ABSTRACT
Date palm is one of the oldest cultivated fruit crops in the world and is believed to have originated around 6000 BC from present Iraq. Date fruits are relished for their sweet, succulent and exotic flavor. Date fruits can thus be regarded as an important source of energy and nutrients. Date palm can be propagated by seeds, offshoots and tissue culture techniques. Seed propagation is not suitable because of heterozygosity and dioecious nature of the date palm which may result in an off type plant. Research on water management in date palm has revealed that irrigation using saline water retarded plant growth and productivity. As date palm is a dioecious crop, it is very much essential to manage pollens and use them efficiently on female inflorescences. Kader and Hosain specified five distinct stages in the development of date fruits from fruit set to maturity. These stage are Hababouk, Kimri, Khalal, Rutab, and Tamar.
