Regeneration and molecular analysis of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plantlets using RAPD markers

Clonal plants of date palm (Poenix dactylifera L.) were regenerated from juvenile leaves on regimes consisting of the use of 2,4-D. Success depended on the concentrations of 2,4-D tested. The cultures produced adventitious shoot buds directly at the basal part of leaves as well as excessive calli. Somaclonal variation in plantlets which can be induced by 2,4-D during recurrent somatic embryogenesis were tested by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles. Nine arbitrary 10- mer primers were used to amplify DNA from 180 plantlets. RAPD patterns of the plantlets were identical with the original plant mother, indicating that 2,4-D did not induce somaclonal variation that can be detected by the RAPD technique.