Date palm status and perspective in israel

Abstract

Date palms have been grown in the land of Israel for several thousands of years. Although the date orchards had fl ourished during the Roman Empire and were famous for their fruit quality, these were lost through hundreds of years without extensive farming in remote dessert oases. During the twentieth century, elite cultivars originating from Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia, and Morocco were imported to form an active industry. Since the 1990s the Israeli date industry has focused on production of the high-quality Medjool fruit. The semidry fruit requires additional management and care before and after its harvest, including laborious fruit thinning and selective and repeated harvests; although the industry is small, in the last 25 years, it has an annual growth rate of 5–10 %. A large portion of Israeli dates are exported, especially into the European markets, where the Israeli Medjool has a very significant market share. Innovation and research have led to physiological and technical solutions improving all aspects of date growing, harvesting, and postharvest treatments. Special efforts have been invested in machines to improve the productivity and safety of the workers on the high trees.