Injection of Salicylic Acid Solution into the Trunks of Date Palm Trees to Reduce the Damage Caused by Bunch Fading and Wilting Disorder

One phenolic component that might actively contribute to plants' fading resistance mechanism is salicylic acid. This study used a randomized complete block design with six treatment concentrations of 0, 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/L salicylic acid at the start of the Kharak stage in three repetitions to examine the impact of salicylic acid injection on date bunch fading disorder on the Mazafati cultivar. The study was conducted in the Bam region. In this study, the disorder damage percentage, length, diameter and weight of fruit, fruit flesh-to-kernel ratio, yield, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, total sugar content and protein percentage were investigated. Experimental date trees treated with 100 mg/L salicylic acid compared to other treatments showed an 18% reduction in the damage of date bunch fading disorder at the level of P<0.01 Duncan test. Also, application of 100 mg/L salicylic acid increased yield by 17 kg in each tree compared to control trees at the level of P<0.01 Duncan test. While certain salicylic acid treatments were successful in lowering date bunch fading disorder damage and boosting experimental date tree yields, they had no discernible impact on the physicochemical characteristics of the fruit. The only variable included in the model, disorder damage, accounted for 86% of the variances, according to stepwise regression analysis. The two variables with the strongest positive and significant correlations were fruit weight with flesh-to-kernel ratio (0.991**) and total sugar with pH (0.997**). Except for a drop in soluble solids, total sugar content, and fruit pH in comparison to the control, the findings of Duncan's test categorization indicated that salicylic acid injection raised them in all treatments.