bunch components – Journal of Oil Palm Research

GENETIC VARIABILITY OF CAMEROON AND ANGOLA OIL PALM GERMPLASM FOR TROPICAL BREEDING PROGRAMME

mpob_admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:38:40 +0000

Breeding populations of restricted origin (BPRO), such as Deli dura, have been widely utilised in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) breeding programmes and seed production since the early 20th century. However, there is growing interest in leveraging genetic diversity from introduced germplasm to develop new varieties. Indonesia introduced 230 oil palm accessions from Cameroon (CMR) and Angola (AGO) in 2008 and 2010, respectively. These accessions, collected from diverse ecological zones, were planted in multiple locations in Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of this germplasm, focusing on bunch components, oil quality and vegetative morphology. Results revealed moderate to high levels of diversity in both germplasm sets. The CMR exhibited shorter palms and rachises, as well as a higher shell to fruit and fruit to bunch ratio. In contrast, the AGO showed a higher oleic acid and lower palmitic acid, indicating favourable oil quality traits. Additionally, the AGO exhibited the most favourable values for oil yield, mesocarp to fruit and fruit weight. Both sets of germplasm showed high levels of carotene and unsaturated fatty acids. These findings highlight the potential of germplasm for enriching genetic diversity in the oil palm breeding programmes.

PERFORMANCE OF Elaeis oleifera FROM PANAMA, COSTA RICA, COLOMBIA AND HONDURAS IN MALAYSIA

mpob_admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:42:35 +0000

The performance of Elaeis oleifera from Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Honduras was evaluated in a trial at PORIM Research Station, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia. FFB yield, bunch components, vegetative traits, fatty acid composition, iodine value (I.V.) and total carotene were analysed. Among the oleifera progenies, the highest fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield was 101.4 kg palm^-1 yr^-1, total oil to bunch (TOTB) was highest at 9.0%, height increment rate (HTI) lowest at 4.6 cm yr^-1, I.V. highest at 96.7 and total carotene highest at 3455.5 ppm. There were significant differences between the four countries for the yield components: average bunch weight (ABWT), parthenocarpic bunch component: mean fruit weight (MFW), oil to wet mesocarp (OTWM) and oil to bunch (OTB), fertile bunch components: MFW, mean nut weight (MNW) and shell to fruit (STF), vegetative traits: petiole cross section (PCS), rachis length (RL), leaflet length (LL), leaflet width (LW), height (HT) and leaf area (LA), component fatty acids: C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2, I.V. and total carotene.

SEASONAL VARIATION IN YIELD AND DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESSES IN AN OIL PALM DENSITY TRIAL ON A PEAT SOIL: 2. BUNCH WEIGHT COMPONENTS

mpob_admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:02:13 +0000

Bunch production in an oil palm density trial on a peat soil in Perak, West Malaysia, displayed a regular annual cycle that was highly synchronized across densities. The phase of the cycle differed from that displayed for West Malaysia as a whole but resembled those at some other sites. Annual cycles were found in both bunch number and mean bunch weight and in the proportion of palms that yielded bunches in any one month. While the long-term trends in bunch numbers and single bunch weights were negatively correlated, in the short-term there was a highly significant positive correlation between the two.

The variation in mean bunch weight was also reflected in the variation in the main bunch components. There were also seasonal variations in the ratios of bunch components.

In addition to yield, regular annual cycles were also apparent in the rates of frond emission, male and female inflorescence production and sex ratio, and in inflorescence abortion. While the phases of bunch and female inflorescence cycles could be matched using physiologically meaningful lag periods, the cycles of frond emission and total inflorescence production, and of frond emission and female inflorescence production could not, giving rise to non-significant or negative correlations.

Abortion rates were low throughout the trial and while a regular sex ratio cycle became apparent from the eighth year, this was not the main determinant of bunch number cycling. Rather, variation in the rates of inflorescence development may be the crucial factor in causing the yield cycles. Other external and internal factors that might contribute to the yield cycles are discussed