Comparison Effects of Sucrose and Date Palm Syrup on Somatic Embryogenesis of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L )

Abstract

The effect of different concentration of date palm syrup (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%) and sucrose at concentration of 30 and 60 g/l in addition to the control (without carbon source) on the micro propagation of date palm "cv. Suckary" were investigated. The results indicated that date syrup was taken up from the media as shown by the increase in total dry weight of culture. Addition of sucrose at 60 g/l produced the highest number of somatic embryos and longest shoot equal to that produced by date syrup at concentration of 6% without significant differences. On the other side, sucrose at 30 g/l improved the germination of somatic embryos followed by date syrup at 6%. Regarding fresh and dry weights, adding 6% date palm syrup was superior in this respect. Tissues grown on medium supplement with 10% of date syrup caused severe reduction in number of somatic embryo possibly due to the osmotic stress. In addition, tissues grown on medium containing 2% of date syrup had the lowest number of embryos. Date palm tissues are capable of utilizing date syrup as the sole carbon source for vegetative growth. It can be concluded that, adding date syrup locally known as 'Dibs' to the culture medium of date palm at concentration of 6% can be used totally as a replacement of sucrose which was the normally sugar used in most of plant tissue culture medium. This is the first report on the use of date syrup on somatic embryogenesis of date palm cv. Suckary.