Alves, S. A. O. et al. 1
J. Biotec. Biodivers. v. 2, N.2: pp. 1-6, May. 2011
Vol. 2, N. 2: pp. 1-6, May 2011
ISSN: 2179-4804
Journal of Biotechnology
and Biodiversity
In vitro embryo rescue of interspecific hybrids of oil palm ( Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guineensis )
Sergio Augusto Oliveira Alves , Oriel Filgueira de Lemos , Benedito Gomes dos Santos Filho and André Luís Lopes da Silva
Departamento de Ciências florestais e Laboratório de Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia; Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz - ESALQ/USP; 13418-900; Piracicaba - SP - Brasil. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental ,Pavilhão de Pesquisa; 66095-100 ; Belém - PA - Brasil. Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia – UFRa ;Departamento de Fisiologia Vegetal; 66077-901; Belém - PA - Brasil. Departamento de Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia; Universidade Federal do Paraná; 81531-970; Curitiba - PR - Brasil.
ABSTRACT
The oil palm (Elaeis guineennsis Jacq.) is the plant with major oil yield in tropical areas over the world. Pará state is the major producer of Brazil. However, the production of resistant hybrids (Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guinennsis) to several diseases is necessary, in spite of less productive, is a viable alternative for areas where occur more aggressive diseases. The aim of this research was to rescue in vitro embryos of four varieties of interspecific hybrids of oil palm (Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guineensis) in different media. Four varieties were tested: (1) Cj-2141; (2) CI- 2061; (3) Cj-502 and (4) Cj-494. Four media were tested: (T1) half strength MS medium (½ MS), (T2) MS, (T3) MS + 0.5mg L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and (T4) ½ MS+ 0.5mg.L NAA and BAP. All media were supplemented with 0.17g.L NaH 2 PO 4 , activated charcoal (0.25%), sucrose (3%) and solidified with phytagel (0.2%). The most germination rate of interspecific hybrids embryos was obtained on ½ MS medium, supplemented with 0.17g.L NaH 2 PO 4 , activated charcoal (0.25%), sucrose (3%) and solidified with phytagel (0.2%). The variety CI-2061 presents the best capacity to develop normal seedlings.
Key words: Vegetable oil, zygotic embryos, genetic breeding
INTRODUCTION
The oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) belongs to Arecaceae family and is originated from West Africa. It is the major source of vegetable oil in the world and the first plant used in the production of vegetable oil commercialized in the international market (Carvalho et al., 2006). The genus Elaeis presents two species of genetic interesting: The caiaué ( Elaeis oleifera (HBK) Cortés) and the African species ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) (Surre and Ziller, 1969; Viégas and Muller, 2000). The oil palm is a tropical species that grows mainly in hot climate and humid with abundance of rains. The North region of Brazil shows the ideal conditions for the growth of oil palm.
The Brazil has high agricultural potential for oil palm plantation with ca. 50 million hectares, being 30 million in the Amazonas State and the others 20 million in the Pará State (Carvalho et al., 2006). Nowadays, the Pará State is the major producer of oil palm in the Brazil. The main species used in the commercial plantation is the Elaeis
guineennsis , nevertheless, this species is susceptible to several diseases, such as fatal yellowing disease (Alves, 2007); the fatal yellowing disease represents the largest menace to the oil palm production in Pará. However, Elaeis oleifera has been incorporated in genetic breeding of oil palm, in spite of being less productive than E. guineennsis , this species presents other interesting characteristics, such as high quality in the oil, slow growth of the stem and resistance or tolerance to some diseases, mainly against fatal yellowing disease.
The oil palm is a monocotyledon and perennial palm with long cycle of production around 25 years, which results in a slow process of conventional genetic breeding (Alves, 2007). Innovative methods are necessary to reach the incorporation of new genetic resources inside the new cultivars of oil palm. The tissue culture is a powerful tool that can accelerate the genetic breeding of the species. The use of interspecific hybrids such as E.oleifera x E.guineensis can
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Author for correspondence: sergioagrobio@ig.com.br