The sustainable improvement and precision agriculture in the date palm cultivation-A Review

In many parts of Asia, especially in the regions which are arid in nature, present in the Middle East, the date palm, i.e. Phoneix dactylifera L., is a significant plant both culturally and economically. In the last decade, many biotechnological tools have been applied to revolutionize date palm research and its cultivation process. In this comprehensive review, we provided an in-depth overview of the cutting-edge developments in date palm biotechnology, mentioning the critical areas such as genomics, genetic engineering, in vitro propagation and incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML). These advancements in date palm production led to the production of superior date palm cultivars with improved harvest, fruit traits, and resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. Also, it explores the application of biotech tools in enhancing pest and disease management strategies, increasing productivity, and developing Date palm-based bio-factories for the synthesis of high-value compounds. This review highlights the current challenges faced by the date palm industries, including limited water resources, genetic erosion, pests and disease and the need for improved postharvest handling and processing. It examines how these tools, coupled with AI-based approaches, can be leveraged to address these challenges and ensure the long-term sustainability of date palm cultivation.