ROOTING OF DATE PALM OFFSHOOTS AS AFFECTED BY OFFSHOOT SIZE, CULTIVAR AND INDOLE BUTYRIC ACID INJECTION

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera, L.) is propagated commercially by offshoots which are produced in a limited number for a certain period in the life of a young palm tree.
Offshoots of certain age (3–4 years) and size (12–20 kg) are commonly used.
This method of propagation is limited in its scope because the low percentage of offshoots survival, due to poor root formation.
The rate of rooting is varied with cultivar, meanwhile, it is low in small offshoots and increases with increasing size.
The rooting capacity has been correlated with presence of endogenous promoter.
In the present studies new method of injecting different concentrations of IBA has been tried in three different sizes of three different cultivars, Khalas, Ruziz, and Shishi.
Cultivars and offshoots sizes show a highly different response in root formation but IBA treatments did not promote higher rooting response.
It seemed that inhibition of root formation resulted from improper IBA concentration or time and means of application.

International Symposium on Propagation of Ornamental Plants

A. Al-Ghamdi

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1988.226.47