The present investigation was conducted to determine the effect of various
concentrations of coconut water (CW) and casein hydrolysate (CH) on callus growth,
somatic embryogenesis and subsequent germination of somatic embryos in date palm
Bream cultivar and detecting genetic stability using RAPD markers. Apical bud (2.0 cm)
was excised, surface sterilized and cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog 1962 (MS)
medium supplemented with 50 mg/L Picloram and 3.0 mg/L isopentenyladenine (2ip).
Initial calli were transferred into a medium containing CW and CH. Callus growth was
best achieved when 20% (v/v) CW was added giving a mean callus fresh weight of 1.95g
compared with those supplemented with CH at 2.0 g/L which recorded 1.7 g. However,
CW was more effective in enhancing somatic embryogenesis. Results showed that best
somatic embryogenesis occurred on either 20%(v/v) CW or 2.0 g/L CH producing 65 and
47 embryos per culture, respectively. The subsequent germination of somatic embryos
was also enhanced after the addition of CW and CH to previous culture medium. The
highest percentage of embryo germination (76%) was achieved with 10% (v:v) CW and
60% was achieved with 2 g/L CH while it was only 45% in the medium lacking CW and
CH. The highest percentage of embryo germination (76%) was achieved with 10% (v:v)
CW and it reached 60% with 2 g/L CH while it was only 45% in the medium lacking CW
and CH. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers conducted in this
investigation confirmed the resemblance among the tissue culture plantlets as well
as with donor tree.