Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Agriculture and Environment, 16 (2024) 41–47
Abstract. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a mesophilic tree cultivated in dry areas. Determination of the thermal index ensuring the ripening dates of the Degletnour, Ghars, and Heloua varieties in the period of 1999–2020 in the Biskra region was performed. We collected temperature data on the Biskra region and then processed the data and calculated the thermal indices of the Biskra region and the indices of the Degletnour, Ghars, and Heloua varieties. The heat index corresponds to the sum of the average daily temperatures during the fruiting period minus the zero flowering temperature of 18 °C. Our results show that in the Biskra region the average daily temperatures increase by 18 °C and even more from April to October, lasting 120 days. In the Degletnour variety, the flowering period extends over a period of 180 days from May to October, in the Ghars variety the flowering period extends over a period of 150 days from May to September, and in the Heloua variety the flowering period extends over a period of 122 days from May to August. The thermal index of the Biskra region is 2022.89 °C. The thermal index of the varieties Degletnour is 1937.24 °C, for Ghars is 1797.58 °C, and for Heloua is 1502.23 °C.
Keywords: date palm, variety, flowering time, heat index, maturity
SAPIENTIA HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OF TRANSYLVANIA
The Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania is the independent university of the Hungarian community in Romania, which aims at providing education to the members of our community and performing scientific research on a high professional level.
Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania,
Scientia Publishing House
Acta Universitatis Sapientiae
RO 400112 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Str. Matei Corvin nr. 4.
Email: acta @ acta.sapientia.ro
