Genetic Transformation of Diospyros kaki L. (Japanese Persimmon)

Abstract

Persimmons belong to the genus Diospyros, which contains nearly 400 species, most of which are natives of tropical and subtropical-regions (Tamera et al. 1995;Tao and Sugiura 1992). Among them, only four temperate species, including D. kaki, D. lotus, D. virginiana, and D. oleifera, are important for their fruit production. The most important species is undoubtedly Japanese persimmon, D. kaki, a native of East Asia. The fruit of Japanese persimmon can be eaten fresh or dried. The fresh persimmon fruit is known to be a good source of vitamin C. Japanese persimmon is believed to have originated in China and has been cultivated for centuries in East Asian countries including China, Korea, and Japan. In Japan, about 300000 metric tons of fruits were produced from approximately 29000 ha of plantings in 1994. Although, until recently, little Japanese persimmon has been grown outside the temperate parts of Asia, at the end of the 19th century it was introduced to many countries, including the USA, Israel, Italy, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Recently, persimmon has been gaining in popularity worldwide. Especially in Australia and New Zealand, the production area and yields are increasing because the fruits are regarded as promising out-of-season products for the Northern Hemisphere (Kitagawa and Glucina 1984).