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Description of our technology.
In Vitro Process
 Generally
speaking, tissue culture holds a group of
techniques which have in common the
necessity to work in aseptic conditions and
to grow, during a variable length of time,
pieces of vegetal material on sterile media.
Two main methods are currently used for the
multiplication of Date Palm: Somatic
Embryogenesis that we use, and
Organogenesis.
The first ever scientist to work in the
basic research for in vitro multiplication
of the Date Palm was a French scientist, G.
Beauchesne. He was Research Manager at the
French National Center for Scientific
Research (C.N.R.S) in the sixties. From
1966, he worked in the L.R.P.V (Vegetal
Physiology Research Laboratory) till 1975.
He always focused on that subject until he
retired in 1984. His work was mainly based
on a type of Organogenesis. When he left the
laboratory of Angers, he was replaced by
Professor Letouzé, a Research Manager at the
C.N.R.S. (National Center for Scientific
Research).
Prof. Letouzé took over the task achieved by
Beauchesne and oriented the technique
towards the Somatic Embryogenesis which was
much more suitable for our industrial
production. Experience proves that we were
right.
 In
October 1986, Marionnet SARL signed a
cooperation contract with the L.R.P.V to
continue the research on the Somatic
Embryogenesis method. The L.R.P.V was in
charge of the basic research, and Marionnet
was in charge of the application of this
research to the industrial level in its own
laboratory, initially built in 1976 for the
micro-propagation of strawberry plants. Our
first industrial production of Date Palm was
put on the world market since 1990.
This method consists in putting on a
specific medium a piece of the meristematic
zone of an offshoot. Then, the cells are «
undifferentiated » and multiplied. Embryos
are obtained without any fecundation.
Finally, these embryos are put on a other
media where they develop into normal plants
such as any natural zygotic embryos. This
process is characterized by its large
potential of production.
CONTINUOUS INNOVATION
 Obviously,
we are keeping updated with the latest
developments of Tissue Culture technology.
Part of our plants is now produced using the
R.I.T.A system, (Automatic Temporary
Immersion Container) that allows more
synchronization homogeneity in the
maturation of the embryos.
We also have updated a technology of in
vitro preservation of some selected cultures
through Cryo-conservation. Embryos are
desiccated, and then dropped into liquid
Nitrogen where they can be preserved for
very long period of time without any
alteration for future development, like
demand for “old fashioned” varieties,
specific orders, etc…
ACCLIMATIZATION AND HARDENING
After the in vitro process the plants are
transplanted in “torpedo type” pots in a
special peat mixture, and acclimatized in
Greenhouses under special frames for 8
weeks.
Once adapted to the ex-vitro atmosphere,
they are hardened for another 4 to 8 weeks
where they will reach a size of
approximately 25 – 30 cm with 3 to 5
juvenile leaves. It is at that stage that it
is decided to whether send them abroad in
export, in boxes of 25 units by airfreight,
or to transfer them to larger pots in the
shade house for further hardening.
The shade house is where the young trees
will really adapt to the outside
environment. They are transplanted into big
pots of 10 liters with a special mixture of
sand, peat and fertilizer. After 6 to 8
months, they reach the size adapted to the
grower’s demand, with at least one adult
leaf (also called pinnea leaf), and over 30
cm height. They are then ready for field
planting.
A tree of 40 cm, with over 3 adult leaves,
if properly planted and taken care of, will
generally ensure a survival rate of 100% and
will bear its first fruits after 2 – 3 years
as noticed in all over the Emirates
especially the western region like Liwa.
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