Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 23(2): 211-219, 2013 (December)

In vitro Morphogenesis of Arabian Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Hasnatul Arefin and Md. Amzad Hossain

Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh

Key words: Arabian date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, In vitro morphogenesis, Juvenile leaf

Abastract

After inoculation of young leaves of date palm offshoot required about six months to complete the morphogenesis process. Fourteen weeks were required for embryogenic callus formation under continuous dark condition and nine weeks for shoot initiation (under 16/8 h light/dark). The highest number of explants (80%) produced callus in modified MS containing 5 mg/l 2,4-D + 2 mg/l 2ip. Sixty per cent of explants produced callus in the modified medium containing 5 mg/l 2,4-D + 5 mg/l NAA. While only 50 per cent of the explants formed callus in the same medium when supplemented with only 5 mg/l 2,4-D. The induced calli were transferred to modified MS for shoot proliferation. A combination of two cytokines showed better performance than single ones in shoot induction. The highest percentage (70) of shoot developed in modified MS containing 2 mg/l BAP + 1 mg/l Kn. Forty per cent shoot induction was found in the same medium supplemented with 2 mg/l of BAP. Thirty per cent shoot formed in MS containing 1 mg/l of Kn. The shoots were subcultured at three- four week intervals throughout culture duration.

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