GENETIC PERFORMANCE OF 3-WAY (MPOB-NIGERIA × DELI) Dura × Pisifera OIL PALM CROSSES
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2025.0028
Received: 12 December 2023 Accepted: 7 April 2025 Published Online: 5 June 2025
The AVROS and Yangambi populations represent the primary paternal lineages utilised in global oil palm seed production and breeding programmes. This study assessed the progeny performance of two 3-way crosses, Cross I (MPOB-Nigeria × Deli) Dura × AVROS Pisifera and Cross II (MPOB-Nigeria × Deli) Dura × Yangambi Pisifera with emphasis on bunch yield, bunch quality components and vegetative traits. All genotypes were cultivated using a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) in 2011. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant variations between genotypes for most traits of bunch yield, bunch quality components, and vegetative traits, indicating the impact of their genetic background on these variables. PKG115 from Cross II produced the highest fresh fruit bunches (FFB) at 264.46 kg palm–1 yr–1 and oil yield (OY) at 62.67 kg palm–1 yr–1, whereas PKG144 from Cross I obtained an exceptional oil to bunch (O/B) of 29.35%. The broad-sense heritability (h2 B) for leaflet length (LL) was estimated at 61.17%, indicating greater genetic variance than the other traits. Due to its excellent FFB yields, high mesocarp to fruit ratio (M/F) and OY, with low shell to fruit ratio (S/F), PKG115 has been recognised as a potential parental material for upcoming oil palm breeding programmes.
KEYWORDS:1 Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
2 Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology,
Faculty of Science and Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
* Corresponding author e-mail: nor.azwani@mpob.gov.my