Effect of Bunch Covering with Different Colors of Polyethylene and GA3 Spray in Some Fruits Characteristics of Date Palm cv. Braim

Abstract

Abstract: The experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Ministry of Agriculture, Baghdad during the period March 2018 to 30 September 2018 with the objectives to observe the effect of bunch covering with different colors of polyethylene and gibberellic acid(GA3) spray on some physiological and biochemical traits of Braim date palm cultivar. Bunches covering treatments included, unbagged bunches (control), perforated transparent polyethylene, blue polyethylene and black polyethylene, on the other hand, spraying GA3 included, spray with distilled water, 75 mgl-1 and 150 mgl-1 .The coverage and GA3 treatments had a significant effect in reducing fruits drop and increasing bunch weight, the blue and black polyethylene and GA3 with 150 mgl-1, the blue cover gave the highest for rutab percentage, total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total soluble solids and low acidity. Spraying with GA3 delayed fruit ripening and reducing the total sugars, reducing sugars, total soluble solids and high acidity.