What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine how inter-seasonal climate variability alters the vegetative growth, phenological timing, and yield stability of date palms subjected to organic and synthetic mulches.

September 18, 2026Frontiers in AgronomyOpen Access

Climate variability governs mulch performance and stability in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in arid oases

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SUSafi UwaseNational Agricultural Research Institute MJMustapha El JanatiInstitut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II ASAhmed SabriNational Agricultural Research Institute

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Implication

A three-season field experiment demonstrates that mulch permeability balances date palm yield and stability, highlighting climate-dependent trade-offs in arid oases.

Key Points

To determine how inter-seasonal climate variability alters the vegetative growth, phenological timing, and yield stability of date palms subjected to organic and synthetic mulches.
Evaluated 64 mature Phoenix dactylifera L. cv. Najda palms across three seasons (2023–2025) in Errachidia, Morocco.
Assigned palms to four treatments: no mulch, shredded date palm fronds (SDPF), polyethylene film over SDPF (PP+SDPF), and polypropylene woven ground cover over SDPF (PWGC+SDPF).
Recorded canopy development, spathe counts, and marketable fruit yield, and quantified yield stability using the Alternate Bearing Index and a Risk Index.
PP+SDPF achieved a marketable yield of 29.92 ± 3.56 kg tree⁻¹ in 2024 (4.2× unmulched control) but dropped to 11.84 ± 2.22 kg tree⁻¹ in 2025 (7.93 kg tree⁻¹ below control; treatment × season interaction p < 0.001).
Frond count positively correlated with spathe production in 2024 (rs = +0.455, p < 0.001), but this association decoupled in 2025 (rs = +0.206, p = 0.122).
PWGC+SDPF demonstrated the greatest inter-seasonal stability, yielding the lowest Alternate Bearing Index (0.419 ± 0.065) and lowest Risk Index (8.3%).

Cite This Study

Uwase et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aad0aaede0393d728b890dc https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2026.1947864

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Implication

A three-season field experiment demonstrates that mulch permeability balances date palm yield and stability, highlighting climate-dependent trade-offs in arid oases.

Climate variability governs mulch performance and stability in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in arid oases

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Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Climate variability governs mulch performance and stability in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in arid oases

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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