DATE PALM

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a tree belonging to the palm family (Arecaceae) and is cultivated for its sweet edible fruits. Over the past century, it has become a major commercial fruit crop and a key component of agricultural production in the world's subtropical arid and semiarid regions. A crop suited both to the low-input small-farmer and the modern high-input commercial plantation, the date palm provides a livelihood for millions of people living in marginal land areas where farming options are restricted. Date palm is mainly grown for its fruits, but the whole tree is utilized. Research into date palm improvement for fruit production in recent decades has brought about improved elite cultivars, stress and pathogen resistance, and enhanced postharvest technologies. These developments have led to revised recommendations for date palm producers, and increased opportunity to promote novel fruit products. This book provides:· A practical manual on modern date palm cultivation methods.· Best practice guidelines for optimal production levels of high-quality fruit.· Opportunities for more complete utilization of date palm products at both the subsistence and commercial levels of production. With contributions from leading international experts, this is a valuable resource for researchers and students in horticulture, as well as date palm growers and processors.

Prof. Jameel M. Al-Khayri is a Professor of plant biotechnology affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. He received B.S. in Biology in 1984 from the University of Toledo, M.S. in Agronomy in 1988, and Ph.D. in Plant Science in 1991 from the University of Arkansas. He is a member the International Society for Horticultural Science and Society for In Vitro Biology as well as the National Correspondent of the International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology. For the last three decades, he dedicated his research efforts to date palm biotechnology. He has authored over seventy research articles in referred international journals, thirty chapters, and edited several journal special issues. In addition, edited eighteen reference books on date palm biotechnology, genetic resources and advances in plant breeding strategies. He has been involved in organizing international scientific conferences and contributed numerous research presentations. In addition to teaching, students advising and research, he held administrative responsibilities as the Assistant Director of Date Palm Research Center, Head of Department of Plant Biotechnology and Vice Dean for Development and Quality Assurance. Dr. Al-Khayri served as a Member of Majlis Ash Shura (Saudi Legislative Council) for the 2009-2012 term. Currently he is maintaining an active research program on date palm focusing in vitro culture, secondary metabolites production, genetic engineering and mutagenesis to enhance tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress.

Prof. Shri Mohan Jain is a Consultant and Plant Biotechnologist, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; received M. Phil, 1973 and Ph.D., 1978, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He was a postdoctoral fellow in Israel, USA, and visiting scientist/Professor in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, and Italy. He was a Technical Officer, Plant Breeding and Genetics, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, 1999-2005. He is a member of International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology; editorial Board member of Euphytica, In Vitro, Propagation of Ornamental Plants, Emirates J. Food and Agriculture, and a series on Forest Biotechnology. His publications are more than 160 in peer reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings, and edited 55 books; invited speaker and acted as a Chair person in several international conferences worldwide. He was awarded Nobel Peace Prize, 2005 in commemoration the awarding to IAEA of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005; also former consultant to IAEA, the European Union, The Govwernment of Greneda, Iranian Private Company and the Egyptian Government. Currently his research interests are somatic embryogenesis, organogenesis, haploidy, somatic cell hybridization, somaclonal variation and mutagenesis mainly in medicinal plants, date palm, and banana genetic improvement, genetic diversity, erosion, conservation, and utilization in the context of climate change and food and nutritional security.

Prof. Dennis V. Johnson is a Consultant and Former University Professor. He is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles where he completed his B.A. (1966), M.A. (1970) and Ph.D. (1972) degrees in geography, with specialization in agriculture and biogeography. He has taught at several colleges and universities including the University of Houston, and was a visiting professor for two years at the University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil. Dr. Johnson also has worked extensively with international development agencies providing technical assistance to agriculture and forestry on projects and programs in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. He has published numerous articles on palm utilization and conservation and has edited or written books for FAO, IUCN and UNEP. He has also translated into English plant science books from Portuguese and Spanish. A decade ago Dr. Johnson began to focus his research on date palm, in particular its introduction to non-traditional areas such as Spain, North and South America and Australia. He co-authored a book on date growing in the USA and has made presentations at five international date palm conferences, and co-edited books on date palm, sago palm and plant breeding.

Dr. Robert R Krueger is a native of California. He grew up in an agricultural environment and this interest lead to a MS in Plant Science from the University of California, Riverside, and eventually to a PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis. Since receiving his doctorate, he has worked as a Horticulturist at the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Riverside, California, where he is the Curator of the national collections of genetic resources of citrus, date palms, and related taxa. As Curator, he is responsible for acquisition, maintenance, distribution, and evaluation of these plant genetic resources. His research interests and activities include phytosanitary considerations, genetic relationships, ecophysiology, nursery practices, and cultural associations of the crops.