Techniques for determination of true-to-type date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plants: A literature review

Abstract

Production of date palm by in vitro techniques has been established in several commercial laboratories to produce large numbers of date palm plants at a competitive cost. In vitro propagation of plants requires that produced plants remain true-to-type as an important part of the quality assurance. With the advancement of biotechnology, several screening techniques for identification of true-to-typeness on the protein and the DNA levels have been developed, which might be applicable for identification of cultivars and detection of plant off-types. The advantages and disadvantages of these protein and DNA-based techniques are presented and strategies of their possible use as a quality assurance tool into commercial plant micropropagation laboratories are discussed.