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In Vitro Flowering Induction in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

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Abstract

This article reports on a histological and morphological study on the induction of in vitro flowering in vegetatively propagated plantlets from different date palm cultivars. The study aimed to further explore the control of in vitro flower induction in relation to the photoperiodic requirements in date palm and to come up with a novel system that may allow for early sex determination through plant cycle reduction. In fact, the in vitro reversion of a shoot meristem from a vegetative to a reproductive state was achieved within 1–5 months depending on the variety considered. This reversion was accompanied by several morphological transformations that affected the apical part of the leafy bud corresponding mainly to a size increase of the prefloral meristem zone followed by the appearance of an inflorescence. The flowers that were produced in vitro were histologically and morphologically similar to those formed in vivo. The histological examination of the in vitro flowering induction process showed that the conversion into inflorescences involved the entire apical vegetative meristem of the plantlet used as a starting material and brought about a change in its anatomical structure without affecting its phyllotaxis and the leaf shape. Through alternating between hormone-free and hormone-containing media under different light/dark conditions, the highest flower induction rates were obtained with a basal Murashige and Skoog medium. A change in the architectural model of date palm was induced because unlike the natural lateral flowering, in vitro flowering was terminal. Such in vitro flower induction allowed a significant reduction in plant cycle and can, therefore, be considered a promising candidate to save time for future improvement and selection programs in date palm.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology in Tunisia and the International Atomic Energy Agency under TC Project RAF/5/049. The authors thank the staff of the Regional Centre of Oasian Agriculture Research in Deguache (southern Tunisia) for their help in providing offshoots from Tunisian cultivars. They also thank Dr. Ismail El Hadrami, Chief Of the Plant Physiology Laboratory in Marrakech, for kindly providing plant material from Moroccan cultivars. They also extend their gratitude to Mr. Anouar Smaoui from the English Department at the Sfax Faculty of Science for carefully proofreading and constructively editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Sfax, Route Soukra BP: 1171, Sfax, 3000, Tunisia

    Faïza Masmoudi-Allouche, Besma Meziou, Walid Kriaâ & Noureddine Drira

  2. Department of Biology, Institute for Engineering Studies, Route Soukra BPW, Sfax, 3038, Tunisia

    Radhia Gargouri-Bouzid

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  1. Faïza Masmoudi-Allouche
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  2. Besma Meziou
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  3. Walid Kriaâ
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  5. Noureddine Drira
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Correspondence to Faïza Masmoudi-Allouche.

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Masmoudi-Allouche, F., Meziou, B., Kriaâ, W. et al. In Vitro Flowering Induction in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). J Plant Growth Regul 29, 35–43 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-009-9109-4

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