Date Palm Status and Perspective in Egypt

Abstract

Cultivation of date palms in Egypt goes back thousands of years. The date palm tree has great socioeconomic importance and nutritional value in Egypt. Its traditional use as a primary source of food and by-products and its ecological benefi ts in oasis agriculture make it an important fruit tree and the best crop to be cultivated. Egypt is the most productive country of date palm fruit in the world. There is a high potential for increasing the production area of date palm to fulfi ll local consumption in the whole country and to produce date fruits for export purposes. Presently, the Egyptian Government and private sector are convinced of the potential of date production and are striving to establish commercial date plantations and promote viable date production. Despite its important roles in Egyptian agriculture and the efforts made, date palm cultivation, production, processing, and marketing are still beleaguered with several problems. The low quality of cultivars, poor farm management, pests and diseases, marketing obstacles, and insuffi cient applicable research are the major constraints of the date palm in Egypt. Moreover, inconsistent quality in combination with low-grade packaging provides a considerable challenge for Egyptian date producers to fi ll the unmet domestic and international demand. By contrast, an abundance of capable manpower and arable land, low labor costs as well as the wide range of date palm diversity are among the most important competitive factors. This chapter discusses the current status, constraints, and the available avenues that can be used to develop the date palm industry in Egypt.

The Efficiency of The Parasitoid, Trichogramma sp. Against Some Date Pests

“…Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivation in Egypt goes back thousands of years. The earliest evidence of its presence was provided by the drawings on ancient Egyptian tombs (Bekheet and El-Sharabasy, 2015). Egypt has been the world's largest producer of dates since 1974 and reports very high average yields as compared to other countries (Bekheet and El-Sharabasy, 2015).…”

“…The earliest evidence of its presence was provided by the drawings on ancient Egyptian tombs (Bekheet and El-Sharabasy, 2015). Egypt has been the world's largest producer of dates since 1974 and reports very high average yields as compared to other countries (Bekheet and El-Sharabasy, 2015). The date palm tree and its fruits are attacked by several pests that are well adapted to the Egyptian environment such as, the pomegranate butterfly Deudorix (Virachola) livia Klug (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), the greater date moth, Arenipses sabella Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the lesser date moth, Batrachedra amydraula Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Batrachedridae), the dried fruit moth, Ephestia calidella Guenée (Lepiodptera: Phycitidae), the spider mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus Berlese (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae), the palm frond borer Phonapate frontalis Fah.…”

The Technical Heritage of Date Palm Leaves Utilization in Traditional Handicrafts and Architecture in Egypt & the Middle East

“…Date palm tree acquires great importance historically, economically and socially in Egypt. The pruning residues of Date Palm are utilized in many traditional industries and construction by the cultivators and craftsmen in Egypt; thus playing a huge role in sustaining the rural societies against the immigration to urban cities, as those date palm related industries support over one million families in Egypt [1].…”

Field Evaluation of Date Palm Dust Mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) Control on Date Palm Trees in New Valley Governorate of Egypt

“…Also the validity to be cultivated in the poorest and the lowest quality land makes it not competed by any other crop (Bekheet and El-Sharabasy 2015).…”