Nutrient Media Optimization for Date Palm Micropropagation (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted to optimise nutritional media for date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) micropropagation by employing a shoot tip as an explant on basic Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with varied Auxin (IAA, NAA) and Cytokinin (Kinetin and 2ip) concentrations for shoot and root multiplication. The findings of date palm regeneration on basal MS medium (Control) without Kinetin and IAA indicated a decreased survival rate (5.0%) and no root or shoot up to the end of the experiment. When the basal MS medium having different Kinetin and IAA concentrations showed an increased rate of survival, i.e. basal MS +0.5 mg/L of Kinetin and 0.0 IAA (8.0%), MS basal+1.0 mg/L of Kinetin and 0.5 IAA (6.6) and basal MS +2.0 mg/L of Kinetin and 1.5 IAA (7.0) and basal MS contains 1.5 mg/L of Kinetin and 1.0 IAA resulted in highest survival rate (8.8%). However, the highest number of shoots (2.2) and a maximum length of shoots (8.8 cm) were recorded on basal MS medium containing 2.0 mg/L of Kinetin and 1.5 IAA. Moreover, the highest number of roots (3.34) and measured the maximum length of roots (3.56 cm) was achieved on basal MS media containing 1.0 NAA and 1.5 mg/L of 2ip.