Maturity standards for date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).

Abstract: The effects of harvesting date (Gandora [green stage], Doka [early stage of fruit development], and Dang [late stage of fruit development]) on 8 P. dactylifera cultivars (Jagool, Khadrawi, Medjool, Shamran, Halawy, Barhee, Khunezi, and Khalsa) were investigated. The harvesting stage influenced fruit weight, acidity, total soluble solids (TSS), organoleptic rating, and spoilage percentage. The weight of fruits in all eight cultivars increased up to Doka stage and then slightly decreased at Dang stage. The TSS in all cultivars increased from Gandora to Dang stage whereas acidity decreased. This study revealed that for raw consumption of dates as well as for its better keeping quality, fruits should be harvested at the Doka stage. As positive correlation was observed between TSS and organoleptic rating. It is suggested that TSS may be considered as an index of maturity of dates.