SEX DETERMINATION OF DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) THROUGH CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LEAVES

Abstract

This investigation was carried out during the two successiveseasons of 2006 and 2007 using 8 years old date palm trees ofSeewy" cultivar grown in clay soil located at Sinnaouris FayoumGovernorate, Egypt. The objective of this study was to predict sex ofdate palm through some leaf chemical constituents. Generally, it wasfound that there are great differences in chemical constituents ofpinnae, i.e. chlorophyll a & b, total caroteniods, total anthocyanin,total carbohydrates, total and reducing sugars, total free amino acids,free proline, total indoles, nitrogen, crude protein, total phenols, drymatter, ash and silicon between male and female date palm (c.v.Seewy"). Female trees were characterized by the increase in theconcentration of chlorophyll a & b, total caroteniods, totalanthocyanin, total carbohydrates, total and reducing sugars, total freeamino acids, total indoles, nitrogen, crude protein, total phenols, drymatter and silicon over male trees. On the contrary, male trees werecharacterized by the increase in the concentration of ash and prolineover female trees.From the obtained results , it has been concluded that femaledate palm plants was characterized by high capacity to anabolism andthe accumulation of these substances resulting from these processesand