Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a key economic crop in arid and semi-arid regions, which possesses ecological functions of sand fixation and water conservation, economic value driven by deep processing, as well as profound religious and cultural significance. This paper reviews the research progress in its genetic breeding from the following aspects. In germplasm resources, core germplasm banks have been established by institutions such as King Faisal University of Saudi Arabia, the National Plant Gene Bank of Iran, and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences. The institutions preserve germplasm resources by combining technologies like smart irrigation and cryopreservation, while molecular marker technologies including SSR and SNP have been applied to reveal genetic differences among date palm varieties. In breeding methods, traditional selection and hybrid breeding have laid the foundation for date palm breeding. Modern biotechnologies such as high-throughput sequencing, somatic embryogenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9 have accelerated the process of precision breeding. The current core challenges in date palm breeding include difficulty in early sex identification due to dioecy, a complete growth cycle exceeding 10 years, highly heterozygous genome, and lagging molecular research. Future breeding efforts should focus on developing varieties resistant to abiotic stresses such as hot temperature, drought and salinity-alkalinity, preventing and controlling pests and diseases including red palm weevil, Fusarium spp., and leaf spot disease, and optimizing fruit yield and quality. Meanwhile, it is necessary to deepen research on genetic mechanisms, break through bottlenecks in gene editing technology, and strengthen international exchange and cooperation of germplasm resources, to promote the sustainable development of the global date palm industry.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |