Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIV, Issue 2
Written by Imad Jabbar Wadi AL-SUWAID, Ana Cornelia BUTCARU, Cosmin MIHAI, Florin STĂNICĂ
The date plant with the scientific name of Phoenix dactylifera L. has a history of cultivation of more than 5000 years. The date palm tree is used for various purposes such as food, shelter, fibers and fuel. Dates are one of the top 5 products produced in the world and after wheat, tomatoes and barley it is the fourth product produced in the world. Arab countries have more than 70% of date palm trees. More than 67% of dates are produced in Arab countries. The cultivation of dates in Iraq has a long history. Iraq has been one of the top ten date producing countries for a long time (the last two decades). Dates are Iraq's second export product. However, various factors such as war, sanctions, environmental tensions, and pests and diseases reduced the production of dates and destroyed a wide area of date orchards. Fortunately, nowadays, according to various management programs for the production and export of this product, as well as various research conducted with the aim of increasing the productivity and quality of the fruit, date production in Iraq has been progressing. So, in 2022, Iraq was the first exporter of dates in the world.
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