ALTERNATIVE TO AGAR: EFFECT OF DIFFERENT GROWING MEDIA ON IN VITRO PRODUCTION OF SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN DATE PALM (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) CV. KHALASS

This study was designed to investigate the effect of different growing media on production of somatic embryogenesis of date palm cv. Khalas. Treatments were composed of MS medium (Murashige and Skooge, 1962) supplemented with different growing media i.e., agar, peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. The results indicated that the somatic embryos of date palm were relatively able to grow in all types of media. However, the growing media differed in their ability to support the growth of somatic embryogenesis of date palm. Production of embryos was evident in vermiculite, followed by agar medium. Embryos germination were significantly higher in vermiculite medium than in agar. The appearance of embryos grown in vermiculite was better than those in agar. The other media, peat moss and perlite, gave poor results with respect to production and germination of embryos. The highest dry weights was achieved in medium containing agar whereas the lowest was induced in peat moss and perlite media.