ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EFFICIENT PROTOCOL FOR MICROPROPAGATION OF SOME PAKISTANI CULTIVARS OF DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) USING NOVEL INFLORESCENCE EXPLANTS

Abstract

An efficient protocol for rapid and large scale In vitro propagation of some Pakistani cultivars of date palm has been established using inflorescence explants at Date Palm Research Institute (DPRI), Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, Pakistan. Immature inflorescences of desired cultivars of date palm detached from mother palms followed by surface sterilization with low torrent of current tap water and then 30% NaOCl2 solution, the outer cover were removed in order to get spike explants and cut into the 2-3 cm small pieces and cultured on modified MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg l-1 2, 4-D + 0.1 mg l-1 IAA + 5.0 mg l-1 NAA for initiation and establishment of cultures. The obtained somatic embryos were subjected to multiplication medium involved 0.1 mg l-1 NAA + 0.05 mg l-1BA. Rooting was achieved using quarter strength MS medium containing 0.1 mg l-1NAA without activated charcoal (AC) initially and then with 3 g l-1 AC. Strong rooted plantlets with 2-3 leaves were transferred to pots contained sand and peat moss mixture (1:1 v/v) with more than 95% success in acclimatization. The acclimatized plants with at least one compound leaf were shifted to the open field conditions at SALU campus for further studying morphological and fruit characterization to ensure the true-to-type nature of tissue culture derived plantlets. High multiplication efficiency and survival percentage with no any somaclonal variation ensured the efficacy of the protocol developed for the production of elite cultivars of date palm of Pakistan and can be used to optimize production of other cultivars of date palm worldwide.