ABSTRACT
The date palm is one of the most important perennial plants in arid and semi-arid areas, with high economic importance. Date fruits are good sources of essential nutrients for humans. These fruits are rich in secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds as well as nutrient compounds, which have medicinal importance for humans. Though date palm is known as an extremophile, in extreme stresses, some limitations and changes were observed in plant growth and development, and metabolism. In extreme conditions, especially salinity, drought and heat stress, which are related to its cultivation area (arid and semi-arid regions), the plant growth and development suffer some changes in primary and secondary metabolites, and these impact on the nutritional and medicinal quality of fruits. In this chapter, the impacts of the mentioned stresses on date palm are described and based on plant strategies in various morphological, biochemical and omics levels, different methods of agricultural management such as the application of fertilizers and stimulants (natural/organic and synthetic) for ameliorating stress effects are explained.
