Abstract
In the previous 50 years palm oild yields have increased four-fold, 70 per cent of which attribute to breeding improvement, along with a 50% improvement in oil to bunch and 10-20% height reduction. These achievements have been obtained by qadopting genetic and breeding principles and advanecements made in other crops. Within two to three decades oil palm clones ang genes from the recent Elaeis guineensis and E. oleifera accessions are expected to be manifested in cultivars having 30% or more oil production, 40 to 50% height reduction and about 65% unsaturated oil. In the nexto 50 years with anticipated new discoveries and uses for palm products, more sophisticated and discriminating consumer requirements and rising land and labour costs, breeding objectives and strategies will have to realigned t meet these challenges. Palm oil, being a highly productive, versatile, environmentally friendly and renewable resource will likely dominate the oils and fats market, not only as food to feed the growing populations but also as feedstock for the oleachemical industries to produce a wide range of products e.g. detergents, emulsifers, plasticiesers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, lubricants and fuels. A breeding programme with so many agronomic and economic objectives will be a daunting task in terms of effort and time. Fortunately with the develoopment of transfenic plant technology which can widen considerably the genetic base of a crop, marker-assisted selection methology which allows mokre precise selection, and assited by cloning new cultivar develoopment ca be expedited. To sustain the competitiveness of oil palm breeding and the Industry, superior plant, human and intitutional resources are essential: the first to privde the gentic base, the second to provide breeders who are well educated, versatile, adaptable and committed visionaries ant the last to provide the financial and infrastructural support to set the breeding programme into motion now.In the previous 50 years palm oild yields have increased four-fold, 70 per cent of which attribute to breeding improvement, along with a 50% improvement in oil to bunch and 10-20% height reduction. These achievements have been obtained by qadopting genetic and breeding principles and advanecements made in other crops. Within two to three decades oil palm clones ang genes from the recent Elaeis guineensis and E. oleifera accessions are expected to be manifested in cultivars having 30% or more oil production, 40 to 50% height reduction and about 65% unsaturated oil. In the nexto 50 years with anticipated new discoveries and uses for palm products, more sophisticated and discriminating consumer requirements and rising land and labour costs, breeding objectives and strategies will have to realigned t meet these challenges. Palm oil, being a highly productive, versatile, environmentally friendly and renewable resource will likely dominate the oils and fats market, not only as food to feed the growing populations but also as feedstock for the oleachemical industries to produce a wide range of products e.g. detergents, emulsifers, plasticiesers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, lubricants and fuels. A breeding programme with so many agronomic and economic objectives will be a daunting task in terms of effort and time. Fortunately with the develoopment of transfenic plant technology which can widen considerably the genetic base of a crop, marker-assisted selection methology which allows mokre precise selection, and assited by cloning new cultivar develoopment ca be expedited. To sustain the competitiveness of oil palm breeding and the Industry, superior plant, human and intitutional resources are essential: the first to privde the gentic base, the second to provide breeders who are well educated, versatile, adaptable and committed visionaries ant the last to provide the financial and infrastructural support to set the breeding programme into motion now.