Some people call native dates wild or wild dates. Because no one cultivates it, the trees of the forest. This is why the English name may have been Wild Date Palm. Native dates are one of the oldest fruits in the country. Origin in this country, spread in this country. The Latin word sylvestris for botanical name means wild. The tree grows mainly in the forests of this country. Palm trees are usually planted on fallow lands, on the banks of dams, on the banks of ponds, on land isles, around houses and gardens, on both sides of the road. But it is not for fruit, it is for juice. Gurpatali is made from the sweet juice of the tree. In this country, dates are considered as a molasses producing crop. The taste of Nalen molasses is enticing to everyone in winter days. Since dates are not widely cultivated like other crops, they are grown in homes, fields, roadsides. So it is difficult to calculate exactly how much land is being planted with dates. In the last 2016-17, the total production of date juice in this country was 169058 tons. It has been determined that it was extracted from a total of 5132 acres of date palm trees. In the same year, the production of domestic dates was 36939 tons (BBS 2017). Rajshahi, Natore and Jessore have the most date palms. The Department of Agricultural Extension has already taken a special program to expand the cultivation of native dates.
Botanical description
The date palms belong to the Phoenix genus of the Ericaceae family. There are 14 species of phoenix trees in the world. Of these, two species are important as crops. Phoenix sylvestris (L.) Roxb. Involved. Species of native or wild dates and Phoenix dactylifera L. b. The species is known as Arabic date palm or Saudi date palm. The first species yields sap and the second species produces succulent fruit. The date palm is a monocotyledonous, single sex tree. That means male and female trees are different. The girl bears fruit on the tree. Branchless trees are about 4-15 m tall. The bark-like covering of the tree covers all the stems of the petiole. The native date palm is a fast growing, branchless tree with a single stem. The roots of native date palms have thick and pile-like roots. Even after the leaves have fallen off the stem, the base of the leaf canopy sticks to the stem which gives extra beauty to the date palm. The leaves are winged, on either side of the stem, the apex pointed, with sharp hard spines at the base. The leaves on the top of the tree grow like a coconut-betel tree. Flowers bloom in the month of Chaitra. Male and female flowers bloom in tears. Male flowers are small white. The fruit is in summer. The fruits are ovate, yellow in color, about 2.5 cm in length. Inside is a light brown seed. The seeds have a thin shell-like shell on top. Raw shell kaisatya-salt. But when ripe, it is quite sweet. The color of ripe dates is from reddish brown to brown. Ripe dates are very popular among the children of Bengal. Dates are propagated by seeds.
Origin and spread
Indigenous date palms extend from East Asia, especially from the west of the Himalayas to India and Nepal and Myanmar.
Palm trees are scattered almost everywhere in the country. Even in the Sundarbans and coastal areas, date palms have been seen. However, more and better date palms are grown in Jessore, Natore, Rajshahi and Faridpur districts.
Use
Indigenous dates are considered as a crop producing sugar or molasses. The main use of date palm is to produce juice and molasses. However, the fruit can be eaten. Many people do not eat the date fruit as it is of very low quality. The shell of the native date fruit is thin, the beech is large, the storage capacity of the ripe fruit is very low. Yet the luscious smell and sweet taste of ripe fruit attracts many. Especially children and adolescents. Distilled wine or beer can be made from date juice. This locally made wine is called 'Tari'. In a special way, the sap is squeezed towards the head of the tree. The juice is extracted by cutting the dot of the inflorescence that is not blooming anywhere. The average juice production is 5 liters per plant. When the health of the plant is good, the amount of sap is more available. Juice is available from date palms in winter. Drinking fresh date juice on winter mornings is a tradition of rural Bengal. Before cutting down the date palm, the leaves are pruned. The leaf blades are dried in the sun to make patterned palm leaf handbags and other handicrafts. Pati, mats, baskets etc. are made from date leaves in rural Bengal. Many people in the village use date palm as a building material. Its trunk is used to build bridges over small ditches or canals. In some places date palms are planted in the garden as ornamental trees. Dates are good for heart disease, fever and stomach ailments. Fruit tonic. The result is a lot of iron ore.
Weather and soil
Indigenous date palms can grow anywhere from dry to humid. The birth and growth of native date palms is better where the day temperature is 25-35 degrees centigrade. However, even if the temperature drops, the date palm can survive. Young trees are severely damaged by temperatures near freezing. Annual rainfall of 400-600 mm is required for date palms. I want a sunny place for date palms. Dates can grow in different types of soils. However, the soil must be well drained. Otherwise the tree will not survive. It is better if the soil acidity or pH is 5.5-6.5. Date trees are good in saline soils.
526.212 SRY