Introduction: Date Production Status and Prospects in Asia and Europe

Abstract

Successful future development of date palm depends largely on evaluating, utilizing, and conserving genetic resources; assessing the value of present and potential cultivars; promoting the best cultivation, processing, and marketing practices; and broadening the number of fruit and tree products. The date palm was domesticated at the dawn of agriculture, new technologies were adopted for its cultivation, the palm was dispersed widely by humans and it has become a major world tree crop with the introduction of modern plantations. France, the USA, and international organizations have contributed to date palm development and more recently domestic programs in the larger producing countries. Creating a new international date palm organization to bring together research and development efforts and to serve as a resource center would be beneficial. Date cultivation originated in Iraq and that country has always been a major producer; Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates also are all primary world producers. These countries present a mixed pattern of old and new date cultivation which receive federal government support for research and development. In recent decades, cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula has expanded significantly with new plantations using tissue-cultured plants. Date production in Pakistan and India comes mostly from seedling date palms under traditional cultivation. Modern date cultivation is being established to meet the large domestic demand. Israel’s date production is unique coming entirely from modern plantations. Spain’s very small date production from seedling dates is a novelty and likely to remain so. Because they are not included in country chapters, summary accounts of date cultivation in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are included.