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The aim of this study was the evaluation of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) pollen production during the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the Mexicali Valley, Mexico. Twelve seed-propagated male palms of 20 years of age and similar vigor were selected and grouped into four groups with phenotypic characteristics of the common female cultivars in the area (Medjool, Deglet Noor, Khadrawy, and Zahidi). The pollen was extracted manually, with average production among all individuals of 780.94 and 777.11 g, in 26 and 24 inflorescences, respectively, for each year. Likewise, the flowering period on average was 47 and 41 days for each year. The pollen extracted from the earliest four inflorescences averaged 38.7 and 32.55 g, while that of the latest one produced 10.70 g and 18.28 g for each year, respectively. Seedling male palms with a phenotype similar to the Deglet Noor cultivar produced the greatest amount of pollen with 1250.98 and 1114.26 g on average for each year, produced during a late, short flowering period. Likewise, those palms with phenotypes similar to the Medjool cultivar produced the second-highest amount of pollen with 851.28 and 866.43 g on average for each year, produced during an early, long flowering period. Finally, an in vivo viability test through the fruit set percentage, revealed that the use of any of these four pollen sources would be suitable for the pollination of the recipient female cultivar Medjool, the most widely cultivated variety in Mexico. These results will allow date producers to select and propagate better pollen-producing male palms.

The aim of this study was the characterization of fatty acids, antioxidant activity, some physical properties, nutrient content, sugars, and minerals in the pulp and seeds of the date cultivar ‘Medjool’ (Phoenix dactylifera L.) grown in Mexico. The samples were obtained at maturity (Tamar) in the 2017 harvest season in the valleys of San Luis Rio Colorado and Mexicali, Mexico. The following average values were obtained on a % dry weight basis for pulp and seeds, respectively: protein, 3.14% and 4.84%; lipids, 0.75% and 9.94%; fiber, 6.34% and 66.79%; total sugars, 75.32% and 5.88%; reducing sugars, 70.26% and 4.40%; and sucrose, 5.06% and 1.46%. Analysis of the minerals revealed that the most abundant elements for the pulp were: potassium, 851.98 mg/100 g; magnesium, 142.97 mg/100 g; and phosphorus, 139.40 mg/100 g, whereas for the seeds, they were potassium, 413.36 mg/100 g; sulfur, 151.36 mg/100 g; and phosphorus, 92.42 mg/100 g. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the major unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid, at 52.34% and 45.92%, respectively, for pulp and seeds. The main saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (6.75%) and lauric acid (17.24%) in pulp and seeds, respectively. The total phenolic content was 1.16 and 13.73 mg GAE/100 g for pulp and seeds, respectively. Finally, the antioxidant activities were: b-carotene, 65.50% and 47.75%; DPPH, 0.079 IC50 g/L and 0.0046 IC50 g/L; and ABTS, 13.72 IC50 g/L and 0.238 IC50 g/L, respectively. The results obtained in this study confirm that the ‘Medjool’ cultivar grown in Mexico has the same quality of nutrients and antioxidants as those grown in the other main date-producing countries.

Date palm pollen (DPP) plays a very important role in the fertilization process, since its viability and the pollination method influence on the quality, development, and yield of the fruit. In the present study, a broad review of its main characteristics, consumption, and DPP production are presented, as well as a description of its extraction methods and viability tests. The evolution of the pollination methods used in the date palm is also presented, from its natural pollination to the use of specialized mechanical and electrical devices, as well as the use of dry DPP and the current trend towards the use of DPP in liquid suspension. Likewise, the efficiency of the methods of natural pollination (wind); traditional (strands placement); dusting hand; dusting with manual, mechanical, or electric pollinator; and liquid pollination were evaluated from the fruit set percentage (FSP). Finally, starting from a scientometric analysis, the pollination methods were widely discussed, concluding that the dusting spraying of pollen suspension with liquid DPP is the pollination method that commonly presents the highest FSP, followed by dusting dry DPP with a motorized pollinator.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pollen source on the nutritional composition of seeds of the ‘Medjool’ date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) under conditions of northwest Mexico. The content of nutrients (protein, lipids, fiber, and ash), sugars (total, reducing, and non-reducing), and most abundant minerals, were evaluated, as well as antioxidant activities. The pollen of four cultivars (‘Deglet Noor’, ‘Khadrawy’, ‘Medjool’, and ‘Zahidi’) was selected. Four groups of three bunches were pollinated in each of the female palms. For the four treatments, the following ranges were obtained: Seeds had a weight of 1.32−1.41 g and low concentrations of protein (4.44−5.49 g/100 g) and lipids (9.62−10.19 g/100 g). The content of dietary fiber and ash was 59.65−72.59 g/100 g and 1.09−1.42 g/100 g, respectively. Total sugars content was 4.50−6.96 g/100 g, while the insoluble solids were 92.21−96.03 g/100 g. The predominant mineral was potassium with 399.97−459.79 mg/100 g dry weight, followed by sulfur with 135.51−162.67 mg/100 g dry weight. Finally, for antioxidant activities, DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) assay results were 0.0014−0.0094 IC50 g/L and 0.176−0.299 IC50 g/L, respectively. The pollen sources had an effect on the physicochemical properties of the seeds of the ‘Medjool’ cultivar date. However, some of the parameters (diameter, total acidity, pH) did not show statistically significant differences. The pollen sources from the ‘Khadrawy’ and ‘Medjool’ cultivars were the ones that induced differences in physical, proximate, and nutritional parameters, while pollen from the ‘Zahidi’ source induced the largest differences for minerals. The results suggest that selection of the source of pollen has a significant effect on the nutritional properties of the date seed from the cultivar ‘Medjool’, and that its use could be feasible as a functional food or by-product of the date production.

The Date palm (Phoenix dactilifera L.) was introduced to Mexico during the Spanish colonization, but its commercial production did not develop until the second half of the past century. A literature and field research, including a trip to the oases missions and main commercial production areas, allowed us to identify the actual status for this crop in Mexico. While the date culture in the old oases is fading, in the commercial production zones it is in active development. San Luis Rio Colorado and Mexicali Valley region, comprise 97% of the commercial crop production area of the country. The main cultivar is Medjool with 94% of the growing area; actual yields are around 7.9 ton/ha. Ongoing government support and motivated growers training will lead to the application of better crop practices. It is expected to increase yields around 10 ton/ha in the next 5 years. Commercial date production is focused on exports, the internal market is growing, as well as the transformation of the product. Knowledge of the actual trends of the crop will allow to understand their historic importance and its future potential as a commodity and food. Production practices, competitive advantages and research results are presented.

Hypoplasia and ovarian cysts are the most common ovarian pathologies in cattle. In this genome-wide study we analyzed the signal intensity of 648,315 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and identified 1338 genes differentiating cows with ovarian pathologies from healthy cows. The sample consisted of six cows presenting an ovarian pathology and six healthy cows. SNP signal intensities were measured with a genotyping process using the Axiom Genome-Wide BOS 1 SNPchip. Statistical tests for equality of variance and mean were applied to SNP intensities, and significance p-values were obtained. A Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction reveled significant SNPs. Corresponding genes were identified using the Bovine Genome UMD 3.1 annotation. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) confirmed differentiation. An analysis of Copy Number Variations (CNVs), obtained from signal intensities, revealed no evidence of association between ovarian pathologies and CNVs. In addition, a haplotype frequency analysis showed no association with ovarian pathologies. Results show that SNP signal intensity, which captures not only information for base-pair genotypes elucidation, but the amount of fluorescence nucleotide synthetization produced in an enzymatic reaction, is a rich source of information that, by itself or in combination with base-pair genotypes, might be used to implement differentiation, prediction and diagnostic procedures, increasing the scope of applications for Genotyping Microarrays.