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This study reported in vitro embryogenesis of oil palm using young leaves as explants. Explants were grown in solid modified MS or Eeuwens medium containing different concentrations of NAA and 2,4-D, i.e. media C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5, M1, M2, M3 and M4, to induce embryogenic calli. Compact and pearly-white, globular calli were obtained from the youngest leaf explants 28 weeks after culture.C1 media (MS medium + 107.41 µM of NAA + 100 mg.L-1 of asparagine + 100 mg.L of glutamine-1) produced the highest percentage of calli formation (30.56%), whereas C4 media (C1 supplemented with 67.86 µM of 2,-D ) was the optimal media for embryogenic callus induction. Direct embryoids were obtained from slightly older leaf explants on the C3 media containing NAA after 36 weeks of culture. However, four subcultures using the same medium with gradual reduction of auxin concentration were not successful to develop embryogenic callus and embryoid cells during the course of this study.

Knowledge of the magnitude of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in the selection of desirable characters could assist the plant breeders in ascertaining criteria to be used in the breeding programmes. Twenty three introgressed oil palm progenies were evaluated at the Specialized Centre for Oil Palm Research of Cameroon, from 2004 to 2014 to estimate performance, genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance of oil yield and some economic traits in terms to select new oil palm parent materials with the traits of interest. The results revealed high variability among oil palm population for all the characters. Moderate estimates of the phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variations associated with high heritability and moderate genetic advance as percent of mean were obtained for characters of fresh fruit bunch, bunch number, oil yield, kernel to bunch, kernel to fruit, kernel yield and height increment. The results suggest the effectiveness of selection method for these traits and their improvement through their phenotypic performance. LM11087T x LM2749D and LM12960T x LM7409D were obtained as superior oil palm crossing parents with the potential production of 6.26 ton ha-1yr-1 of crude palm oil; they can be exploited in seed production and further breeding program.<br /><br />Keywords: genetic advance, heritability, introgressed progenies, oil yield, Phenotypic<br /><br />

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Abstract:In this study, the multivariate tools, namely principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, were used to classify and measure the pattern of genetic diversity and evaluate the correlation of nine oil palm traits in 25 progenies. Fresh fruit bunch weight (FFB), kernel to fruit (K/F) and kernel to bunch (K/B) ratios showed significant variance, while bunch number (BN), kernel yield (KY) and oil yield (OY) showed little variance. Positive significant correlation between these traits and yield was appreciated through PCA, where 90.55% of the variation was explained by the first three principal components. Progeny grouping was performed and revealed three clusters of oil palm progenies. Cluster I contained progenies with high production of FFB, BN, OY and KY, while low height increment (HI) of palm trees was found in cluster II. However, most of progenies with high mean values of bunch spikelet weight (SpW), average fruit weight (AFW), K/F and K/B were grouped in cluster III. This grouping could help oil palm breeders to identify progenies with the traits of interest for breeding and commercial seed production.