Date palms thrive on salty water: New study reveals varietal benefits in the United Arab Emirates

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) New research from the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) offers hope for sustainable date production in arid regions. The study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, found that certain common date palm varieties can tolerate and even benefit from low to moderate levels of salinity in irrigation water. This discovery holds significant promise for water management in date-growing regions struggling with water scarcity and salinity. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, highlights the importance of the research:“Date palms are vital to food security in the Middle East and North Africa, and finding ways to cultivate them despite environmental challenges is crucial.” ICBA's research program, dating back to 2001, has focused on the impact of saline water irrigation on date palm growth, yield, and fruit quality. Experiments conducted in the UAE with 18 common varieties, including Ajwa Al Madinah, Khalas, and Lulu, revealed ...