A trap for red palm weevils is set to protect the date palms at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)HAIKOU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Recently, with the meticulous care of researchers, several date palms in the date palm germplasm resource nursery of the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, have begun to bear young fruits.Date palms, an important economic crop native to the Middle East and North Africa, are nutrient-rich and often referred to as "desert bread." In 2019, China and the United Arab Emirates reached a consensus wherein the UAE donated date palm seedlings to China to develop the date palm industry and explore cooperation.From 2021 to 2024, the UAE has provided a total of 25,000 date palm seedlings to China in two batches. The Coconut Research Institute has served as the implementing unit for this initiative, gradually establishing a date palm germplasm resource nursery.An aerial drone photo take on April 26, 2025 shows a view of the date palm germplasm resource nursery at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A worker prunes old leaves from a date palm tree at the date palm germplasm resource nursery of the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A researcher checks the young fruits of date palms at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)This photo shows date palm tissue culture seedlings in a light culture room at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A researcher checks the growth of date palm tissue culture seedlings in a light culture room at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A researcher shows date palm tissue culture seedlings (L) alongside date palm somatic embryos (R) in a light culture room at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A researcher checks the growth of date palm fruits at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)A researcher collects data of date palms at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, April 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)