By Atlantic Reports

Oil palm breeding experts have called for conventional breeding, modern biotechnology and gene editing to be used together to develop more productive planting materials suited to changing climatic conditions.

Dr Claude Bakoume, Africa Regional Representative of the International Society for Oil Palm Breeders, outlined the proposal on Wednesday during a lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) in Benin.

He said gene editing could help researchers introduce specific traits, including improved drought tolerance, shorter palms and changes to fatty acid composition for industrial applications.

Bakoume also said the technology could shorten the development of improved varieties, helping breeding programmes respond to emerging agricultural challenges.

These were potential applications described by the expert. The supplied account did not identify a gene-edited oil palm variety ready for farmers or provide trial results demonstrating those benefits.

Preparing for Changing Weather

Bakoume warned that changing weather patterns and prolonged drought could affect oil palm productivity.

He urged researchers to develop planting materials capable of adapting to those conditions while limiting yield losses.

For growers, the objective is planting material that performs reliably under local conditions. Establishing that performance requires well-managed trials, rather than relying on the promise of a breeding technology alone.

Reliable Records from Nursery to Field

Bakoume stressed that improvements in breeding also depended on careful field supervision.

He warned that errors during seedling distribution and transplantation could create discrepancies in progeny numbers and compromise research findings.

Accurate labelling, systematic records and proper field mapping were necessary to identify and monitor planting materials throughout trials, he said.

Collaboration to Overcome Land Constraints

Dr Rajinder Singh of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre said biotechnology could complement conventional selection and crossing to accelerate the development of improved varieties.

He identified land availability as a constraint, noting that oil palm progeny trials required extensive space compared with crops such as soybean.

Singh advocated partnerships between research institutions and plantations to share trial sites and resources.

He also called for sound experimental design, including controls and replication, to minimise errors and produce reliable findings.

Some participants said they welcomed the opportunity to learn approaches that could improve their production.

The lecture brought attention to both advanced technologies and the fundamentals of reliable research. Translating those ideas into benefits for growers will depend on tested planting materials, effective collaboration and evidence of performance in the field.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.