ARTICLE IN PRESS

REGENERATION OF Dura PALM FROM RAMET VIA SOLID AND LIQUID TISSUE CULTURE SYSTEMS

ABANG MASLI DAYANG IZAWATI1*; NOOR AZMI SHAHARUDDIN2,3; MEILINA ONG-ABDULLAH1; JANNA ONG ABDULLAH2; SITI RAHMAH ABDUL RAHMAN1; GHULAM KADIR AHMAD PARVEEZ1 and MAT YUNUS ABDUL MASANI1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2025.0056
Received: 11 April 2025   Accepted: 7 October 2025   Published Online: 19 December 2025
ABSTRACT

Oil palm tissue culture via clonal propagation provides an efficient means for mass propagation. In this study, we explored the viability of cabbage from young ramets (two years old) of dura as an alternative to mature ortet cabbages for in-vitro regeneration. We hypothesised that cabbage from young ramet has similar potential in terms of embryogenic and regeneration efficiency over mature ortet. During the callus induction phase, the explants developed three distinct forms of callus, namely primary, friable and nodular. We used nodular callus and friable callus for regeneration of in vitro plantlets, using solid and liquid systems, respectively. The callusing, embryogenic and friability rates over explants are 78.3%, 67.3% and 9.3%, respectively. The nodular callus successfully regenerated into 5,074 plantlets in the solid culture system, while 136 plantlets were regenerated from the friable callus in the liquid culture system. Our findings indicate that young ramet demonstrates regenerative potential, offering other advantages such as easier handling, reduced risk of palm death and minimised injury during sampling. These initial findings can be used to maintain and preserve the elite dura palm as an essential source of germplasm for breeding.

KEYWORDS:


1 Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

2 Department of Biochemistry,
Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences,
Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

3 Centre for Foundation Studies in Science of
Universiti Putra Malaysia (ASPutra),
Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

* Corresponding author e-mail: izawati@mpob.gov.my