Effects of Leaf Removal, Leaf Tying, and Overhead Irrigation on Transplanted Pygmy Date Palms

Abstract

The effects of leaf removal, leaf tying, and overhead irrigation during transplanting were determined using mature pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii). In one experiment palms had all, 2/3, or none of their leaves removed and were irrigated overhead or on the soil surface only. In the second experiment, palms had 2/3 of their lower leaves removed and those remaining were eithertied up into a bundle or left untied. Half of the palms in each experiment were irrigated daily while the other half were subjected to water stress cycles. Results showed that leaf tying had no positive effect on the palms, but when coupled with overhead irrigation, was responsible for fungal infections in the crowns of some palms. With regular irrigation, palm quality and root growth were increased as the number of leaves retained was increased, but under water stress conditions, the reverse was true. Overhead irrigation had no positive effect on transplanted palms.