Crown bending studies in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) cv. Barhee in date groves of Kachchh, Gujarat, India

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the subsistent horticultural crops of western India, where its commercial cultivation is concentrated in Kachchh district of Gujarat. Majority, of the plantation is raised through seedlings, hence exhibit, great diversity in fruits. However, Date palm Research Station (DPRS), Mundra, has recommended cultivar Barhee for commercial cultivation in the region during 2002, which has brought a dramatic change in the socio-economic profile of the date growers, due to increase in area and production. Variety Barhee is late maturing with round yellow colored fruits, sweet at Khalal stage, with prolific productivity of 100-150 kg/palm for a period of 8-35 years. The roving survey under taken by the DPRS, Mundra during 2016, in various villages on Barhee orchards, brought the notice of a unusual and unnatural bending of the crown of Barhee palm in many orchards. In the present investigation, it was attempted to understand the phenomena by observing different varieties, bending direction, height of the palm, number of bunches on different direction etc. Our observation indicated that it is varietal character as no other varieties in the region showed bending symptoms. Majority of the palms were bended towards East, presumed to be due to phototaxis, enhanced by severe wind velocity (West to East, av. Speed 11.2 km/hr). It was also observed that, the total number of fruit bunches were more in bending direction indicating the fact that, by keeping the fruit bunches in a balanced way may help to manage this phenomena. The bending symptom was observed on palms having a height more than 5m. Hence, this phenomenon is more predominant on older palms and severe bending may leads to uprooting causing economic loss to farmers.