Scientists seek to unravel date code

RIYADH: Chinese and Saudi scientists are working together to unravel the genetic code of the date palm, which Arabs call the "king of the oasis".

By mapping out its genetic structure, the scientists hope to determine its genome organizations and all its genetic characteristics, Yu Jun, professor and associate director of the Beijing Institute for Genomics (BIG), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said yesterday.

It will also provide basic information for other species within the Phoenix genus and enable scientists to work out ways to control the red palm weevil - the most destructive and dangerous pest in the growing areas for coconut and date palms in Asia, Yu said while introducing the project to President Hu Jintao during his visit to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).