Breeding of Oil Palm for High Yield : Hybrid Variety Suratthani 7

Abstract

The oil palm breeding program of Department of Agriculture was supported by UNDP/ FAO from 1990 to 2011. The program received assistance in both outstanding and diverse germplasms and training in techniques for oil palm selection. The oil palm breeding program cycle II, carried out during 2003-2015, applied modified recurrent selection. The first step of this program was to determine and select the superior parents. Sixty-nine crosses between female mothers and male fathers palm were made. The second step was to carry out the progeny test and compared with that of the standard cross. The objective of this experiment was to select the best performance progeny cross as measured by fresh fruit bunch, oil yield and percentage of kernel per fruit . The oil palm progeny test of 23 crosses (D x T) of experimental trial 1 (BRD031) was carried out at Suratthani Oil Palm Research Center. The experimental design was RCB with 4 replications with 16 palm trees per plot and used Suratthani variety as standard cross. The variety Suratthani 7 or progeny number 198 (Deli dura x Tanzania tenera) produced significantly higher fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield, bunch number, and bunch weight scored, compared to the others. Its yield, bunch/palm/year, bunch weight averaged from the third to the twelveth year of cultivation were with 4,458 kg/rai/year (195.5 kg/palm/year), 14.7 bunch/palm/year, and 15 kg/bunch respectively. Percentage of kernel/fruit was 11.1% more than the others and that of DOA standard selection. In addition mesocarp/fruit, shell/fruit and oil/bunch of the variety Suratthani 7 was 79.6, 9.3, and 23.6%, respectively. Likewise, the variety Suratthani 7 also showed 30.2% greater yield, compared to Suratthani 3 hybrid. The progeny number 198 was released and named Suratthani 7 hybrid in 2010 and has been recommended to farmer to plant in suitable area for oil palm cultivation.