Tissue Culture of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) on Research Center Station Crops Estate Marihat

Abstract

The step of forming oil palm planted by tissue-culture method i s very complex and necessery t o be accuratly implemented, either selection of ortet or laboratory process. Some criteria which determine the success of tissue-culture in oil palm are as follows: the selection of superior ortet, no mutation, the selection as a whole cover each culture phase, the existing of juvenilitation, able to regeneration and the technique used can be economi cally implemented. The variation i n yield among trees on progenies trial of D x P (Tenera) i s about 60 - 100% above average yield, therefore selection of individu and its multiplication is one o f the suitable system for increasing yield . Another advantage of tissue-culture method is toassistin problem solving of breeding. Marihat Research Centre For Estate Crop (MRCEC) setted up tissue culture laboratory i n 1985 and the clone resulted by that laboratory has been planted since 1987 on several region in Indonesia. Since 1987 up t o 1991, amount 165 clones have been handled in tissue-culture process, and 33 clones among others were planted on the field as wide as about 1.000 ha area. From field ebservation it has been proved that the clones can adapt well to the environment, uniformity in the vegetative growth and normal flowering. The Fresh Bunsh JFFB) production were higher around 20 percent compared to plants from seedlings.