Importance of date palm cultivation in india

Dates are the fruit of a desert palm tree. It is one of the few crops that grow in the desert. Date palms have been described as the “tree of life." The trees grow very large; produce fruit for a long time; and can survive long droughts and extremely high temperatures. According to an old Egyptian saying "A date palm is the only creation of God that resembles man. Unlike other trees, a date palm gives more as it grows older." Education is the most important tool to bring changes in human behavior and thus to implement the recommended agronomic practices of crops that are important for the improvement of production and productivity. The agronomic practices of date palm production such as propagation and irrigation methods and plant spacing employed by farmers are traditional and inappropriate for the production of date palm which is inherited from generation. The farmers use local varieties that are low yielders as well as low in quality. Moreover, they are using postharvest handling practices that are not suitable for the production of high quality date fruits. Furthermore, date palm production is constrained with lack of improved varieties, high incidence of diseases, and insect pests. Continuous training, and extension services, research, and developmental interventions in the cultivation and management of date palm trees as well as handling of date fruits by the responsible stakeholders are recommended to improve the incomes and livelihoods of the farmers. The climatic features existing in the Indian arid zone are compatible with the requirements of successful date palm plant production. Planners, researchers and modern farmers are making serious efforts at converting this vast mass of arid land into profitable green land, thereby changing the economic status of the region. Planting date palm in Western Rajasthan can help check desertification and can strengthen rural economies by generation of employment besides providing net monetary income to farmers. Considering the various agriculture advances and recent technological innovations in various fields aimed at regenerating and revitalizing the arid zone biosphere, it is not hard to visualize, Great Indian Thar Desert full of lush green forest, orchards and crop plants.