USING PHENOTYPIC INDICATORS TO STUDY GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SOME ARABIAN DATE PALM CULTIVARS

Abstract

Ten Cultivrs of Arabian date palms were selected from palm stations affiliated to Ministry of Agriculture. The study included 14 phenotypic indicators, such as trunk, leaves, and fruit traits.  The trait of Shoot tip shape  was distinguished by giving the highest value for the genetic diversity index Plymorphism information content (PIC), which amounted to About 0.642, while the lowest value for genetic diversity index PIC was for Fruit stalk color  and the Khalal test, which amounted to 0.268.The results of the genetic dimension analysis, using the Euclidean guide, showed that the highest Euclidean dimension among the varieties was between the Sultani and Khalas varieties, which amounted to 0.66071, while the lowest genetic dimension was between the two varieties,  Nabtat sayf, and Khalas, which amounted to 0.13095.  The results from cluster analysis, based on the Euclidean guide using the UPGMA method, show that date palm varieties were divided into two main groups with a Euclidean dimension of 0.24. The Eajwat Almadina   variety was only one in the first group, and the second group included the rest of the varieties, which in turn were divided into two groups with a Euclidean dimension of 0.3. The first group was divided into Two sections with a Euclidean dimension of 0.35, as the variety Eanbara was included in the first section, while the second section included both varieties Medjool and Alsaqi with a Euclidean dimension of 0.53.