Somatic embryogenesis from shoot tip of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Abstract

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the most important crop in the dry areas of the Middle East and North Africa. This palm has been introduced to many countries but has not been grown commercially in Indonesia. Date palm propaga-tion by seeds is easy but its progenies are varied and a half of them are male trees that will not produce fruits. Meanwhile, the propagation by offshoots is impractical and technically difficult. Tissue culture makes it possible to massproduce of genetically identicalsuperior date palms. This research aimed to develop somatic embryogenesis (SE) of date palm using shoot tipand young leaves of date palm seedling as explants. Steps on somatic embryogenesis are explant sterilization, callus initiation and proliferation, somatic embryos induction and maturation, and plantlets matura-tion and rooting. Calli emerged from shoot tip explants after 9 weeks of culture in a modified MS medium supplemented with 10 mg/L 2,4-D, 1 mg/L or 3 mg/L 2-iP, and 1.5 g/L active charcoal. The callus was able to bear somatic embryo in the modified MS medium without hormones. Somatic embryos then developed into plantlets, and roots of plantlets were effectively initiated in the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA and 1 mg/L IBA.

Keywords

• sterilization
• callogenesis
• somatic embryo induction
• plantlet rooting
• clonal propagation