Date Palm Research

[TheReseacher]

Hello! 

I have been wondering for a while about these questions:

1. How do the dates from nuclear/singleton date palm differ in taste from those of a clustered date palm, even if they are the same species and grown in the same area under similar conditions?

2. Do the dates grown on different offshoots of a clustered palm tree taste the same or different?

I'd be grateful for any help with finding answers to these. Thanks a bunch!

[aztropic]

Since they are genetically identical, the fruit would be exactly the same off a single trunk or multiple trunks of the same plant. Here is my double trunk,and fruit is identical from either side of the tree.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[TheReseacher]

Thank you for sharing. Since taste of dates depends on sugar and water content,  someone told me about more competition for nutrients in a multiple trunk type, but I guess it would only make a difference in a harsher environment. 

[ahosey01]

On 5/8/2022 at 1:08 AM, TheReseacher said:

Thank you for sharing. Since taste of dates depends on sugar and water content,  someone told me about more competition for nutrients in a multiple trunk type, but I guess it would only make a difference in a harsher environment. 

All true date (Phoenix dactilyfera) palms sucker, though some varieties (i.e. Barhi) sucker more slowly.

Each sucker is genetically identical to the parent tree, and barring any peculiar abiotic factors (i.e. one side got oversprayed with water at ripening time and the other side didn't), produce identical fruit.  In fact, this is the only way to cultivate a date palm which is true-to-variety, by breaking off one of the suckers and replanting it somewhere else.  All Deglet Noor in the world are genetic copies of each other.  Same with Medjool, Barhi, Black Sphinx, etc.  If a date has a variety name, it is a genetic copy of the parent plant and is how you know it will taste good and be edible.  If you were to just plant a seed from a date palm, you may get a male, you may get a female, it may taste good, it may taste bad, it may be fleshy, it may not be, it may be tolerant of humidity, it may require aridity.  There is so much variation that only experimental orchards seeking new varieties (however many of those may even be left at this point) and hobbyists growing them for ornamental value actually plant date palms from seed.

Edited May 16, 2022 by ahosey01

[Collectorpalms]

I think in India ( maybe elsewhere) they have been cloning them for awhile from Tissue Culture

I tried to get some to try other varieties of hard to get palms in the USA., they were not interested. They are missing out and don't know it I think.

[mydateplams]

I also tried to import tissue culture Medjool palms and wanted around 200 and applied at the USDA for the import permit and was denied. I called the case worker and he said in like in 2017 the US banded any Phoenix family import do the Palm Weevil and fusarium wilt.

 

Ended up finding another company in the USA a few miles from my home - https://www.phoenixagrotech.com/lab/

[Collectorpalms]

Someone should be doing TC in the USA on palms.  Just saying if its possible with Phoenix why isn't is possible with other hard to find or grow other species? No Interest by those that are doing the TC of other plants... but  I am not an expert.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[mydateplams]

They can its the cost to culture them and harden as palms are like 8-12 months in darkness and then the staff needed to change out the media. https://www.phoenixagrotech.com/lab/ do orders in 5000 plant+ @ $70 1gl Medjool = $375000 up or down.

The amount of work it takes to TC palms is wild and not only that the facility needed to slowly expose them to the felid would be a large investment.  I did research on TC providers in the US out of interest and a few will actually contract to do what's the costumer is requesting and they provide the staff and facility.

Here is another that will do TC services for cacti - https://www.ranchotissue.com/  In my mind it comes down to who is willing to post the upfront cost.

And to the question TheReseacher asked about taste of clustered and non-cluster fruit. If the palms are grown on the same field using the same dirt and water and you had one row of signal palms and another row of clustered palms the fruit would taste the same. The cluster are usually separated and replanted as an offshoot and to also make working the tree easier.

 

 

 

 

 

[Collectorpalms]

9 minutes ago, mydateplams said:

They can its the cost to culture them and harden as palms are like 8-12 months in darkness and then the staff needed to change out the media. https://www.phoenixagrotech.com/lab/ do orders in 5000 plant+ @ $70 1gl Medjool = $375000 up or down.

The amount of work it takes to TC palms is wild and not only that the facility needed to slowly expose them to the felid would be a large investment.  I did research on TC providers in the US out of interest and a few will actually contract to do what's the costumer is requesting and they provide the staff and facility.

Here is another that will do TC services for cacti - https://www.ranchotissue.com/  In my mind it comes down to who is willing to post the upfront cost.

And to the question TheReseacher asked about taste of clustered and non-cluster fruit. If the palms are grown on the same field using the same dirt and water and you had one row of signal palms and another row of clustered palms the fruit would taste the same. The cluster are usually separated and replanted as an offshoot and to also make working the tree easier.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have to kill the palm for TC? Take the Meristem? That was my thought.