USING INFLORESCENCES FOR IN-VITRO PROPAGATION OF SOME DATE PALM GENOTYPES

Abstract

This study was carried out at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt during the period from 2013 to 2017. Sewi and Barhee date palm immature inflorescences were used, as explant material, for in vitro propagation of date palm. This investigation aimed to produce True to type plantlets from immature inflorescences and evaluate their genetic stability. However, the study contained two date palm cultivars, in two main parts each cultivar had some experiments separately. First part: Sewi cultivar experiments I - Initiation stage. Sterilization experiment. Sterilization was adopted by using both clorox at concentrations (30% and 40%) and mercuric chloride at concentration of (0.1 %) . The best Sterilization treatment was mercuric chloride at 0.1% (mc) by dipping for 10 min, which recorded lowest mortality and highest survival percentages (92.00)% compared to other treatments. A- Direct Embryogenesis stage. Effect of antioxidant type, auxin type and concentration on : Browning degree: The lowest browning degree was found by AC1g l-1+ PVP 2g l-1 with picloram at 2 mg l-1. Swelling degree: The highest significant swelling degree was recorded by PVP 2 g l-1 with Picloram at 4 mg l-1 and PVP 2 g l-1 with NOA at 2 mg l-1. Callus formation and direct somatic embryo formation percentage: The highest significant value was found by PVP 2 g l-1 antioxidant type with Picloram at 4 mg l-1 concentration.