Enhanced indirect somatic embryogenesis of date palm using low levels of seawater

Abstract

Date palm tolerates salinity, drought, and high temperatures. Arid and semiarid zones, especially the Middle East region, need a huge number of date palms for cultivation. To meet this demand, tissue culture techniques have great potential for mass production of plantlets, especially using the indirect embryogenesis technique; any improvement of these techniques is a worthy objective. Low levels of salinity can enhance growth and development of tolerant plants. A low level of seawater, a natural source of salinity, reduces the time required for micropropagation processes of date palm cv. Malkaby when added to MS medium. Medium containing seawater at 500 ppm total dissolved solid (TDS) (12.2 mL/L) improves callus proliferation, whereas 1500 ppm (36.59 mL/L) enhances plant regeneration including multiplication of secondary embryos, embryo germination, and rooting.