The effect of different growing media and plant growth substances on vegetative characters and offshoot production of 18 morth old “Barhi” date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) liners derived from micropropagation were investigated, using a randomized complete block design during 1995-1997 at the Agricultural Research Center, Khuzestan. The main plot was comprised of six growing media including sand, sawdust, fine perlite, coarse perlite, leaf litter and ordinary soil, plus three concentrations of IBA (0, 0.3% , 0.8%) and subplots being composed of two concentrations of PBA (0, 500 ppm). Growing media exhibited a significant effect on diameter of liners, total number of leaves, height of apical bud, compound leaf number and leaf length. Leaf litter was shown to be the best growing media. IBA had a significant effect on the liners’ diameter with the optimum concentration being 0.3%. PBA at 500 ppm significantly improved diameter of liners, compound leaf number, total number of leaves, leaf length and height of apical bud. There was also a significant interaction observed between the growing media and IBA concentration. A combination of “Leaflitter” and “0.3 % IBA” lead to the best effect on different growth characters in liners. No one of the treatments could produce any offshoot on liners during the course of the experiment. Effect of growing media and plant growth substances should be considered during a longer period of date palm liner production in future invesigations.
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