Sex expression of date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) trees in relation to some leaf chemical constituents

Abstract

This investigation was carried out during the successive seasons of 2015, 2016 and 2017 using nine years old date palm trees of "Amhat" cultivar grown in clay soil located at Al-aelam Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. The objective of this study was to predict sex of date palm through some leaf chemical constituents. Generally, it was found that there are great differences in chemical constituents of pinnae, i.e. chlorophyll a & b, total caroteniods, total anthocyanin, total carbohydrates, total and reducing sugars, total free amino acids, free proline, total indoles, nitrogen, crude protein, total phenols, dry matter, ash and silicon between male and female date palm c.v "Amhat". Female trees were characterized by the increase in the concentration of chlorophyll a & b, total caroteniods, total anthocyanin, total carbohydrates, total and reducing sugars, total free amino acids , total indoles, nitrogen, crude protein, total phenols, dry matter and silicon over male trees. On the contrary, male trees were characterized by the increase in the concentration of ash and proline over female trees. From the obtained results , it has been concluded that female date palm plants was characterized by high capacity to anabolism and the accumulation of these substances resulting from these processes and vice versa in pinnae of male date palm plants. These pinnae chemical analysis can be used as a mean for predicting sex in date palm plant "Amhat" cultivar.