Genetic improvement
- Improved elite date palm varieties, which come into fruiting about 3 years after planting into the field, have been selected and are now being released to farmers.
- A wide germplasm of the date palm has been collected and conserved in the genepool for breeding purposes.
- Well known commercial varieties have also been introduced into the germplasm through introductions from Israel and Namibia. The floral biology of the crop is now clearly understood, and controlled pollination techniques to ensure production of seeds with desired characteristics have been worked out.
Impact: The release of the superior date palm variety has created increased awareness of date palm cultivation in Jigawa State and other date palm growing states of Northern Nigeria, with a resultant increase in demand for date palm seedlings. The institute raises date suckers using the superior genetic lines for distribution to farmers.
Agronomy, soils and crop protection
- Techniques for raising nursery seedlings have been worked out
- Some soils of the date palm belt have been characterized
- Insect pests of date palm have been identified and integrated methods of control involving use of pheromones and chemical baits have been studied.
Processing technology
- Development of techniques for preserving and packaging of date fruits to ensure longer shelf life, and enhance marketability.
- Procedures for producing date juice and wine using date fruits have been worked out.
- Design and fabrication of a date fruit juice extractor.
