Heat treatment and germination of seeds of interspecific hybrid between American oil palm (Elaeis oleifera (H.B.K) Cortes) and African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Márcia Green ,Ricardo Lopes ,W. A. A. De Lima ,Raimundo Nonato Vieira Da Cunha ,Samuel Campos Abreu ,Alex Queiroz Cysne

doi:10.1590/2317-1545v36n41034

Márcia Green , Ricardo Lopes + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1545v36n41034

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Abstract

The oil palm (E. guineensis ) is the African origin and the world's leading source of vegetable oil. The interspecific hybridization of the African oil palm (E. guineensis) with American oil palm (E. oleifera) aims to improve resistance to diseases, to improve oil quality and lower plant height. EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Brazilian Corporation of Agricultural Research) has developed the first Brazilian interspecific hybrid cultivar (HIE) between American oil palm and African oil palm. The procedures adopted for commercial seed germination assessment have shown an average germination rate of 32%. The objective of this work was to assess the effect of the period of heat treatment and seed water content that are ideal for breaking dormancy and obtaining maximum germination. A completely randomized design was adopted, in a 4 x 3 factorial design, with four ranges of moisture contents: 18-19; 19-20; 20-21 and 21-22%, and three periods of heat treatment: 55, 75 and 100 days, with three replicates of 500 seeds. The percentage of germination, the first count and the germination speed index were assessed. To break dormancy and germination, the hybrids seeds of HIE, oleifera versus guineensis, should have their water content adjusted to values between 19 and 22%, and be subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 39 ± + 1 ºC and relative humidity of approximately 75% for 75 days.

Highlights

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jack.) is of African origin and the world’s leading source of vegetable oil (USDA, 2014)
From studies started in the 1990s, the first national interspecific hybrid cultivar was developed by Embrapa between American oil palm and African oil palm (HIE OxG), called BRS Manicoré, which, in addition to a high productivity, is resistant to fatal yellowing (FY), presents a reduced height growth and a more unsaturated oil than the tenera cultivars of the African species (Cunha and Lopes, 2010)
Significant effects of the factors of the period of stay in a heat treatment and moisture content of the seeds were observed, as well as the interaction among them in the variables related to first count was assessed (FC) and Emergence Speed Index (ESI) force

Summary

Introduction

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jack.) is of African origin and the world’s leading source of vegetable oil (USDA, 2014). American oil palm (Elaeis oleifera H.B.K. Cortés), a semidomesticated species of South American origin, is from the same genus as the African oil palm, but has no importance in itself in the commercial production of oil. Cortés), a semidomesticated species of South American origin, is from the same genus as the African oil palm, but has no importance in itself in the commercial production of oil These two species can be crossed with ease and interspecific hybridization has been used for genetic improvement, seeking to associate the. In commercial seed production of interspecific hybrid, BRS Manicoré has been showing low rates of germination, about 30 to 35%, according to a personal communication from the business office Escritório de Negócios da Amazônia Embrapa Produtos e Mercado. The authors have reported that four Colombian producers: Hacienda La Cabaña, Meta; Unipalma, Meta; Indupalma, Cesar y Corpoica El Mira, Nariño and Embrapa report germination rates of HIE OxG below 30%

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