drought – Journal of Oil Palm Research

CONSERVED TRANSCRIPTIONAL RESPONSES TO SALT AND WATER STRESS IN OIL PALM (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) LEAF TISSUES

mpob_admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:56:48 +0000

Abiotic stresses negatively impact oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) cultivation. Transcription factors (TFs) are essential proteins regulating gene expression in plants. While numerous TF gene families are implicated in plant responses to abiotic stress, their specific roles in oil palm’s drought and salinity responses remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to get insights into the TFs’ involvement in the oil palm’s response to these stresses. Twenty TF genes, classified into four families (MYB, HD-ZIP, NF-Y and HSFF) and exhibiting strong co-expression under both salinity and drought conditions, were selected for in-depth analysis. Such behaviour suggests a shared regulatory mechanism for abiotic stress responses. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of known stress-responsive cis-regulatory elements, while sequence homology analysis indicated functional conservation with stress-tolerance genes in other plants. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validated RNA-Seq expression profiles for 19 of the 20 selected genes. While these findings offer promising avenues for genetic modification, a cautious approach is necessary. Understanding the complex regulatory networks of these TFs and their potential side effects is crucial to avoid unintended consequences. Future study should focus on the functional validation of these TFs and integrate this knowledge with potential inherent tolerance mechanisms to develop resilient oil palm cultivars.

MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF OIL PALM (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) SEEDLINGS EXPOSED TO SIMULATED DROUGHT CONDITIONS

mpob_admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 01:05:47 +0000

Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (oil palm) production is threatened by drought due to climate change and anthropogenic deforestation. This study aims to understand how drought conditions contribute to changes in foliar nitrate-nitrogen concentration as well as the effects on the growth and development of oil palm seedlings. Seventy oil palm seedlings were maintained in a screen house and subjected to simulated drought conditions. There was a significant reduction in the number of leaves with increased drought exposure from 10 to four per plant. Oil palm leaves exposed to higher drought levels had less broad leaves, with leaf area ranging from 133.25-172.22 cm² compared to the control (383.73 cm²). The foliar yield per plant was low in plants exposed to extreme drought condition (2.27 g), compared to 71.98 g in the control. Moreover, total drought-exposed oil palm seedlings had the highest concentration of nitrate-nitrogen. E. guineensis exposed to no-drought conditions had more roots (18 roots) than those exposed to total or partial drought (6-10 roots per plant). Overall, there was a decrease in height, leaf area and the number of leaves for most of the seedlings exposed to drought condition, which might be detrimental to their photosynthetic ability and growth.

THE NEED TO REDUCE NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS: OIL PALM INDUSTRY’S ROLE

mpob_admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:14:19 +0000

Malaysia ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 and the Initial National Communication (INC) submission based on 1994 inventory of emissions and removals was submitted in 2000. Now with the coming in force of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2005, the preparation of the Second National Communication (NC2) would be a continual step towards Malaysia’s commitment on the national implementation of UNFCCC. The approach and process consisted of a self-assessment of the national greenhouse gases (GHG) inventories that would include measures undertaken to adapt and to mitigate climate change. The objective would be to improve NC2 submission in 2006 by addressing the gaps identified during the preparation of INC. The NC2 would cover all sectors that would be vulnerable to climate change. For each of the sector identified, an inventory of possible sources of GHG emissions/removals was listed. Under INC only five broad sectors of energy, industrial process, agriculture, land-use and land-use change and forestry, and waste, had their emissions and removals through sequestration identified and quantified.

In updating the GHG inventory for the base year 2000, the 1996 IPCC revised guidelines were used, and the 1994 inventory was also recalculated using the 1996 guidelines. The vulnerability and adaptation of the oil palm plantations activities were assessed for all seven sectors of agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water and coastal resources, public health and energy. As for the mitigation of climate change, however, the oil palm industry activities for five sectors of energy, agriculture, waste, land-use and land-use change and forestry, including the use of clean development mechanism (CDM) was reviewed. The details of adaptation and mitigation measures undertaken by the oil palm industry activities were prioritized in the NC2. From the prioritization, improvement in GHG inventory, adaptation measures and mitigation options were used to compute as accurately as possible the total GHG emissions to determine whether the industry is a net emitter or sequester of GHG emissions. The positive contribution by the oil palm industry in reduction of GHG emissions would be used to assist in the computation of the net national GHG emissions when the other industries’ sectors net emissions would be totalled up. The role and contribution of the oil palm industry in enhancing reduction of national GHG emissions would be highlighted. The paper provided firm recommendations to improve the computation of GHG emissions by focusing on capacity building process, coordination, sustainable development and integration of climate change programmes in the medium- to long-term planning of the palm oil industry.

THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATIC CONDITIONSS ON GAS AND ENERGY EXCHANGES ABOVE A YOUNG OIL PALM STAND IN NORTH KEDAH, MALAYSIA

mpob_admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:05:35 +0000

Measurement of fluxes of CO₂, latent heat and sensible heat were made above a three-year-old oil palm canopy in north Kedah, Malaysia where there is a regular dry season of three months or more annually. The results indicate substantially lower levels of CO₂ flux and latent heat flux (evapotranspiration) and substantially increased levels of sensible heat flux in the middle of the annual dry season in February, than in the succeeding wetter months of April to June. Canopy conductance for water vapour was likewise low during the drought and incresed subsequently.
The use of these results as an aid to quantifying the responses of oil palm to water deficits is discussed.