Evaluation of the effects of bunch thinning methods on drying blossom of date palm disorder in two stages of pollination and kimri.

ABSTRACT: Drying blossom of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) disorder has become an important problem in production of date fruit in Iran since recent years. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of time and the procedures of thinning. A RCBD with split plots in 4 replicates was used. 2 times of thinning (A1- pollination stage, A2- early of kimri stage) and 5 thinning methods (B1-control, B2- 10% removal of bunch tip, B3- 30% removal of bunch tip, B4-10% removal of central strands, B5- 30% removal of central strands. 40 palm trees with nearly same age and height were selected in Azizabad-Bam Research station and ratio of leaves to bunches was determined in each of them. Data was statistically analyzed using SAS software and means were compared using Multi range Duncanʹs Test (?=5%). With appearance of dried strands on date palm recording the rate of damage was began and ended up until the end of harvesting period. According to the results of analysis of variance, strand thinning showed an important role in reduction of damage and caused by date of strand drying problem. The role of thinning on yield with treatment as 10% removal of bunch tip and treatment as 10% removal of central strands were classified in class A. Time and thinning methods interaction on yield, treatment as 10% removal of bunch tip in Kimri stage with 10% removal of strands in pollination stage were classified in class A and showed no differences.