Date Palm Genotypes Research Articles

Date Palm Genetic Diversity Analysis Using Microsatellite Polymorphism.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is considered one of the great socioeconomic resources in the Middle East and the Arab regions. The tree has been and still is at the center of the comprehensive agricultural development. The number of known date palm cultivars, distributed worldwide, is approximately 3000. The success of genetic diversity conservation or any breeding program depends on an understanding of the amount and distribution of the genetic variation already in existence in the genetic pool. Development of suitable DNA molecular markers for this tree may allow researchers to estimate genetic diversity, which will ultimately lead to the genetic conservation of date palm. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are DNA strands, consisting of tandemly repeated mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, or penta-nucleotide units that are arranged throughout the genomes of most eukaryotic species. Microsatellite markers, developed from genomic libraries, belong to either the transcribed region or the non-transcribed region of the genome, and there is rarely available information on their functions. Microsatellite sequences are especially suited to distinguish closely related genotypes due to a high degree of variability making them ideally suitable in population studies and the identification of closely related cultivars. This chapter focuses on the methods employed to characterize date palm genotypes using SSR markers.

Early Sex Identification in Date Palm by Male-Specific Sequence-Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) Markers.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a dioecious plant, and sex of the seedlings can be determined only at the time of first flowering which takes 4-5years. Female date palm plants are of economic importance as they bear the fruit. Therefore, sex identification at an early stage is highly desirable. DNA-based markers are useful for early sex detection. In this chapter, we describe male-specific sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers to identify sex in date palm at the seedling stage. Genomic DNA is isolated separately from both male and female date palm genotypes. Amplification of this genomic DNA isolated from male and female plants using the SCAR primers results in an amplicon of 406bp in both female and male samples and a unique amplicon of 354bp only in male samples. Based on this amplification pattern, the sex of date palm seedlings can be predicted.

Molecular variability and genetic relationships of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars based on inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important fruit crop in many arid areas and understanding the relatedness among genotypes is important for effective date palm improvement. Inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers were used to assess the molecular variation and genetic diversity of 54 and 12 date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) genotypes collected from Australia and Iraq, respectively. The main objectives were to survey genetic diversity and to determine varietal differences among the collected date palm germplasm. The PCR of five iPBS primers (dominant markers) selected from an initial 60 produced a total of 111 bands ranging from 180 to 3500 bp. The PIC value for these five primers ranged from 0.2135 to 0.3289 with a mean value 0.2816. The mean expected heterozygosity (0.218), mean unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.229) and Shannon’s information index (0.33) indicated a high level of inbreeding among the accessions tested. Ordination and cluster analysis showed that the genetic relationships among all accessions could be separated into geographic origin; specifically Iraqi female cultivars, exotic female cultivars collected in Australia and male accessions also collected in Australia, with a few exceptions. Date palm accessions collected in Australia and Iraq are highly divergent and the abundant genetic diversity observed provides a beginning platform for date palm improvement in Australia. The iPBS PCR-based genome fingerprinting technology used in this study is low-cost and effectively differentiated accessions of date palm and their related species.

Endemic insular and coastal Tunisian date palm genetic diversity.

The breeding of crop species relies on the valorisation of ancestral or wild varieties to enrich the cultivated germplasm. The Tunisian date palm genetic patrimony is being threatened by diversity loss and global climate change. We have conducted a genetic study to evaluate the potential of spontaneous coastal resources to improve the currently exploited Tunisian date palm genetic pool. Eighteen microsatellite loci of Phoenix dactylifera L. were used to compare the genetic diversity of coastal accessions from Kerkennah, Djerba, Gabès and continental date palm accessions from Tozeur. A collection of 105 date palms from the four regions was analysed. This study has provided us with an extensive understanding of the local genetic diversity and its distribution. The coastal date palm genotypes exhibit a high and specific genetic diversity. These genotypes are certainly an untapped reservoir of agronomically important genes to improve cultivated germplasm in continental date palm.

Genetic Diversity Analysis in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) Germplasm using Microsatellite Markers

The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L), germplasm commonly cultivated in Egypt, shows a wide range ofrepining periods and fruit quality and is an unexploited resource for breeding programs. The main purpose of this studywas to genetic diversity analysis and relationships for 45 date palm genotypes and to construct a molecular databaseincluding the cultivars commonly grown in Egypt. An analysis of thirty three microsatellite simple sequence repeat(SSR) loci out of thirty five markers was performed to define allele diversity, heterozygosity and genetic structure. Theaverage number of alleles per locus was 32.3. Heterozygosity per locus was 0.64 (Dpalm-103) to 0.96 (Dplam-100, 256,mpdCIR08 and mpdCIR078) with an average of 0.89. The highest heterozygosity (0.768) was detected in Avanda,followed by Amhat (0.758) while Khalas had lowest heterozygosity value (0.455).The genetic similarity values rangedfrom 0.041 to 0.260. The obtained dendrogram showed three main clusters and generally, a good structuring of 45genotypes and accessions. The use of 33 polymorphic microsatellite markers and the level of genetic variabilitydetected within Egyptian date palm germplasm suggested that this is reliable, efficient and effective marker system thatcan be used for diversity analysis and subsequently in crop improvement programs.

DNA Fingerprinting and Characterization of some Egyptian Date Palm Cultivars Using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs)

The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L), germplasm commonly cultivated in Egypt, shows a wide range ofrepining periods and fruit quality and is an unexploited resource for breeding programs. The main purpose of this studywas to fingerprint 45 date palm genotypes and accessions and to construct a molecular database including the cultivarscommonly grown in Egypt. An analysis of thirty three microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci out of thirty fivemarkers was performed to define distinct specific alleles across all loci, genetic similarity within cultivars in eachregion of five different locations and possibility of linking morphological traits with molecular data. In general, theresults indicated the possible use of SSR analysis to detect cultivar-specific markers for forty five Date palm cultivarsand accessions under investigation that can be used to discriminate among the cultivars and genotypes. The geneticdistance among populations compared to each other (Hayani, Samany and Zagholol) which presented at differentlocations in this study, may or may not correlate with the geographical distance between them in some species,depending on natural and artificial factors involved in shaping the population genetic structure of the species. Based onour findings, it is clear that there is some discordance between the data corresponding to molecular variability and thoserelated to the variability available for breeding purposes (phenotypic variability). However, the use of 33 polymorphicmicrosatellite markers to study Egyptian date palm germplasm suggested that this is reliable, efficient and effectivemarker system that can be used for diversity analysis, and subsequently in crop improvement programs.

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Genotypes using RAPD Markers

Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L. ) is one of the most important fruit crops in the Middle East. In the present research, RAPD DNA marker was used to characterize six date palm genotypes grown in the Jiroft region of Iran. The pre-screening of 18 primers on genotypes allowed selection of 16 primers which revealed polymorphism and gave reproducible results. All analyzed genotypes were distinguishable by their band patterns. Cluster analysis by UPGMA showed two main clusters for palm genotypes based on difference in fruit color with variation in sexuality and early or mid-season maturities. Mozafati, Kabkab and Mordarsang genotypes were located on the first cluster, while the second cluster consisted of Kaloteh, Male211 and Male504 genotypes, which were most closely related with the highest value in conformity with Nei and Li's similarity value of 0.58. Dendrogram was confirmed as valuable cluster Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) using the first principal component from the molecular data. The results of molecular analysis were adapted with genetic variation. RAPD technology therefore appears very effective for identifying genotypes, polymorphism and genetic distance of date palm.

Novel Set of Sex-Specific PCR-Based Markers Reveals New Hypothesis of Sex Differentiation in Date Palm

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), 2n=36, is a dioecious long-lived monocotyledonous plant, with separate male and female trees. The dioecy represents the major challenge in development of breeding programs as it is impossible to distinguish tree gander till they flower approximately five to eight years after planting. Although, during the past two decades numerous attempts to develop molecular markers can discriminate among male and female trees in date palm. But, to date, sex-differentiation mechanism is still uncertain and there is no reliable way to determine the sex of date palm plants before reproductive age across all cultivars. Here, we employed an effective three novel gene-targeting marker approaches (SCoT, CDDP and ITAP) in additions to AFLP, in an attempt to develop a novel set of reliable sex-specific PCR-based markers can helping in early gender determination in Egyptian date palm trees. A set of 26 SCoT, 21 CDDP, 18 ITAP and 14 AFLP primers/primer combinations (PCs) were applied against twelve date palm genotypes belonging to three superior Egyptian date palm cultivars to identify any sex-specific markers. Four SCoT (SCoT1, SCoT24, SCoT26 and SCoT35), two CDDP (CDDP4 and CDDP6), one ITAP (ITAP-8/1) and one AFLP (AFLP-4/1) primer/PC exhibited differential fragments/bands between males and females. These differential bands were gel extracted and cloned for subsequent sequencing analysis. Three of the sequenced bands found to be contain more than one sequence. BLAST analysis results indicated that the eleven sequences generated from different gene-targeting marker systems (SCoT, CDDP and ITAP) revealed main similarity with master transcription factors, transcriptional activators/repressors and regulatory proteins involved in plant hormone signal transduction pathways, plant development and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, playing important role in different types of abiotic and biotic stresses in date palm or oil palm. We speculate that kind of similarity is not just a coincidence. Our results reveals hypothesis that sex differentiation is a complex but well-organized process that involves endogenous and exogenous factors regulate and control the changes in gene expression, physiology, metabolism and architecture of the plant. These results represent the first case-study focusing on the applications of CDDP, ITAP and SCoT techniques as a novel gene targeting markers in sex-determination in date palm. Moreover, indicate that sex-differentiation process have to be addressed at system biology level for deep and better understanding. This developed sex-specific markers expected to be helpful in distinguish the gander in date palm at earliest stages.

Phylogenetic relationships among Iranian and Spanish date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L.) revealed by microsatellite markers

SummaryAlthough Iran and Spain are the leading producers of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in the World, evaluations of genetic relatedness among their major cultivars have been poorly documented. This study was undertaken to assess the phylogenetic relationships of 61 Iranian date palm genotypes grown in different geographical regions, with 14 Spanish genotypes, using 28 microsatellite (SSR) markers. Twenty-five of the 28 primer pairs amplified a total of 103 polymorphic alleles, with an average of 4.12 alleles per locus. The average values of the expected heterozygosity (He) and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 0.45 and 0.43, respectively. Neighbor-Joining cluster analysis, based on Nei’s genetic distances, divided the 75 date palm accessions into four major clusters, with no tendency to cluster on the basis of geographical provenance. Analysis showed the maximum level of similarity between the important Iranian population from Minab City and the Spanish genotypes. In contrast, the Bandar Abbasi population showed the maximum level of differentiation from the Spanish population. Our findings indicate that the 61 Iranian date palm genotypes were sufficiently diverse for future breeding programmes and that they had a similar genetic background to the 14 Spanish genotypes. The 25 SSR loci could also provide an informative marker system for the management and geographic partitioning of date palm varieties.

Recent achievements in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) micropropagation<br>from inflorescence tissues

The Moroccan demand for date palm plants over the next decade is estimated to be 2.9 million. To fulfill this huge demand, the use of rapid micropropagation techniques is an objective of great interest. Generally, date palm micropropagation is performed from offshoot tissue. However, in the case of some rare genotypes, this technique is inefficient because only limited numbers of offshoots are available. To overcome this problem, a new technique based on the use of emerged inflorescence tissue was developed. The research activities resulted in a completely successful process starting from plant material excision to plant acclimatization and field planting. The technique was used for the micropropagation of 16 date palm genotypes with good fruit quality. To date, hundreds of well-acclimatized plants belonging to 9 genotypes have been produced. In addition, clusters of buds of 3 selected genotypes and Medjool cv. were produced and transferred to a private laboratory for mass propagation. In vitro plants needed to test for bayoud disease resistance of 6 selected genotypes were produced using this technique. Since 2001, well-acclimatized in vitro plants were gradually transferred to the field to study their behavior. Inflorescence-derived plants have shown normal growth and no abnormalities. Fruit set of planted palms started in 2005. In the present paper, micropropagation with inflorescence tissue as well as the related major achievements are presented.

Genetic diversity analysis of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in the Kutch<br>region of India using RAPD and ISSR markers

First line in abstract should be Date palm is an important fruit crop of the arid and semiarid region. In the present investigation two types of DNA based marker RAPD and ISSR were used to characterize 8 date palm genotypes grown in the Kutch region. Amplification of genomic DNA of 8 genotypes using 13 RAPD analyses yielded 88 fragments, of which 35 were polymorphic, with an average of 2.69 polymorphic fragments per primer. Two ISSR primers produced 13 bands of which 3 were polymorphic. RAPD markers were more efficient than ISSR assay with regard to polymorphic detection; RAPD markers detected 39.77% as compared to 23.07% of ISSR markers. Cluster analysis by UPGMA showed that the dendrogram obtained by RAPD and RAPD + ISSR were similar. Cluster A consisted of Early maturing, Ghanshyam and Late maturing female genotypes with 0.81 to 0.88 Jaccard's similarity range. Cluster B consisted of Seasonal female, Male-1, Male-2, Male-3 and Male-4 genotypes with 0.82 to 0.91 similarity range. Genotypes Male-1 and Male-2 were most closely related with the highest value in similarity for Jaccard's coefficient (0.91). Principal coordinate analysis differentiated one group of genotype Male-1 and Male-4 while other genotypes were randomly distributed.

Development, characterization and use of microsatellite markers for germplasm analysis in date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The present study was undertaken to assess genetic relationships among date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) genotypes grown in different geographical regions by using newly developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Two SSR-enriched genomic libraries including repeat motifs (AG) n and (AAG) n were constructed in date palm. Based on DNA sequences of positive clones, 25 primer pairs were designed of which 22 pairs were able to detect polymorphism in 16 date palm cultivars from Iran, Iraq and Africa. The selected SSR primers amplified a total of 106 alleles with an average of 4.82 alleles per locus among the cultivars and the average values of He and PIC were 0.719 and 0.668, respectively. Neighbor-Joining cluster analysis based on Nei's genetic distance divided date palm accessions into three major clusters in agreement with their geographical origin. Cluster analysis significantly distinguished African cultivars from Iranian and Iraqi ones, suggesting that the domestication of African date palms have followed a different route than those grown in the Middle-East, an assumption which is supported by Mantel test and Bayesian analysis. The set of date palm SSR loci developed in this study could be an informative marker system for geographic partitioning and genotyping of date palm germplasm.

New microsatellite markers for assessment of genetic diversity in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

New primer pairs of genomic DNA microsatellite markers were tested to assess the genetic diversity of eleven date palm genotypes. The results indicated that out of thirty, only seven primers (23.3%) failed to amplify the expected PCR fragments, while thirteen primers (43.3%) amplified monomorphic banding patterns and the remaining ten primers (33.4%) generated polymorphic banding patterns. A total of 77 alleles have been observed with a mean of 7.7 alleles per locus. The average of gene diversity was 0.80 ranging from 0.6 (in marker DP168) to 0.9 (in two markers DP157 and DP175). These new co-dominant markers will be a starting point for researchers making use of the markers for genetic mapping and diversity analysis of date palm.

Basal Salt Requirements Differ According to Culture Stage and Cultivar in Date Palm Somatic Embryogenesis

Problem statement: Various media formulations differing in basal salt composition are arbitrary selected to provide essential nutrients for plant in vitro cultures. Evidence suggests that in vitro response to various media formulations varies among genotypes and depends on the culture stage. This study examined the efficacy of five basal salt formulations on callus growth and somatic embryogenesis in date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. using three commercial cultivars, Khusab, Berny and Barhee. Approach: Callus from shoot tip explants maintained on MS medium was introduced to various media formulations including SH, W, MS, WPM and NN media containing 53.7 μM NAA and 7.4 μM 2iP. To assess the effect on callus growth, fresh callus weight was measured 4 and 8 weak later. To evaluate embryogenesis response, callus was transferred to hormone-free media corresponding to those during callus growth stage. Results: The optimum medium formulation varied according to cultivar and culture stage. Extending callus growth to 8 weak allowed for greater discernment of differences as compared to 4 weak because of the inherent slow growth nature of date palm callus. The best callus growth was achieved in cv. Khusab using W and WPM media, cv. Berny using SH and NN medium and cv. Barhee using SH, W and MS media. An optimal medium for callus growth was not necessarily the best for somatic embryogenesis. The highest regeneration percentage in cv. Berny occurred on WPM medium, cv. Khusab on W medium and cv. Barhee using W and WPM media. The highest number of resultant embryos was achieved in cv. Khusab using W and SH media, cv. Berny on WPM and MS media and cv. Barhee using W and SH media. Conclusion: This study provides important information to optimize medium formulation in micropropagation protocols of various date palm cultivars, particularly recalcitrant genotypes. It showed that the best basal salt formulation differed among date palm genotypes and suggested culture stage-specific requirement.

Genetic diversity analysis in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.): a comparative assessment using ISSR and RAPD marker assays

SUMMARYA comparative study was conducted to evaluate genetic diversity in 45 genotypes of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), including both male and female plants, employing RAPD and ISSR marker systems. The data were analysed to calculate the total number of bands, the number of polymorphic bands, the percentage polymorphism, the average number of bands per primer, the effective multiplex ratio (EMR), the polymorphic information content (PIC), the marker index (MI), and genetic similarity coefficients. The 37 RAPD and 53 ISSR primers used generated 363 and 608 scorable amplified products, respectively, of which 95.0% and 90.9% were polymorphic. The ISSR markers produced more information than the RAPD markers due to their higher EMR and MI values. Jaccard similarity values among male plants, female plants, and between all male and all female plants varied between 0.72 – 0.80. The results indicate the effectiveness of these two marker systems for demonstrating genetic relationships among date palm genotypes.

Genetic diversity of date palm in Qatar

Date palm is the most important fruit tree in Qatar. Recently developed techniques, based on DNA markers, offer new tools for genetic analysis. The objectives of the present study are to analyze the genetic diversity among 15 different cultivars of date palm at the experimental farm of Qatar University using ISSR and SSR markers, and find out the genetic similarity and/or diversity among the well known date palm cultivars in the state of Qatar. DNAs were extracted from the young fresh leaves. A total of 34 primers of simple sequence repeat (SSR) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) were tested for their ability to generate banding patterns in 15 date palm genotypes. However, 10 SSR and 18 ISSR primers successfully produced clear bands in all of the studied genotypes. Similarity coefficient matrix was computed to cluster the data and to draw precise relationships among the fifteen studied Qatari date palm genotypes. All date palm genotypes are inter-related in spite of their agronomic divergence. Genetic similarities and dendrogram could re-group the Qatari date palm cultivars in a way that one cultivar (Abu Main) was excluded from the group due to its dissimilarity with the other cultivars. Two cultivars (Barhee and Sultana) were much closer and could be considered as coming from one origin. The polymorphic patterns obtained suggested that the ISSR and SSR procedures constitute alternative approaches that are suitable to examine the date palm's genetic diversity at the DNA level.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF DATE PALM GENOTYPES IN QATAR AS DETERMINED BY SSR AND ISSR MARKERS

Date palm is the most important fruit tree in Qatar. Recently developed techniques, based on DNA markers, offer new tools for genetic analysis. The objectives of the present study are to analyze the genetic diversity among 15 different cultivars of date palm at the experimental farm of Qatar University using ISSR and SSR markers, and find out the genetic similarity and/or diversity among the well known date palm cultivars in the state of Qatar. DNAs were extracted from young fresh leaves. A total of 34 primers were tested for their ability to generate banding patterns in Qatari data-palm genotypes. However, 14 primers successfully produced clear bands in most of the studied genotypes. A total of 204 alleles were scored for all types of markers (SSR and ISSR). The similarity coefficient matrix was computed to cluster the data and to draw precise relationships among the fifteen studied Qatari date palm genotypes.

Genetic diversity and phylogenic relationships in date-palms ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) as assessed by random amplified microsatellite polymorphism markers (RAMPOs)

Random amplified microsatellite polymorphisms (RAMPOs) were used to assess genetic diversity among 30 date-palm cultivars and 10 male trees. Using 18 primers combinations, 197 bands were scored and 186 were polymorphic suggesting the high level of polymorphism among studied cultivars. Moreover, taking into account the high percentage of polymorphic bands (ppb), the resolving power ( R p) together with the polymorphism information content (PIC) scored values, all the tested primer sets contribute strongly in the discrimination of date-palm genotypes. In addition, the topology of the derived UPGMA dendrogram exhibited cultivars’ clustering made independently both from the geographical origin and/or from the sex of trees. The present data support the Mesopotamian origin of the date-palm domestication. Thus we assume that the used method is efficient to assess genetic diversity within date-palm cultivars. Data are discussed in relation with the opportunity of the RAMPO method to provide additional molecular markers suitable in the improvement of the date-palms germplasm characterisation.

Genetic diversity in ecotypes of Tunisian date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) assessed by AFLP markers

SummaryAmplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) were used successfully to survey genetic diversity in 40 ecotypes of date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) collected from oases in Tunisia. Six primer pairs were screened to assess their ability to detect polymorphism in this tree crop. As a result, a total of 428 AFLPs have been generated and used to estimate genetic distances which ranged from 0.07 – 0.63. A large, and typically continuous, range of genetic diversity characterises Tunisian date-palm germplasm. In addition, the UPGMA dendrogram derived from these data exhibited two clusterings of ecotypes independent of their geographic origin or the sex of the trees. These data corroborate the hypothesis of the origin of date-palm domestication being in Mesopotamia. Moreover, taking into account the high percentage of polymorphic bands, together with their resolving power (Rp), all the primer pairs tested contributed to the discrimination of date-palm genotypes, suggesting that the AFLP method is efficient in assessing genetic diversity in this crop. The data are discussed in relation to the use of AFLP molecular markers in the management and improvement of date-palm.

IN VITRO CULTURE AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF MALE AND FEMALE DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.)

Previously for micropropagation of date palm only shoot tip was used as an explant. In an attempt to utilize different explants, shoot tip and base of flower rachis of male and female plants of variety 'Barhy' were used to initiate callus cultures on modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing different concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2-isopentenylaminpurine (2-iP), kinetin and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Male shoot tip cultures produced embryogenic callus at significantly lower frequency as compared to the female cultures. Female rachis cultures produced embryogenic callus while male rachis cultures produced mostly non-embryogenic callus. After two years, only female shoot tip cultures produced plantlets. Liberation of phenolics was significantly higher in male cultures, enabling differentiation between male and female plants and justifying the slow growth of male cultures. For early identification of cultivars and tracing genetic diversity among date palm genotypes of different origin, offshoot-derived, male and female plants of cultivars 'Barhy' and 'Sukkary', seed-derived plants, and two in vitro cultures of both of these cultivars were subjected to Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Similarity matrixes based on Nei and Li's coefficients show that offshoot-derived male plant of 'Barhy' was 73.6% genetically similar to its female counterpart, while similarity between male and female plants of 'Sukkary' was 43.1%. In the case of seedlings, male and female plants of 'Barhy' were 87.2% similar and those of 'Sukkary' were 62.3% genetically alike. Two in vitro cultures of 'Barhy' and Sukkary were 73.3% and 70% similar to the normal offshoot-derived plant respectively. These affinities were also reflected in cluster analysis by unweighted paired group means (UPGMA). Results of the study suggested that DNA fingerprinting can be utilized for early detection of date palm sex and genotype and that in vitro behavior of male and female plants of date palm cultivars is differential and their DNA profiles are divergent, which can help in selecting preferable males.