How do I manage pollination and pests in date palm?

Date palm is dioecious, so you grow female palms for fruit and need pollen from male palms to set that fruit, usually applied by hand pollination, placing male flower strands into the opening female flower clusters at the right time, or with mechanical methods, since natural wind pollination is unreliable in an orchard. A small number of males or purchased pollen serves many females. After fruit set, bunch management such as thinning and sometimes bagging or covering protects and improves the fruit. Main problems include fruit-spoiling rain or humidity at ripening, birds, and pests like the lesser date moth and scale, plus rots if humidity is high. For any control use labelled products and follow the PHI. Confirm the pollination timing and pest management for your variety with your KVK or the date palm research centre.