Dpd Ltd - Date Palm Developments

Grower's notes - Fruit bagging
Bagging of date palm fruit is a common technique which is often used by growers to protect it from diseases, excess moisture and pests whilst ripening. It helps to improve the micro-environment in which the fruits are developing. Studies have shown that fruit bagging can have a positive effect on fruit setting and yield. It can also help in overcoming problems such as fruit dropping. Bagging is commonly done using grill cloth, kraft paper, nets or wax plastics.

https://www.hortweek.com/date-palm-develo pments-b…/…/1466523

Growers Notes - Soil Type
Loam and sandy loam soils have the best structure for date farming. The depth of soil should be such as to enable the roots to anchor the palm firmly to prevent it being blown over.
Highly saline and highly alkaline soils must be avoided. A soil that readily takes water to a depth of 2-3 metres will contribute to giving good growth and good productivity.

DPD recently held a turf-cutting ceremony to celebrate the start of the groundwork for the construction of it's new glasshouse facility. Special guests from our parent company, Atul Ltd, took part in cutting the first square of turf, and then in what is a local Somerset tradition, all attendees were invited to pour a cupful of cider into the newly dug patch, to bring about good luck for the project.

Variety profile #8 - Oliver Male
Also known as the “Rainbow Male”, this high performing male Date Palm originates from Alice Springs in the Northern Territories. Named after it’s discoverer, Glen Oliver from the Northern Territories Department of Primary Industries' Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI). AZRI introduced this new pollen source last season to their pollination trials and achieved a high fruit setting rate. It is arguably the first date palm variety to be exported from Australia, having generated a lot of interest across the date growing world due to it’s ability to provide large amounts of high quality pollen.

DPD's exhibition stand at the 2018 GFIA event in Abu Dhabi last week. A great opportunity to meet with visitors from all across the Date growing world!

If you are receiving our plants in Thailand or Indonesia, please look out for the new labels that we have installed on our torpedo pots. If you would like ensure the authenticity of the tissue cultured plants you are receiving, please feel free to contact us at contact@datepalm.co.uk and we would be happy to help. Thank you.

Arizona State University’s campus date palms produce around 3,500-4,500 pounds of dates each fall on two different campuses. They give away free samples of dates at campus events so that thousands of students, staff and the public can taste and appreciate the many different varieties of dates.
From February through to March, 80-100 volunteers, students and ASU horticulture classes learn how to pollinate the dates. A further 75 volunteers bag the date bunches in June, July an...d August. Every September between 30 and 60 Changemaker Central Polytechnic volunteer students de-thorn, trim and clean up the palms for harvest. Harvesting time is in October and about 300 volunteers help with the entire process and fruit sales. Ishkashitaa Refugee Network volunteers travel up from Tucson and glean all the dates that they didn’t have time to bag, which totals around 1,500-2,000 pounds. Throughout the year they build up around 1,500 volunteer hours on both the Poly grove and Tempe campus.
https://cfo.asu.edu/fdm-arboretum-datepal m
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Photos from our recent staff day out to the Eden Project in Cornwall. An interesting tour through the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes looking at plants from many different parts of the world

A selection of photos from a recent visit to one of our longstanding customers and friends based in South Australia. Special thanks to Gurra Downs for their hospitality and for giving us a tour of their farm.

Variety Profile #7 - Medjool

Conducting trials for Ebb and Flood irrigation systems in our glasshouse this week.

Variety profile #6 - Anbarah