The covering of the bunch tail by the polymer nanocomposite mitigates date bunch drying and wilting disorders and enhances fruit quality

Date bunch drying and wilting disorder (DBDWD) manifests in the development stage of date fruits from the Kharak to the Rutab of development, coinciding with the occurrence of hot and dry winds. This phenomenon presents a significant and detrimental challenge for producers, resulting in substantial economic losses. The present study aimed to reduce this disorder in a randomized complete block design involving 10-year-old date palms (cv. Mazafati). The bunch tails of the palms were covered by the nanocomposite formulation of g-C₃N₄/ZnO/PVA (where g-C₃N₄ denotes graphitic carbon nitride, ZnO refers to zinc oxide nanoparticles, and PVA represents polyvinyl alcohol) at two different concentrations (100 and 200 ppm) of ZnO nanoparticles at the early Kharak or Khalal stage of fruit development. The findings indicated that the covering of bunch tail with the g-C₃N₄/ZnO/PVA nanocomposite resulted in a significant reduction in DBDWD and an enhancement in both fruit quality and bunch yield. Specifically, g-C₃N₄/ZnO/PVA nanocomposite at concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm of ZnO nanoparticles led to reductions in DBDWD of 35 and 88%, respectively, along with increases in flavonoid content of 27 and 29% compared to the control group. Additionally, the covering of bunch tail with the g-C₃N₄/ZnO/PVA also resulted in a significant increase in both bunch yield and fruit phenolic content, as well as improvements in fruit weight, length, pulp weight, and the pulp-to-pit ratio relative to the control group. Consequently, the covering of bunch tail with the g-C₃N₄/ZnO/PVA effectively mitigates DBDWD while enhancing yield and fruit quality.