The Keitt mango tree has a low canopy that leads to an increase in sunburned fruits. Hence, the fruit quality is markedly reduced due to the fruit being exposed to physiological disorders. The sunburn injury problem is common due to high levels of solar radiation and the low number of leaves, which minimizes the protection of small, newly formed fruits. Kaolin spray has emerged as a promising approach for mango trees since it improves vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality in new lands. This search aimed to study the influence of spraying kaolin on Keitt mango trees grafted on ‘Succary’ rootstock. The treatments were as follows: control, 2%, 4%, and 6% of kaolin. Our results indicated that the applications of kaolin significantly improved leaf area, tree canopy volume, photosynthesis pigments such as chlorophyll-a and b, carotenoids of leaf and yield (kg/tree), and the physical and chemical characteristics of Keitt mango cultivar in comparison with the control. A higher concentration of kaolin decreased the leaf content of antioxidants such as total phenolic, total flavonoid, CAT, POX, and PPO enzyme activities. Furthermore, the number of sunburned fruits was significantly reduced after the application of kaolin in comparison to control fruits. Regarding vegetative growth, our results indicated that adding kaolin at 6% enhanced the leaf surface area and tree canopy volume compared to the control and other treatments. A similar trend was noticed regarding yield and fruit quality, whereas the best values were obtained when kaolin was sprayed at a concentration of 6%. In conclusion, the application of kaolin can improve the production and fruit quality of Keitt mango trees by reducing the effects of adverse summer conditions.

Immature female inflorescences are promising materials for use as explants for the tissue culture of date palm. Four types of MS media were used in this study during the four micropropagation stages—starting media (SM), maturation media (MM), multiplication media (PM) and rooting media (RM)—to micropropagate three elite date palm varieties, Amri, Magdoul and Barhy using the immature female inflorescences as explant. The highest percentage of callus induction in all the varieties studied was obtained on the SM1 (9 µM 2,4-D + 5.7 µM IAA + 10 µM NAA). Culturing on the MM1 (4.5 µM 2,4-D + 9.8 µM 2-iP + 1.5 AC) allowed us to obtain the best value in terms of callus weight. After culturing on the PM1 (4.4 µM BA + 9.8 µM 2-iP) produced the highest numbers of somatic embryos and shoots. The explants on RM2 (0.5 µM NAA + 1.25 µM IBA + 3 g AC) showed the highest root numbers and root lengths, while the highest shoot length was achieved on RM3 (0.5 µM NAA + 0.5 µM IBA + 3 g AC). The Amri variety presented the best response among the three varieties in all parameters, followed by the Magdoul and Barhy varieties. In all the stages of micropropagation, the analysis of variance revealed highly significant variations among varieties and culture media, and a significant difference in the number of roots during the rooting stage. The results also showed non-significant differences in the interaction between varieties and culture media, except for shoot length in the rooting stage. The results also reveal the broad sense heritability ranging from low to high for the measured parameters. It can be concluded that the immature female inflorescences can be used as a productive explant source for successful date palm micropropagation using the SM1, MM1, PM1 and RM2 culture media. It can also be concluded that the success of date palm micropropagation not only depends on the concentrations of growth regulators, but also on their types.

Plant cell and tissue culture techniques are fundamental to contemporary plant science, providing essential tools for genetic manipulation and crop improvement. This review examines the primary applications of these techniques, emphasizing their role in advancing fundamental plant biology and developing novel agricultural strategies. Micropropagation is a technique that enables the rapid and efficient asexual propagation of superior genotypes, which is crucial for conserving and disseminating valuable plant material. Furthermore, meristem culture effectively eradicates viruses from infected plants, ensuring the production of disease-free planting stock. Tissue culture techniques are also instrumental in generating genetic variability through somaclonal variation, in vitro mutagenesis, and in vitro selection. These methods provide a substantial source of genetic diversity, facilitating the development of new plant varieties with advantageous characteristics. Beyond generating variation, tissue culture is indispensable for genetic engineering, allowing for the stable integration of exogenous DNA into plant cells to produce transgenic plants with novel traits. Embryo rescue is another significant application. It overcomes challenges in seed development and enabling successful hybridization between otherwise incompatible plant species. By salvaging immature embryos and culturing them to maturity, this technique allows for the creation of hybrid plants possessing desirable trait combinations that would be unattainable through conventional breeding. In conclusion, these techniques have profoundly transformed plant science, offering diverse applications for genetic manipulation, crop improvement, and basic research. By enabling precise control over plant development at the cellular and tissue levels, these techniques are critical for developing improved crops with enhanced yield, nutritional quality, and resilience to environmental stressors.