Selection of New Standard Crosses for the Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis J.) Third Cycle of Selection

Abstract

Oil palm breeding at the Oil Palm Research Institute, Kusi in Ghana, has gone through the first and second cycles of selection. In the second cycle of selection, the highest yielders in the first cycle of selection were the standard crosses. Eighty-eight (88) Dura x Pisifera, Dura x Tenera and Tenera x Dura crosses were evaluated for yield in ten progeny trials established from 1987 to 1994 as part of the second cycle of selection. The design for these trials was a randomized complete block. The results indicated improved fresh fruit bunch yield over the standard crosses used as controls. The newly selected standard crosses were K1: 3749D x K3.782P, K4. 373D x 851.805P and K4. 621D x 851.805P which had FFB yields of 14.74, 13.24 and 12.82 tonnes per hectare per year respectively. These yields were higher than the previous standard crosses of K1.3747D x K3.880P and K1.3747D x K3. 734T which had FFB yields of 12.29 and 11.69 tonnes per hectare per year respectively. The three crosses from the second cycle of selection were se-lected due to their superior performance over the second cycle standard crosses and will serve as the new standard crosses for the third cycle of selection.