Agro-morphological traits assessment of Tunisian male date palms (Phœnix dactylifera L.) for preservation and sustainable utilization of local germplasm.

ABSTRACT: Date palm (Phœnix dactylifera L.) like other crop species in the arid Mediterranean region is being threatened by genetic erosion and climate change. Therefore, the understanding and assessment of the diversity extent of this species is a primary requisite for preserving these crop resources. This study was designed to quantify the potential of Tunisian male date palms using a set of agro-morphological characteristics i.e. flowering traits, inflorescence morphology and pollen quality. The flowering time traits exhibited a trend of precocious phenotype at emergence spathe trait and the dominance of the full-season phenotype at the opening date. At inflorescence morphology, all observed traits expressed wide ranges which reflected the broad variability of the evaluated male genotypes.

SUBMITTER: Hachef A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9929592 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature