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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Riverside, California » National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #371282
Research Project: Conservation, Management and Distribution of Citrus and Date Genetic Resources and Associated Information

Location: National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus

Title: Effect of four pollinating sources on nutritional properties if ‘Medjool’ date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds

Author
item SALOMON-TORRES, R - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item SOL-URIBE, J - Universidad De Sonora
item VALDEZ-SALAS, B - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item GARCIA-GONZALEZ, C - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item Krueger, Robert
item HERNANDEZ-BALBUENA, D - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item NORZAGARAY-PLASCENCI, S - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item GARCIA-VAZQUEZ, JP - Universidad Autonoma De Baja California
item ORTIZ-URIBE, N - Universidad De Sonora

Submitted to: Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2020
Publication Date: 2/18/2020
Citation: Salomon-Torres, R., Sol-Uribe, J., Valdez-Salas, B., Garcia-Gonzalez, C., Krueger, R., Hernandez-Balbuena, D., Norzagaray-Plascenci, S., Garcia-Vazquez, J., Ortiz-Uribe, N. 2020. Effect of four pollinating sources on nutritional properties if ‘Medjool’ date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds. Agriculture 2020, 10 (45). https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10020045.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10020045

Interpretive Summary: The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) is well-known as having metaxenic properties (direct effect of pollen source on fruit or seed development). This paper reports the effects of pollen source on seeds of date palm as grown under Northwest Mexican conditions. Pollen from four different date palm cultivars (‘Deglet Noor’, ‘Khadrawy’, ‘Medjool’, and ‘Zahidi’) as well as grower-source pollen were used to pollinate the ‘Medjool’ cultivar. Metaxenic effects were observed on physical, proximate, and nutritional parameters, and mineral content; however, metaxenic effects were not observed on diameter, total acidity, and pH. Implications of the results on potential uses of date seeds are presented.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pollen source on the nutritional composition of the ‘Medjool’ date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds under conditions of Northwest Mexico. The content of nutrients (protein, lipids, fiber, and ash), sugars (total, reducing, and non-reducing), and most abundant minerals were evaluated. The pollen of four cultivars (‘Deglet Noor’, ‘Khadrawy’, ‘Medjool’, and ‘Zahidi’) was selected. Four groups of three bunches were pollinated in each of the female palms. The pollen sources had an effect on the physicochemical properties of the seeds of the ‘Medjool’ cultivar date. However, some of the parameters (diameter, total acidity, pH) did not show statistically significant differences. The pollen sources from the ‘Khadrawy’ and ‘Medjool’ cultivars were the ones that induced the differences in physical, proximate, and nutritional parameters, while pollen from the ‘Zahidi’ source induced the largest differences for minerals. The values reported were generally similar to those reported from different countries. The results suggest that selection of the source of pollen has a significant effect on the nutritional properties of the date seed from the cultivar ‘Medjool’, and that its use could be feasible as a functional food or by-product of the date production.