RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 11 No. 2, December 1999, p. 1-24

AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND GENETIC VARIABILITY OF Dura x Pisifera PROGENIES

KUSHAIRI, A*; RAJANAIDU, N*; JALANI, B S*; ZAKRI, A H**

ABSTRACT

Wide variations for bunch yields, bunch quality components and morphophysiological traits were noted among 52 dura x pisifera (DxP) progenies derived from a North Carolina Model I mating design. Exceptional fresh fruit bunch yields were achieved by progenies producing high bunch number of moderate sized bunches. Progenies producing bunches of high fruit (F/B), mesocarp (M/B) and kernel (K/B) contents achieved out-standing production of total economic products (TEP). Tall progenies, on average, had higher TEP attributed to the higher ratio of bunch dry matter to vegetative dry matter. Correlations among the economically important component traits were generally meaningful  and any significant change in yield involved an increase in the number of bunches. Analysis of variance for yield and bunch quality components showed substantial genetic variation with several traits showing male effects, indicating additive gene action. The results suggested  that palm height is inherited through the male parent. However, further introgression of the pisifera parent is required to improve the economic yield of its shorter progenies. Estimates of genetical variance components of data pooled over replications were higher than those of the individual replications, with the highest estimates from data pooled over years. Pooling of data reduced the error variances, suggesting seasonal effects and, therefore, more years of data are necessary for efficient selection programmes. The Serdang pisiferas, 20A/112 and 20A/8, introgressed with AVROS pisifera generated DxP progenies with high kernel yield, while those arising from AVROS x S27B pisiferas produced high oil yields. The mean performance and genetic structure of the materials suggested that the potential parental genotypes for high overall oil yields are the duras of Ulu Remis, Banting, intracrosses of the Elmina, and the pisiferas of Lever Cameroon, Lever Nigeria and introgressed Serdang x AVROS.

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* Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia,
P.O. Box 10620, 50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

** Ddepartment of Genetics,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.