Effect of pollen doses on fruit formation and oil production in two hybrid palm genotypes (Elaeis oleifera H.B.K. Cortes x Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Abstract

OxG oil palm hybrids (Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guineensis) produce a small number of male inflorescences, with an irregular, slow anthesis phase and low-viability pollen that affect natural pollination, making the agronomic practice of assisted pollination necessary for plantations in order to guarantee the formation of the majority of bunch fruits. In the hybrids “Coarí x La Mé” and “(Sinú x Coarí) x La Mé”, the influence of several doses of pollen (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 g/inflorescence) on bunch weight, normal and parthenocarpic fruits, fruit set and oil/bunch potential was studied. A completely randomized experimental design was used with four replicates and nine inflorescences/replicate. The bunch weight was higher with the 0.05 g/inflorescence dose and lower with the natural pollination. The greatest fruit set was obtained with the dose of 0.1 g/inflorescence, and the oil/bunch percentage was higher with 0.05 g/inflorescence and lower with 0.01 g/inflorescence. The results confirm the need for assisted pollination in these new hybrid materials.

Keywords

• oil palm
• physiology
• pollination
• fruit set
• oil potential