), FS, HP, HD and MD treatments showed also the lowest yield. Treatment of HP+NAA150 had the lowest seed length and HP+GA100 treatment had the greatest seed length. The greatest and the lowest seed diameter were obtained by usage of HP+NAA150 and HP treatments, respectively. Seed weight was not influenced by exerting treatments. The highest and the lowest TSS were obtained by HP and HP+NAA150 treatments application, respectively. The highest pH was obtained by usage of HP+GA100. The lowest fruit moisture was observed in HP treated fruit and the highest moisture was observed in HP+NAA150 treated fruit. It can be concluded that application GA3 and NAA have a significant effect on yield increasing, quantitative and qualitative parameters of date fruit cv. Kabkab and HP+GA150 may be recommended.