Edaphoclimatic requirements of the ‘Mejhoul’ date cultivar

‘Mejhoul’ date palm is considered the pillar of the oasis ecosystem and one of the most economically important perennial plants in arid and semi-arid areas. It is able to tolerate severe environmental conditions (drought and salinity) through its aptitude to being cultivated in diverse soil and climatic conditions. In this work, we present the main planting areas of ‘Mejhoul’ in the northern and southern hemispheres, for which, thermal coefficients and relative humidity were described. ‘Mejhoul’ prefers doses of cold in winter and heat is important from fruit set to harvest, for around five to six months per year. In ‘Mejhoul’ plantation areas, the lowest minimum temperature varies from 3 to 9°C, while the highest maximum temperature varies between 38 and 42°C. The flowering process starts at 18 to 20°C which coincides with the period of January/February in the northern hemisphere and June/July in the southern hemisphere. ‘Mejhoul’ dates require low air relative humidity during the fruit development and maturation periods. Furthermore, the combined effect of different climatic conditions (heat, annual temperatures and relative humidity averages) impact the characteristics of ‘Mejhoul’ fruit.