In vitro production of Phytoplasma (Al-Wijam) disease-free plants of Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Egypt.

Document Type : Original Article

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Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The Wijam (Phytoplasma) disease of date palms is an economic threat to date palm output in Egypt. Disease symptoms were identified in various date palm-grown orchards. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze a total of ten samples from five different date palm cultivars. These samples came from both healthy and diseased trees. The findings of the nested PCR (nPCR) experiment revealed the presence of 16S rDNA phytoplasma in the trees that were infected. Furthermore, one date palm cultivar (Magdoul) showed no infection, while the other four (Khalas, Sukary, Barhi, and Zaghloul) exhibited varying degrees of infectivity. Chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll content were dramatically reduced due to biochemical alterations. Meanwhile, proline and carotenoid levels in infected plants increased while ascorbic acid and soluble sugar levels decreased. The activities of antioxidative enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, catalase, and oxidase were increased in phytoplasma-infected trees. A technique for in vitro organogenesis to propagate date palm cultivars was demonstrated. Isolated meristematic tip cultures were grown on MS media supplemented with 2,4-D 100 mg/L and 1.5 g/L charcoal for four to nine weeks, depending on the cultivar. For cvs. "Magdoul" and "Barhee," callus regeneration, shoot elongation, and multiplication were performed on MS media containing 1 mg/L NAA and 1.5 g/L activated charcoal.

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