The beneficial study aimed to determine the effects of the compound chemical fertilizer and growth regulator brassinolide on the qualitative and productive traits of the date palm Barhi cultivar, carried out in 2023 at the Kerbala Agriculture Directorate, Iraq. The experiment layout had a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors and three replications. The first factor was adding the compound chemical fertilizer at three levels (0, 1000, and 1500 g palm-1), while the second factor included foliar application of the growth regulator brassinolide with four concentrations (0.0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.8 mg L-1). The results showed the date palm variant with compound chemical fertilizer (1500 g palm-1) was superior in fruit length, diameter, weight, set, bunch weight, and total fruit yield, with average values of 3.079 cm, 2.517 cm, 10.741 g, 74.710%, 14.729 kg bunch-1, and 117.830 kg palm-1, respectively. According to the foliar application of brassinolide, it was evident that brassinolide at 0.8 mg L-1 performed better and excelled for the fruit’s yield-related traits, with average values of 3.208 cm, 2.531 cm, 11.153 g, 76.060%, 15.667 kg bunch-1, and 125.330 kg palm-1, respectively. The interaction effects between the factors were significant for all traits.
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), compound chemical fertilizer, brassinolide, qualitative traits, fruit yield traits
The results showed superiority of the mineral fertilizer 1500 g palm-1 and foliar application of the growth regulator brassinolide 0.8 mg L-1 for the fruit’s yield-related traits in the date palm (P. dactylifera L.).