International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 16 (2), pp. 001-007, February, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Utilizing PCR-Based Markers to Evaluate Genetic Stability in Micropropagated Date Palm (cv. Deglet Nour)

A. Othmani1, S. Rhouma1, C. Bayoudh2, R. Mzid4, N. Drira3 and M. Trifi1

1. Laboratoire de Génétique moléculaire, Immunologie et Biotechnologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, 2092- El- Manar Tunis, Tunisia
2. Laboratoire de Culture in vitro, Centre Régional de Recherches en Agriculture Oasienne, 2260 Degache- Tunisia

3. Laboratoire des Biotechnologies Végétales Appliquées à l’amélioration des cultures, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax,
B.P. 802, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia

4 Laboratoire de physiologie moléculaire des plantes, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj Cédria, 01 Hammam-Lif.
Tunisia.

Accepted 6 October, 2025

The 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) induced somatic embryogenesis of Tunisian date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivar, Deglet Nour and analysis of the true-to-type conformity of the derived plantlets were investigated in this study. For this purpose, two polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods namely, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used. Data proved that the modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) media including 1, 10 and 100 mg.l-1 2,4-D have permitted an intensive callogenesis when leaves are incubated in dark. Subcultures on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg.l-1 2,4-D stimulated a rapid maturation of somatic embryos in light. A mean of 120 somatic embryos were developed from 0.5 mg callus within 3 months. Embryos germination and conversion to plantlets were successfully achieved after transfer to free plant growth regulators MS medium. On the whole, 75% plantlets survival was established in soil. In addition, RAPD and AFLP analysis were performed in 180 randomly selected plantlets. The resultant DNA banding profiles exhibited a genetic stability of regenerated plantlets compared to the plants of origin. This result strongly supported the true-to-type nature of the in vitro derived plants in date palm.

Keywords: 2,4-D, Date palm, plant regeneration, somatic embryogenesis.