Genetic Marker Identification and Functional Genomics in Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) for Economic Trait Improvement and Resilience Enhancement

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most economically valuable fruit trees and its genetic markers are essential for future improvement in key economic traits along with stresses resistance. Through in silico PCR, traits including drought and salinity tolerance were linked to ten Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars including Zaghloul, Hayani, Siwi, Amry and Sakkoty. In silico PCR and PCR validation techniques confirmed the three significant markers, PR-4, S.2, and NPR1-like, that exhibited cultivar-specific banding patterns linked to drought and salinity tolerance. Moreover, SCoT analysis revealed a 22% polymorphism among the ten cultivars studied, indicating a substantial level of genetic variability. Also, Genetic similarity indices ranged from 83% to 98% highlighting both the close relationships and the distinct genetic backgrounds among the studied cultivars, particularly between soft and dry types. Such markers and clustering patterns provide useful information for breeding programs to develop date palms that are more tolerant to stress while enhancing yield. This study underlines the importance of genomic data for breeding resilient and high-yield date palm cultivars, which can contribute to food and economic security in arid regions. These results provide genetic insight essential for improving date palm in the face of climate stress, which will ultimately support sustainable agriculture and development in an economically important growing region.