title: In vitro acclimatization of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plantlets: A quantitative comparison of epicuticular leaf wax as a function of polyethylene glycol treatment.
abstract: Wax deposits on leaf surfaces ofin vitro-grown plantlets,in vitro plantlets treated with polyethylene glycol and greenhouse-grown seedlings from five cultivars of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) were extracted and quantified. Significant variations among treatments and cultivars were obtained. Greenhouse-grown plants had the greatest wax deposits followed by the acclimatized plantlets.In vitro plantlets had an average of 15% of the wax of greenhouse plants. Cultivar and plant age differences had a significant effect on the quantity of wax deposits. Greenhouse seedlings of 'Majhool', 'Deglet Noor' and 'Khadraoui' (cultivars grown under irrigation) had less wax accumulation than 'Zahidi' and 'Sayer', dryland cultivars.The increase in wax deposition as a result of polyethylene glycol treatment, explains in part, the decreased water loss observed in acclimatized plantlets when transferredex vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Marrakech-Semlalila, BPS 15, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaid
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hughes