Journal of Oasis Agriculture and Sustainable Development www.joasdjournal.org DOI: https://doi.org/10.56027/JOASD.spiss122022| Special Issue | June 2022 87 RESEARCH ARTICLE In vitro effects of culture media on potential regeneration of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Boussaâda oasis, Algeria Laid Benderradji 1,2 , Mourad Bennaceur 1 , Roumeissa Djerboua 1,2 , Sara-Narimène Mazaoui 1,2 , Samir Medjekal 1 , Mouloud Ghadbane 1 , Walid Saibi 3 & Faical Brini 3 1 Faculty of Sciences, University Mohamed BOUDIAF of M’sila, Algeria 2 Biodiversity and biotechnological techniques for plant resources valorization laboratory, University Mohamed BOUDIAF of M’sila, Algeria 3 Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (CBS), University of Sfax, Tunisia Article info Abstract History: Received 09/02/2022 Accepted 26/04/2022 Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) of Boussaâda has varietal diversity and a very important nutritional value in Algeria. Nevertheless, today the palm groves are threatened, not only climatically but also in terms of varietal diversity such as disappearance of varieties, the low production and even discharges serving mainly to vegetative propagation which can be used as a source of explants on in vitro somatic embryogenesis technique. The aim of this study is to use in vitro culture techniques to regenerate the phoenicicultural orchards at Boussaâda oasis. Two types of experimental protocol are used; firstly, to make an inventory in field in order to contain palm groves and then date palms existing; and the secondly is to applicant the somatic embryogenesis technique in the laboratory and then regenerate the good cultivar. Results indicate that plant growing is an important axis that needs to be developed in the oasis by introducing varieties to select the most suitable and profitable for a good diversification of cultivars and consequently the improvement of production. Keywords: Phoenix dactylifera L., Boussaâda oases, date palm cultivar Mech-Degla, in vitro culture, Somatic embryogenesis. Copyrightⓒ2022 JOASD * Corresponding author laid.benderradji@univ-msila.dz Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest 1. INTRODUCTION In Algeria, there are more than thirteen thousand date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) trees and in Boussaâda region only, there are seven thousand trees” (CRSTRA-Biskra, 2014). Date palm is a species of great socio-economic interest. It is the main axis of agriculture which provides the main food and financial resource of people in these regions. However, palm groves cited below are subject to severe genetic erosion and environmental threats which is manifested by the disappearance of many cultivars, leading to the depletion of date palm genetic resources (Bougerfaoui., 1998). Date palm diversity is facing crucial problems also such as different abiotic stresses like water efficiency and sodium chloride concentration; and biotic stress like Bayoud (Fusarium oxysporium f. albedinis), which varies in level and nature of the problems in addition to climate conditions, and cultural practices (Zaid and de Wet, 2002). These factors globally cause genetic erosion and uncontrolled commercial exploitations of cultivars (Abul-Soad et al., 2017). In order to limit the genetic erosion of date palm, it is very interesting to make an overall census of the feet of the date palm spread over several micro-oases in these regions on the one hand and to conserve the phoenicicultural diversity of the Saharan zone in South-Eastern of Algeria (Belguedji, 2002). Several studies have already been done using phenotypic markers (Zehdi et al., 2004). These molecular tools are currently used to study genetic diversity which they will make it possible to identify genetics resources of this species in order to organize their conservation and safeguarding. According