Inducing Date Palm Somatic Embryogenesis and Plantlets Growth Using Date Palm Pollen Grains Extract

Abstract

HIS STUDY aimed to evaluate the effect of date palm pollen grains extract contents on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) cv. Sewi growing in vitro. This experiment was done during somatic embryos germination stage and the elongation of complete plantlets. The somatic embryos and complete plantlets were cultured on M urashige and Skoog basal medium. The treatments were, T0: M S + 0.1 mg l -1 NAA and 0.5 mg l -1 BA, T1: T0 + 200 ppm date palm pollen grains extract, T2: T0 + 400 ppm date palm pollen grains extract. T3: M S + 200 ppm date palm pollen grains extract and T4: M S +400 ppm date palm pollen grains extract. The obtained results showed that, treatment with date palm pollen grains extract at 400 ppm (T4) significantly increased germination percentage up to 70%, followed by T3 treatment (50%). While, the secondary embryos formation percentage was enhanced withT2 treatment. Concerning the average number of leaves and roots it was significantly increased with T1. The highest value of shoot length was recorded with T4. Also, there was recurrent secondary embryos formation during the elongation stage, T2 medium gave significant increases in number of secondary embryos. Chemical analyses of samples that were taken from tissues during this study refer that, newly formed secondary somatic embryos contained the highest level of protein when originally somatic embryos were cultured on T2 treatment. Complete plantlets cultured on T2 treatment contained the highest levels of total indoles, chlorophyll a, b. While the carotenoids concentrations were increased within plantlets cultured on T4 treatment. These results cleared the stimulants effects of palm pollen grains extract on the morphological and chemical estimations of date palm growing in vitro.