Outcome of Panel Discussion on Priority setting for the research topics (themes)

(To Outcome of Specialized Working Groups Discussions)

A group discussion from the invited scientists, specialists and representative from the GCC countries was held at the end of the seconded day of the workshop which came up with the following list of priorities (table 1). Additionally the group also highlighted the following areas as major component for improvement.   

·         Identification, classification and finger printing of the local varieties

·         New techniques for variety improvement including gene transfer to improve adaptability to salinity, drought and pest resistance

·         development of proper IPM programs

·         Improvement of Agro-management techniques especially in the area of irrigation, fertigation, pollination, fruiting and mechanization of tree services.

·         Development of post-harvest techniques to improve marketing at the off season period and techniques for utilizing date palm traditional and new value-added products.

·         Build up of an expert system for date palm production

·         Capacity building of NARS & growers in the area of date palm agro-management

·         Enhancing Networking capabilities for the exchange of information, databases, services derived from the project activities.

Table 1. Priority setting of the different themes as ranked by GCC Countries Representatives.
(One stands for highest priority)

*Suggested by Oman as an important tools to be included with all the other components

Above panel recommendations were further discussed in separate specialized groups.

Outcome of Specialized Working Groups Discussions

(To Outcome of Panel Discussion)

Participants have been organized into two working groups.

Group 1 involved the discussions on two themes:                                                                                          (To Group 2)

1) Propagation and Crop Management

2) Post Harvests, Marketing and Processing

1.1. Propagation and Crop Management                                                                                             Top

Constraints

1.       Tissue culture techniques can efficiently produce large numbers of date palms transplants for several cultivars but techniques to determine morphological characteristics of the resulting trees are lacking and ways of producing additional cultivars need to be determined

2.       Offshoot propagation methods are inefficient and survival after planting is poor

3.       Influence of different environments, watering and fertilization regimes on uptake of nutrients at different stages of tree and fruit production are not known

4.       Actual water requirement of date palm, its response to deficit irrigation and low quality water not known

5.       New technologies for water management to improve efficiency and productivity of Date Palm are not known or implemented by farmers

6.       Practices for optimal date palm tree management and fruit production practices have not been defined

7.       Factors influencing successful pollination are not well known

8.       Various methods of mechanical and chemical thinning need to be improved

9.       An atlas with keys to identification of different cultivars and their growth requirements is needed

Based on the above constrains the group identified the following issues to be addressed

Date Palm Propagation

Tissue Culture Techniques

Improve techniques to produce true-to-type plants & verify by using finger printing technique

Advanced studies on meristematic tissues usage as an explant in situations where no offshoots are available.

Off-Shoots Method

Extend use of small size offshoots to improve propagation efficiency.

Enhance treatments that could increase the number of off-shoots/date palm tree.

Date Palm Crop Management

1.       Water requirements and irrigation methods using different water quality

2.       Nutritional requirements using judicious methods in applying the proper type and quantities of fertilizers and avoiding excessive applications that would contaminate the environment

3.       Date production by organic farming

4.       Application of the recommended technical package of the palm head with emphasis on fruit thinning both mechanically and/or chemically

5.       Mechanization of agricultural practices

6.       Climatic requirements during fruit growth and maturation for commercial cultivars

7.       Evaluation and selection of male palms

8.       Determination of proper harvest stage for different cultivars under different environmental conditions

9.       Nature of the preharvest drop in some cultivars

10.   Skinning (sluffing) - causes and solutions

Atlas of Date Palm

A descriptive manual for date palm varieties on botanical, genetically, geographical and ecological characterization

Extension Services

Assuring that available and new information is made accessible to all growers with minimal delay of time by using all available media

1.2. Post Harvest, Marketing and Processing                                                                                            Top

Constraints

1.       Capacity in modern Postharvest handling and marketing is deficient.

2.       Postharvest losses are high

3.       Regionally produced dates do not satisfy international regulations and standards necessary for export

4.       Postharvest sector is largely neglected in AP countries

5.       Lack of trained personnel in Postharvest; (e.g. Harvesting, Storage, Marketing and lack of knowledge in International  Regulations and Standards)

6.       Information/Application of Postharvest technologies to manage ripening of dates is rudimentary.

7.       Specialized personnel and institutions dealing with Postharvest aspects are lacking 

8.       Recent expansion in both date palm plantations and date productions in AP countries have dramatically increased; while a parallel development in the post harvest sector to reduce Postharvest losses and foster export has lagged considerably.

9.       The need to develop/innovate effective treatment that is safe and abide with international requirements and regulations

The above constrains were further elaborated on by the group as follows

Post Harvest, Handling & Marketing 

1.       Characterization and evaluation of the proper cvs for specific areas

2.       Mechanization of harvesting (machine aided)

3.       Artificial ripening and preparation of date palm for marketing

4.       Packaging and storage technologies

5.       Development of date quality standards

6.       Study of potential regional and internationally

Processing:

1.       Production of High Fructose Syrup

2.       Production of high protein animal feed

3.       Production of Citric Acid

4.       Development of date syrup and date vinegar

5.       Capacity building

Group 2 was involved in the discussion of two themes:                                                                               (To Group 1)

1) Crop protection and IPM

2) Biotechnology and Germplasm Conservation

 2.1. Crop protection and IPM                                                                                                              Top

Constraints

1.       The local and Regional distribution of many insect pests and their economic impact is not well documented for date palm in the Arabian Peninsula.  Nor have their associated natural enemies been surveyed for potential use in biological control

2.       The nature, distribution and impact of date palm diseases is not well known

3.       Biological control strategies for these pests have not been studied

4.       IPM programs for the insect pest complex on date palm have not been implemented at the farm level

5.       Pilot sites are not established for participatory implementation of IPM

6.       Farmers are not considered full partners in IPM implementation

7.       Trained IPM personnel and educational/outreach programs are lacking

The group suggested the following areas as priorities

1.       Importance and distribution of Lesser Date Moth, Dubas bug and their natural enemies determined.

2.       Importance and distribution of date palm diseases determined.

3.       Components for integrated management options for Lesser Date Moth and Dubas bug identified and evaluated.

4.       Options for integrated management of Lesser Date Moth, Dubas bug, Red palm weevil and others assembled and tested.

5.       Pilot sites established for participatory implementation of IPM.

6.       Farmers empowered to adapt and adopt IPM technologies.

7.       NARS capacities in formulation and implementation of IPM options strengthened.                  

2.2. Biotechnology and Germplasm Conservation                                                                            Top

Constraints

1.       Currently no simple, accurate technology exists for cultivar identification

2.       Little knowledge base concerning the extant genetic diversity in date palm.

3.       Tissue culture protocols are limited to specific cultivars

4.       Magnitude of somaclonal variation in date palm

5.       Disease detection, (phytoplasms, fungal, bacterial)

6.       No existing transformation system for date palm

7.       Lack of trained personnel

8.       Networking of Date palm Biotechnology Resources

Ranking of activities as decided by the group

Information Technology and Expert System, Capacity building and institutional strengthening are cross cutting issues with all groups