Date harvest in Kerman province is reduced by 38%

Date harvest in Kerman province is reduced by 38%

The head of the Jihad Agricultural Organization of Kerman province said: the area under date palm cultivation in Kerman province, except for Jiroft and Kahnooj, is over 25,000 hectares.

Dr. Haji Mohammad Taklouzadeh said: The forecast for harvesting dates this year is about 90,000 tons with an approximate value of 150 billion tomans.

He stated: The date harvest will be reduced by about 38% compared to last year, which will be 55,000 tons and will be worth approximately 66 billion tomans.

The head of the Jihad Agricultural Organization of Kerman province stated: the occurrence of frost on date palms in the winter of 2007 and the complication of drying of date clusters and consecutive droughts are the reasons for the decrease in date crop production this year.

Regarding the effects of drought on this crop, Dr. Taklouzadeh said: Drought has reduced the production of the crop by about 10-15% and has reduced the development of date palm planting and the construction of new orchards.

Regarding the strategies to deal with drought, he said: Mobile water supply, (improvement of irrigation methods), implementation of pressurized irrigation systems, use of cement channels and piping for optimal use and prevention of water wastage and recommend the use of potash fertilizers. To increase the resistance of trees to drought is one of the ways to deal with drought.

The head of the Jihad Agricultural Organization of Kerman province, stating that about 24% (6,000 hectares) of date palms are infected with date pest, said: feeding on plant sap and reducing product quality, reducing crop yield per unit area and economic losses to gardeners from the effects The pest of chains is on fertile trees.

Regarding the other effects of the pest on fertile trees, Dr. Taklouzadeh said: Pouring secretions on leaves and fruits reduces the process of photosynthesis in the plant, which has negative effects on tree growth and weakens the tree and secondary attack of other pests and reduces the quality and quantity of the product.

Regarding the ways to deal with date palms, he said: Reducing the density of date palms per unit area and observing the planting distance, pruning, using sticky yellow strips for non-chemical control and spraying are among the ways to deal with this pest.