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Abstract
This study was conducted during two successive seasons of 2004 and 2005 on “Sewy” dates palm cv (semi-dry cultivar) grown on the experimental farm at Horticulture Research Institute, this study was performed through out two experiments.
The first one experiment in field about effect of flower and fruits thinning date and rate on yield and quality of “Sewy” dates. Three thinning times (just at pollination date, 15 days after pollination and 30 days after pollination) with 2 thinning levels (10 and 20 % of the total number of strands) Thinning treatments greatly improved yield, bunch weight, and average fruit weight and fruit shape (length: diameter ratio). On the other hand, thinning treatments slightly affected flesh % and fruit acidity. However, fruit texture, fruit colour, fruit tannins contents and TSS % were significantly improved with thinning treatments than the unthinned palms. Generally, it could be concluded that thinning – out 20 % of the total number of “Sewy” strands after 15 or 30 days of pollination under Giza Governorate conditions are favorable treatments for improving yield and quality of semi–dry cultivar “Sewy” dates.
The second experiment in laboratory about effect of some artificial ripening agents on quality of “Sewy” dates during cold storage methods. The artificial ripening process either using by sun dried, calcium carbide and heat oven dried and storability at 5±2ºC and 85% relative humidity (R.H). Fruit decay % and weight loss % were increased with advanced cold storage periods regardless of the used treatments. No fruit decay % was observed till 90 and 120 days. Oven-dried fruits exhibited the least values of fruit decay and weight loss % during all cold storage periods. High flesh %, fruit lightness, total soluble solids % reducing sugars % non-reducing sugars % and total sugars % were obtained with sun-dried fruits with significant differences with other two artificial ripening methods. No significant differences were obtained between calcium carbide-ripened
fruits and oven-dried fruits in their seed weight %, fruit acidity
and total tannins calcium carbide-ripened fruits exhibited higher texture values than oven or sun dried fruits during all cold storage durations.