Variation among family of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre for oil content and seedling growth

Abstract

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre is a multipurpose tree species that produces non-edible seeds. Pongamia oil has been recognized as a viable source of oil for the burgeoning biofuel industry. The economic feasibility of Pongamia depends on the oil content of the seed. Meanwhile, information on variation among families (parent tree) of seedlings grown is also necessary to increase plant productivity besides the oil content. This study aims to determine the variation among families of Pongamia oil content and seedling growth (generative and vegetative propagation). The seeds were analysed using 48 families for oil content analysis by solvent extraction, 50 families for seedling growth analysis (generative), and 19 families for vegetative. The result showed a significant variation in crude oil content among the families. Oil production varied from 26.61 to 44.68%. Variations among families were also found in seedling growth performance for both generative and vegetative propagation, with an average survival rate up to 75%. The information is essential for the tree improvement program to produce genetically improved seeds of Pongamia for biofuel and land restoration in Indonesia.