African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (11), pp. 1309-1312, November 2005          
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2005 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Somatic embryogenesis in two Iranian date palm cultivars

Parisa Eshraghi^1,2, Reza Zarghami³*, Hamideh Ofoghi⁴ and Mitra Mirabdulbaghi⁵

¹Department of Agriculture, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Iran.

²Department of Biology, Khatam University, Iran.

³Agricultural Biotechnology Researching Institute of Iran, Mahdasht Road, Karaj, P.O.Box: 31535-1897, Iran.

⁴Department of Biotechnology, Iranian ResearchOrganization for Science and  Technology, Iran.

⁵Department of Horticulture, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Iran.

*Corresponding author. Tel: 0098 261 2703536, Fax: 0098 261 2704539E-mail: rezazarghami2001@yahoo.com.

Abbreviations: BAP, 6-Benzyl amino purine; cv., cultivar; 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; MS, Murashige and Skoog (1962) media; 2ip, N2-(2-isopentenyl) adenine.

Accepted 2 August, 2005

Shoot tips were removed from 3 to 4 year-old offshoots of adult date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. cv. Khanizi and Mordarsing) and were cultured on medium that consisted of Murashige and Skoog basal salts medium. After 12 months they were transferred to three different treatments of growth regulators. Five months later, cv. Khanizi produced embryogenic callus on a medium containing 453 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 15 µM N²-(2-isopentenyl)adenine (2ip), and 13 µM 6-benzyl amino purine. This callus was subcultured to another medium that was supplemented with 54 µM NAA and 148 µM 2ip. At this stage the embryos grew into plantlets. The cv. Mordarsing explants, on a medium containing 679 µM 2,4-D and 15 µM 2ip, produced embryogenic callus but the embryos remained in the globular stage.

Key words: Callus, in vitro tissue culture, offshoot, Phoenix dactylifera, regenerant.