Date palm as a keystone species in Baja California peninsula, Mexico oases

Grenade, Rafael de

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.02.008

Cited by 36 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Desert oases are fragile ecosystems, where environmental conditions are milder than those in the surrounding desert ensuring fertility and allowing desert farming (Mekki et al ., ). Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a keystone species in the oasis ecosystem because it conditions the oasis microclimate by controlling air temperature, humidity and soil–water dynamics, making it suitable for agriculture (de Grenade, ). However, date palm cultivation is threatened by low rainfall, high temperatures, water resources often high in salt content and high incidence of pests (Downer, ; El‐Juhany, ; Barreveld, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oasis desert farming selects environment‐specific date palm root endophytic communities and cultivable bacteria that promote resistance to drought

Chérif

Marasco

Rolli

et al. 2015

Environ Microbiol Rep

141

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Summary Oases are desert‐farming agro‐ecosystems, where date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plays a keystone role in offsetting the effects of drought and maintaining a suitable microclimate for agriculture. At present, abundance, diversity and plant growth promotion (PGP) of date palm root‐associated bacteria remain unknown. Considering the environmental pressure determined by the water scarcity in the desert environments, we hypothesized that bacteria associated with date palm roots improve plant resistance to drought. Here, the ecology of date palm root endophytes from oases in the Tunisian Sahara was studied with emphasis on their capacity to promote growth under drought. Endophytic communities segregated along a north–south gradient in correlation with geo‐climatic parameters. Screening of 120 endophytes indicated that date palm roots select for bacteria with multiple PGP traits. Bacteria rapidly cross‐colonized the root tissues of different species of plants, including the original Tunisian date palm cultivar, Saudi Arabian cultivars and Arabidopsis. Selected endophytes significantly increased the biomass of date palms exposed to repeated drought stress periods during a 9‐month greenhouse experiment. Overall, results indicate that date palm roots shape endophytic communities that are capable to promote plant growth under drought conditions, thereby contributing an essential ecological service to the entire oasis ecosystem.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oasis desert farming selects environment‐specific date palm root endophytic communities and cultivable bacteria that promote resistance to drought

Chérif

Marasco

Rolli

et al. 2015

Environ Microbiol Rep

141

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Its ecosystem services enable the development of diverse forms of animal and plant life essential for the populations of arid zones [5]. This dioecious species, mainly grown for its fruits, is of great socio-economic importance on the Arabian Peninsula, in North Africa and in the Middle East [6]- [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Practices and Knowledge Associated with Date Palm Cultivation in Southeastern Niger

Zango¹,

Rey²,

Bakasso³

et al. 2016

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The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a dioecious species, is of particular interest in the Sahel due to its phenological plasticity in relation to climate change and its double-flowering capacity. This article explores local practices and knowledge associated with date palm cultivation in the oasis basins of southeastern Niger, and provides an inventory of local seed propagated varieties, for more effectively guiding agricultural research and the breeding of this species. We carried out a survey of 30 date palm growers in 14 villages of the Manga region. The qualitative data of the survey were processed by a Multiple Correspondence Analysis. We inventoried 19 date palm varieties, for which the main distinctive criterion was fruit colour, but some other criteria such as biology or provenance were also used. The cultural practices and knowledge associated with the date palm in Manga have improved since the 1990s. They also depend on ethnic groups and the importance they assign to farming compared to livestock rearing and trading activities. The type of basin (high, intermediate, or low water table) influences growers' practices and perceptions. Lastly, the date harvest in the wet season is abundant, but of mediocre quality, whereas it is the opposite for the dry season harvest. To conclude, sustainable development of date palm cultivation in the Sahel zone relies firstly on the selection of varieties that are early fruit producers or that can complete fruit maturation during the raining season and secondly on technical capacity building for producers.

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“…However, recent research, development, and breakthroughs from outside this region are increasing and promise to revolutionize the future of the date palm (e.g., Ataga et al 2012 ;de Grenade 2013 ;Diaz et al 2003 ;Fang et al 2012 ). The establishment of an International Consortium for Palm Research (ICPR) was proposed (Al-Khayri and Niblett 2012 ) to foster innovative international research collaboration for palm improvement, productivity, and utilization on a global basis.…”

Section: Research Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity, Genetic Diversity, and Genetic Resources of Date Palm

Jaradat

2015

Date Palm Genetic Resources and Utilization

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Phoenix dactylifera L. is composed of genetically discrete clones representing thousands of cultivars without the benefi ts of a dynamic mutationrecombination system; its genetic resources are the most important component of biodiversity in its natural habitats; these include modern cultivars, landraces, obsolete cultivars, breeding lines, and related wild species. Cultivated Phoenix is closely related to a variable aggregate of wild and feral palms distributed over a wide desert belt across the Middle East and North Africa. Genetic diversity and genetic structure of the species gene pool complex have been shaped and greatly altered by human and natural selection, clonal propagation, and spatiotemporal exchange of germplasm. The mixed sexual-clonal propagation system acted on the sexual traits, impacted the genetic structure of populations, and may have resulted in the accumulation of domesticated traits in the date palm. Traditional oases continue to play a vital role in the maintenance and enrichment of date palm biodiversity, genetic diversity, and genetic resources through multiple processes and dynamic conservation practices. However, with the advent of modern plantations emphasizing elite cultivars, a better understanding of the intraspecifi c genetic variation of date palm and its distribution in oasis agroecosystems is essential for the conservation and sustainable utilization of its biodiversity and genetic resources. In-depth assessment of the genetic vulnerability of date palm to biotic and abiotic stress requires knowledge of the extent and distribution of its genetic diversity, both of which depend on the species evolution and its unique breeding system, past genetic bottlenecks, and ecological, environmental, and anthropogenic factors.

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Date palm as a keystone species in Baja California peninsula, Mexico oases

Cited by 36 publications

References 18 publications

Oasis desert farming selects environment‐specific date palm root endophytic communities and cultivable bacteria that promote resistance to drought

Oasis desert farming selects environment‐specific date palm root endophytic communities and cultivable bacteria that promote resistance to drought

Local Practices and Knowledge Associated with Date Palm Cultivation in Southeastern Niger

Biodiversity, Genetic Diversity, and Genetic Resources of Date Palm

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