Response of Sakkoti date palm to spraying abscisic acid

Author : Abd El-Hamied, M.M. Wassel; Hamdy I.M. Ibrahim and Ahmed H. Abobakr

Sakkoti cultivar is one of the most important and wide dry variety in Aswan Governorate.
(Hussien Fathy, 2005 and Ibrahim, 2011). A remarkable decrease in yield (kg/palm) and fruit quality
characteristics of Sakkoti under Aswan Governorate conditions were observed in last decade (Al-Bakry 2020).
In order to study the effect of spraying abscisic acid (ABA) at different concentration on leaves mineral content,
yield, and fruit physical and chemical properties of Sakkoti date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera L), a field
experiment was conducted in two successive seasons (2018 and 2019) at a private farm located at Edfo, Aswan
Governorate. The obtained results confirmed that spraying Sakkoti date palm with ABA at 150, 300 and 450
ppm significantly enhanced leaves mineral contents (i.e. nitrogen%, phosphorus%, potassium%, iron ppm, Zinc
ppm and manganese ppm), yield (kg)/tree and bunch weight (kg), as well as fruit physical and chemical
properties (i.e. fruit length (cm), fruit dimensions (cm), TSS%, total and reducing sugars%), compared to
untreated palms. However, the total acidity% and crude fibers % were significantly decreased rather than
untreated palms. The maximum values in above mentioned parameters were observed when the palms received
ABA at 450 ppm three times yearly. Furthermore, increasing ABA concentration from 300 ppm to 450 ppm
failed to enhance some studied parameters significant. The results of the present work showed that spraying
ABA at 450 ppm plays a remarkable role in improving leaf mineral contents, yield kg/palm and fruit physical
and chemical properties of Sakkoti date palm under Aswan Governorate conditions.

Keywords : Date palm, abscisic acid, crude fibers, fruit quality, mineral contents.,

Received:1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM; Accepted: 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM