Iran Mazafati Dates
In addition to being eaten fresh, the date fruit is dried and eaten whole as a snack or included in an assortment of desserts. Many regional Middle Eastern cuisines incorporate dates, as do Mediterranean cuisines like those of Italy and Greece. Dried dates are usually readily available in most markets, and fresh dates can be found in specialty markets in season. The date palm is also susceptible to other plant pathogens which can cause leaf and fruit rot. Additionally, date production is also under threat from a major palm pest, the red palm beetle, particularly in parts of the Middle East and throughout the Mediterranean. There is also the date stone beetle, which spends part of its life cycle in dates where it feeds off them, and Rhinoceros beetle, which feeds on tender leaves, inflorescences and fruit stalk of the fruit bunches of date palm. Damage caused by pests is considerable and can lead to heavy economic losses. One way of getting rid of such pests is by putting up mercury-vapour light traps at regular intervals in infested plantations, a mechanical method intended to attract and trap the insects. Chemical treatment is also an option.
Dates are planted about 25-35 ft apart, yielding about 50 plants per acre on average. A Mazafati Dates tendency toward slightly higher densities of up to 60 or so per acre has occurred more recently. Cultivars such as ‘Khadrawy' that are dwarf can be planted at much higher densities. Very little pruning and training is involved in the production of any palm fruits. Dates have persistent leaves, which must be pruned off to allow access to fruit and crowns; old fruit stalks are pruned off as well.
In Iraq, date palms are fertilized once a year with manure at the rate of 44 lbs (20 kg) per tree. Commercial fertilizers are utilized in Saudi Arabia and the United States. Of more importance is the supply of water, a large amount being necessary and it is usually supplied by irrigation ditches. In some Old World plantations rising tides cause rivers to flood the ditches twice a day. Where this natural irrigation does not occur, the palms are watered 15 to 40 times a year. Overhead moisture (including rain) during fruit development will cause minute cracks (checking), beginning at the apex of the fruit which ultimately darkens. In California, the fruit clusters are covered with paper bags to shelter them from rain, dust, and predators.
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In recent years Iran is one of the leading Countries in Date production in the world, with annual production of about 900000 Mazafati Dates exporters metric tons. Date palm is grown mainly in South, South East, and South West of the Iran.
