Propagating palms in vitro with special emphasis on the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

doi:10.1016/0304-4238(85)90123-2

Scientia Horticulturae

Volume 25, Issue 3, March 1985, Pages 255-262

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(85)90123-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Tissue-culture methods are described for the vegetative propagation of several palm species either through shoot tip culture or plantlet differentiation via embryogenic callus. The influence of explant size, medium composition and physical environment required for the establishment of palm shoot tips in vitro was determined. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedling shoot tips of various sizes were cultured in either liquid or agar modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.0–1.0 mg 1⁻¹ α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.0–15.0 mg 1⁻¹ benzyladenine or N⁶-(Δ²-isopentenyl) adenine (2iP) in order to enhance shoot growth and induce axillary budding. Satisfactory date palm shoot tip growth and proliferation was obtained from explants that were 3 mm in length, consisting of the apical meristem region and 2–5 adjacent leaf primordia. Optimum shoot tip development and axillary budding was obtained by initially establishing explants on an agar medium for 2 weeks, then transferring to a liquid medium. Shoot tips from several palm species were cultured on MS media containing 100 mg 1⁻¹ 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 3 mg 1⁻¹ 2iP and 3 g 1⁻¹ activated charcoal, or on MS medium containing 1 mg 1⁻¹ NAA and charcoal, to determine their morphogenetic responses in vitro. Shoot tips of Metroxylon sp., Phoenix canariensis Hort. ex. Chabaud., P. dactylifera ‘Khalasa’, ‘Thoory’ and ‘Zahidi’, and P. roebelenii O'Brien planted on medium with 2,4-D and 2iP initiated callus, asexual embryos and free-living plantlets after 4–8 months in culture. Shoot tips from Erythea edulis S. Wats., P. canariensis, P. dactylifera ‘Khalasa’, Thoory' and ‘Zahidi’, Washingtonia filifera Wendl. and W. robusta Wendl. cultured on medium containing NAA developed into plantlets with well-developed leaves and adventitious roots within 2–6 months from the time of planting. In some cases, cultured date palm shoot tips gave rise to axillary buds.

References (8)

R. Branton et al.
A lovely clone of coconuts
New Scientist
(1983)
B.A. Nwankwo et al.
Morphogenetic potential of embryo- and seedling-derived callus of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. var. pisifera Becc
Ann. Bot.
(1983)
T. Murashige et al.
A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco cultures
Physiol. Plant.
(1962)
C. Poulain et al.
Multiplication végétative en culture in vitro du palmier-dattier (Phoenix dactylifera L)
C. R. Séances Acad. Agric. Fr.
(1979)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (22)

Mechanisms of date palm resistance to Bayoud disease: Current state of knowledge and research prospects
2010, Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology
Citation Excerpt :
This approach would make mass selection possible very quickly. However, in addition to the difficulties encountered in date palm for the regeneration of the plants from cells and callus [27,132,133], these approaches would have a practical interest only if the toxins produced by Foa are the primary determinants of the symptoms of the Bayoud disease. The characterization of Foa toxins and their biological activity will undoubtedly have a fundamental and applied interest.
The Bayoud disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis (Foa), represents a major limiting factor of date palm culture in Morocco and constitutes a serious threat to the date palm plantations in Algeria and all other countries. Efficient disease prevention requires the development of resistant cultivars. In Morocco, among the cultivars listed, only six appear to be resistant to Bayoud disease, but they produce poor quality fruit. Thus, the Moroccan program of date palm genetic improvement is based on directed crossing between resistant cultivars and susceptible cultivars with good date quality traits to select resistant genotypes producing high quality fruits. In addition to the separation of the resistance to Bayoud disease and quality of the fruits characters, this breeding program is really complex due to the sex separation in the date palm, the duration of juvenile phase which is very long, and the lifespan of the date palm which requires a durable polygenic resistance. Then, the selected genotypes must be of female sex, of good date quality, and possess effective defense mechanisms against the pathogen. Moreover, the selection of the date palm resistance must necessarily take into account the mechanisms of pathogen aggressiveness. In this review, we will present and discuss studies developed on the Bayoud disease of the date palm, particularly on the disease control, the biochemical and molecular markers of resistance, the program of date palm genetic improvement of resistance, the Foa pathogenicity factors, and host defense mechanisms. It will also highlight the recent studies that showed that differential behaviour of the resistant and susceptible cultivars was not related to a difference of induction of the defense mechanisms, but to the suppression of their elicitation in the susceptible cultivars.
Embryo Culture of a Rare Plant, Hyophorbe amaricaulis Martius (Palmae)
1987, Journal of Plant Physiology
A single specimen of Hyophorbe amaricaulis survives in Mauritius but cannot be propagated vegetatively or by seeds. Embryos from 51 fruits were isolated and cultured in vitro. From these, 15 grew for four months, three produced roots and two produced shoots. One germinated embryo produced a true leaf. Subsequent development or transfer to soil was not achieved.
Embryos, explants of the fruit wall or endosperm tissue failed to grow when cultured on media suitable for callus formation with other palm species.
Optimization of indole-butyric acid competency on root elongation of arecaceae through micro-propagation
2020, Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: Part B
Somatic Embryogenesis as a Tool for Propagation of Palm Trees (Arecaceae): Principles, Strategies and Challenges
2020, Encyclopedia of Plant Science Volume: (12 Volume Set)
Plant regeneration from cell suspension-derived protoplasts of three date palm cultivars
2020, Propagation of Ornamental Plants
Influence of some factor on somatic embryos induction and germination of date palm barhi c.v by using cell suspension culture technique
2020, Plant Archives

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Article preview

Scientia Horticulturae

Abstract

References (8)

A lovely clone of coconuts

New Scientist

Morphogenetic potential of embryo- and seedling-derived callus of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. var. pisifera Becc

Ann. Bot.

A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco cultures

Physiol. Plant.

Multiplication végétative en culture in vitro du palmier-dattier (Phoenix dactylifera L)

C. R. Séances Acad. Agric. Fr.

Cited by (22)

Mechanisms of date palm resistance to Bayoud disease: Current state of knowledge and research prospects

Embryo Culture of a Rare Plant, Hyophorbe amaricaulis Martius (Palmae)

Optimization of indole-butyric acid competency on root elongation of arecaceae through micro-propagation

Somatic Embryogenesis as a Tool for Propagation of Palm Trees (Arecaceae): Principles, Strategies and Challenges

Plant regeneration from cell suspension-derived protoplasts of three date palm cultivars

Influence of some factor on somatic embryos induction and germination of date palm barhi c.v by using cell suspension culture technique