Karakterisasi abnormalitas embrio somatik kelapa sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq)

Abstract

Kelapa sawit merupakan tanaman penghasil minyak nabati utama di Indonesia dan memegang peranan penting untuk memenuhi kebutuhan minyak nabati dalam negeri. Untuk meningkatkan peranan kelapa sawit dilakukan intensifikasi dan ekstensifikasi tanaman kelapa sawit. Untuk mencapai peningkatan perluasan areal pertanaman kelapa sawit membutuhkan bibit yang sangat besar. Salah satu cara penyediaan bibit kelapa sawit dapat melalui kultur jaringan. Kelebihan melalui kultur jaringan adalah mampu menghasilkan bibit dalam jumlah yang banyak dalam waktu yang relatif singkat. Namun demikian, kendala utama bibit hasil kultur jaringan adalah masalah abnormalitas pada organ reproduktif yang diduga terkait dengan perubahan genetik dan epigenetik selama masa pembentukan embrio somatik (ES).

Oilpalm is the most important vegetable oil producing plant in Indonesia. A mass production of oilpalm transplants to support new oilpalm estate can be conducted through tissue culture. However, the primary problem of tissue culture generated transplants is increasingly reproductive abnormalities postulated due to the genetic and/or epygenetic changes during somatic embryo (SE) formation. The objectives of this research were (1) to characterize abnormality of somatic embryos at several growth stages, (2) to study the genetic change of SEs at several growth stages and their plantles, and (3) to study the relationship of cytosine methylation of genomic DNA and abnormality at several SE growth stages and plantlets. Genetic characterization was accomplished by RAPD and RAF technique. Epigenetic characterization was conducted by RP-HPLC and RAFmethylation sensitive technique. The results showed that morphological characterization on SE at globular, heart form scutellar, and cotyledon resulted that there were morphological variations.