MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF OIL PALM DURA MOTHER PALMS FOR YIELD AND DWARF TRAITS

A. PEDAPATI¹*, R.K. MATHUR², G. RAVICHANDRAN³, B. KALYANABABU⁴, H.P. BHAGYA^5
1ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
²ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
³ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
⁴ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
⁵ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
* Corresponding Author : anita.pedapati@gmail.com

Received : 02-02-2020     Accepted : 26-02-2020     Published : 28-02-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 4       Pages : 9550 - 9553
Int J Agr Sci 12.4 (2020):9550-9553

Keywords : Dura, Palm, Yield, Height increment
Academic Editor : Prof Jaime Cuauhtemoc Negrete, Seyyed Fazel Fazeli Kakhki, Basavaraj, Dr Roshni R. Samarth, Naserzadeh Yousef
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi, West Godavari, 534 450, Andhra Pradesh, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

African oil palm has the highest productivity amongst cultivated oil seeds crops. The Asian oil palm industry has developed at a great rate, and now leads the world. Indonesia became the global leader in palm oil. Nearly 90% of the world’s oil palm seed production is based on Deli Dura, which originated from the four Bogor palms. African oil palm trees can reach up to 30 meters in height. There is no source of high yielding and short stature mother palms in India. Productivity and harvesting are the two major gaps in oil palm production in India. After eight years of palm age it is very difficult to harvest bunches manually by climbing palm due to its tall in stature. The present identified Palm No 33 has a highest yield (181.70 kg), a greater number of bunches (20.50) and less height increment (18 cm) in comparison to other progenies by taking moving average (Yield: 98.13 kg, No. of bunches: 13.38, Height increment: 32.48 cm) of the same cross. The mesocarp content of this accession also more (72.20%) when compared with the standard Dura’s. Another palm selected (Palm N0: 47) has a highest yield (221.30 kg) and medium height increment (33.00cm) in comparison to other progenies by taking moving average (Yield: 103.77 kg, Height increment: 31.81 cm) of the same cross. The utilization of high-yielding genetic base as a planting material has been proven to be the most efficient and sustainable means of increasing the yield output of existing oil palm genetic base. This genetic stock recorded highest yield and short stature compared with other progenies. However, it can be used as a mother parent for the development of high yielding and dwarf oil palm hybrids.

1. Corley R.H.V. (2009) Environ. Sci. Policy, 12, 134-139.
2. Ngando-Ebongue G.F., Etta C.E., Ntsomboh-Ntsefong G. and Oben T.T. (2013) Int. J. Agric. Sci., 3 (5), 513-520.
3. Rival A., Levang P. (2014) Palms of controversies, oil palm and development challenges, CIFOR, Jakarta, 58.
4. Okoye M.N., Okwuagwu C.O., Uguru M.I. (2009) Am. Eur. J. Sci. Res., 4 (2), 59-63.
5. Corley R.H.V., Tinker P.B. (2003) The Oil Palm, [4th ed]. Blackwell publishing, Oxford, Berlin, Germany, 562.
6. Arolu I.W., Ra?i M.Y., Hana? M.M., Sulaiman Z., Rahim H.A., Marjuni M., Amiruddin M.D., Abidin M.I.Z., Nookiah R. (2017) Euphytica, 213,154.
7. Breure C.J. and Powell M.S. (1987) Proceedings of the International Oil Palm Conference. Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia, Kuala, 203-209.