Effect of Copper Sulfate and Zinc Oxide on the Growth of Vegetative Buds and Microbial Contamination in Date Palm Tissue Culture (cv. Barhi) in vitro

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

1 Date Palm Research Center, University of Basrah, Basra, Iraq

2 College of Agriculture, University of Basrah, Basra, Iraq

Abstract

Zinc oxide and copper sulfate can assist in plant growth and development if they are added appropriately to plant nutrition. In plant tissue culture, microbial contamination negatively affects bud quality and causes numerous issues in plant regeneration. Adding zinc oxide and copper sulfate can enhance bud characteristics and inhibit microbial contamination. This research aimed to investigate the effects of copper sulfate and zinc oxide as microbicides to inhibit microbial contamination while embarking on in vitro plant tissue culture. The objective was to further assess the effects of both compounds on growth characteristics. Both compounds were added to the culture medium at various concentrations (0, 30, 60, and 90 mg L-1). Initial vegetative buds of the Barhi date palm variety were cultivated at six months of age. The results showed that zinc oxide was more effective than copper sulfate in stimulating plant vegetative growth and root development. In addition, higher concentrations of both compounds enhanced growth characteristics. Thus, zinc oxide and copper sulfate positively affected plant pigment content, mostly carotene. On the other hand, chlorophyll content was not significantly affected. Furthermore, zinc oxide was more effective than copper sulfate in reducing fungal and bacterial contamination, with the highest concentration (90 mg L1) yielding optimal results. These results suggested that zinc oxide and copper sulfate can effectively enhance the success rate of date palm tissue culture.  

Keywords

International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology
Volume 12, Issue 1
January 2025
Pages 157-166

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History

  • Receive Date: 24 February 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 07 June 2024

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