REVOLUTIONARY new technologies implemented in Bahrain have produced 855 date palm seedlings through tissue culture cultivation.
The new techniques are in line with nationwide efforts to elevate agriculture in Bahrain, especially date palm trees, according to Agriculture and Marine Resources Under-Secretary Dr Nabeel Abu Al Fateh.
He explained yesterday that the laboratory-cultivated date palm seedlings were of higher quality as they were disease-free, particularly of Red Palm Weevil infection, and could be produced throughout the year.
He also revealed that as part of efforts by the Agriculture and Marine Resources Directorate, which operates under the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, a census of the number of palms in Bahrain was also underway.
The census will include the date palm population and areas they are located in order to create a reliable database on their location and possible expansion to other areas in Bahrain.
Dr Abu Al Fateh said in a statement issued yesterday that the database could be used as a reference for local, regional and international researchers, specialists and associations.
“Date Palms cultivated through tissue culture are characterised by their high quality and superiority over traditionally cultivated date palms by producing a large amount of homogeneous seedlings throughout the year,” he said.
“These seedlings are disease-free and have a better growth rate than traditional seedlings.
“The laboratory in Budaiya has successfully produced 855 date palm seedlings through these techniques since the start of this year, which are ready to be planted.”
Dr Abu Al Fateh also said that a system to preserve palm trees and track diseases was operational, especially combating and controlling the Red Palm Weevil.
“The directorate is co-operating with various official authorities concerned to discuss the situation of date palm cultivation in Bahrain along with study of the challenges being faced,” he said.
“In the coming period there is a strategy to focus on the development of the laboratory through the establishment of an advanced building in the agriculture complex in Hoorat A’ali with the latest technology, in line with the kingdom’s sustainable development strides.
“It is a step towards achieving the elevation desired in the production and cultivation of date palms in alternative methods as opposed to traditional means.
The GDN reported in June that less than one per cent of palm trees in Bahrain were found to be infected with Red Palm Weevils.
The figure was released by the Animal Wealth Directorate after it conducted inspections at 80 farms and tested 30,102 palm trees, as 296 pheromone traps caught 714 adult weevils, which helped in forming indicators related to the spread of the beetle throughout the year and how to combat it.
The Red Palm Weevil is considered to be one of the world’s most damaging insect pests when it comes to palm trees, burrowing inside them to lay hundreds of eggs that ultimately kill the tree from within.
Larvae that hatch from eggs feed on the palm tissue and bore into the centre of the palm, weakening the trunk and efforts to combat the Red Palm Weevil have been underway for years with experts gathering in Bahrain a number of times to come up with solutions to the problem.
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