Environmental regulation of sex determination in oil palm: current knowledge and insights from other species

Abstract

This paper presents a review of our current understanding of the sex determination process in oil palm and discusses possible insights that can be gained from other species. Although some informative phenological studies have been carried out, nothing is as yet known about the genetic basis of sex determination in oil palm, nor the mechanisms by which this process is regulated. Nevertheless new genomics-based techniques, when combined with field studies and biochemical and molecular cytological-based approaches, should provide a new understanding of the complex processes governing oil palm sex determination in the foreseeable future. Current hypotheses and strategies for future research are discussed.

Breeding the oil palm (Elaeis guineensisJacq.) for climate change

“…The sex ratio in the oil palm is known to be governed by both genetic and environmental factors. Adam et al (2011) examined the current understanding of the process of sex determination in oil palm (Fig. 3).…”

“…3. Putative mode of interaction of factors affecting the sex of inflorescences and targets of molecular studies in the oil palm, adapted from Adam et al (2011). The schema draws on mostly phenological and physiological data and suggests points of interaction with genetic factors that might be associated with the contrasting behavior of palms of different genotype in the same environmental conditions.…”

Characteristics of Fresh Fruit Bunch Yield and the Physicochemical Qualities of Palm Oil during Storage in North Sumatra, Indonesia

“…The pisifera fruit does not have a shell, but it is difficult to produce the fruit because this variety produces abortive fruit, even though it contains the highest CPO content (Table 1). Pisifera has female flowers that are sterile when grown in conditions of high and regular water availability, such as in North Sumatra [13]. This situation creates the problem of limited pollen production for breeding, which can be overcome by defoliation as a means of controlling the pollen production [13].…”

Huge carbohydrate assimilates delay response to complete defoliation stress in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

“…We have seen from earlier works that the oil palm has enough energy to absorb immediate shock from carbohydrate depletion caused by a sudden halt in its photosynthetic process. It is also known that the oil palm produces between two and three leaves every month (Hardon and Corley, 1976;Adam et al, 2011). Therefore enough leaves would have been produced after two months of complete defoliation stress treatment to be able to reverse the effects of complete defoliation stress on oil palm.…”