Analytical Study on Date Production in the Governorates of Iraq Using a Split Plot Design

Abstract

Dates are among the most important national resources due to their numerous health benefits and significant economic value. Recently, their importance has declined due to a decrease in production quantities. This can be attributed to several factors, including a lack of attention to date palm cultivation and the circumstances experienced by some governorates, which led to a clear variation in production between them. Therefore, this research focuses on comparing the central and southern governorates of Iraq, namely Diala, Baghdad, Babylon, Kerbala, Wasit, Al-Najaf, Al-Qadisiya, Al-Muthanna, Thi-Qar, Mysan, and Basrah. The research compares the average production of each date palm variety (Zahdi, Khistawi, Sayer, Khadrawi, Hillawi, Deary, and others) over consecutive periods (2016-2020). The split-plot design was employed, a factorial empirical design that includes two or more factors. The research concluded that there are significant differences between the Iraqi governorates in terms of date palm production quantities and varieties.