Effect of 2,4-d, glutamine and BAP on embryogenic suspension culture of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The proliferation of embryogenic suspension culture in two cultivars (Jihel and Bousthami Noir) of Phoenix dactylifera L. was tested on liquid media with or without 2,4-d and with different glutamine concentrations (3.35 × 10−4, 6.7 × 10−4 and 13.4 × 10−4 M). The liquid medium with 0.1 mg l−1 2,4-d and 6.7 × 10−4 M glutamine has clearly improved the proliferation of somatic embryos. In fact, when glutamine concentration increased from 3.35 × 10−4 to 6.7 × 10−4 M, the yield of somatic embryos increased from 14 to 56 embryos per 100 ml of culture medium for “Jihel” cultivar and 25–71 embryos per 100 ml of culture medium for “Bousthami Noir” cultivar. In contrast, increasing glutamine concentration from 6.7 × 10−4 to 13.4 × 10−4 M, the embryos yield was negligible. Based on biochemical analysis, the highest accumulation of proteins and sugars was obtained in liquid medium with 0.1 mg l−1 2,4-d and 6.7 × 10−4 M glutamine (118 and 91 mg of proteins g−1 DW, respectively, for “Jihel” and “Bousthami Noir” cultivars; 194 mg of sugars g−1 DW for “Jihel” cultivar and 182 mg of sugars g−1 DW for “Bousthami Noir” cultivar). In addition, the supply of 0.05 mg l−1 BAP on the germination medium could be useful in terms of germination percentage of somatic embryos. When BAP concentration increased from 0.05 to 0.2 mg l−1, the germination percentage of somatic embryos decreased from 14.2 to 4.9%, while secondary embryogenesis increased from 26.4 to 45.2%.