Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production
Oil palm seed producers typically require 10 months of various processes from pollination to seed germination to produce commercial <i>dura</i> × <i>pisifera</i> hybrid seeds. Conventional forced fruit shedding from underripe fresh fruit bunches (FFB) usually causes seed dama...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/10/380 |
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| author | Jaime Yoke-Sum Low Po-Yee Fong Chee-Keng Teh Ai-Ling Ong Chin-Ming Lim David Ross Appleton |
| author_facet | Jaime Yoke-Sum Low Po-Yee Fong Chee-Keng Teh Ai-Ling Ong Chin-Ming Lim David Ross Appleton |
| author_sort | Jaime Yoke-Sum Low |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oil palm seed producers typically require 10 months of various processes from pollination to seed germination to produce commercial <i>dura</i> × <i>pisifera</i> hybrid seeds. Conventional forced fruit shedding from underripe fresh fruit bunches (FFB) usually causes seed damage and an extended retting period (incubation for natural fruit abscission from spikelets), eventually leading to bunch rot and disease infection. As a fruit ripening agent, ethephon has been explored to hasten fruit abscission in many fruit crops and oil palm. Nevertheless, the previous studies in oil palm only focused on fruit shedding from FFB to improve oil extraction rate in oil mills without considering the actual FFB ripeness and retting period, which are critical for oil palm seed production. In this study, the application of ethephon containing buffer (adjusted to pH 9.0) to underripe FFB at 145 days after pollination (DAP), 135 DAP and 125 DAP resulted in 50% more fruit abscission after a 72-h incubation. Considering the minimal seed loss upon FFB harvest (<1%) and 50% reduction in retting period, underripe FFB at around 145 DAP was found to be optimum for seed production using ethephon treatment. The treatment, however, made negligible improvement in fruit detachment for ripe FFB at 150 DAP and older. Importantly, seed germination and culling rate at nursery stages were not significantly affected by the ethephon treatment. Hence, ethephon application can improve commercial seed production practices for oil palm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:31:54Z |
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| id | doaj.art-958048a6652e4086bd518a5850252786 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:31:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
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| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-958048a6652e4086bd518a58502527862023-11-22T18:27:25ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242021-10-0171038010.3390/horticulturae7100380Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed ProductionJaime Yoke-Sum Low0Po-Yee Fong1Chee-Keng Teh2Ai-Ling Ong3Chin-Ming Lim4David Ross Appleton5Biotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaBiotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaBiotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaBiotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaBiotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaBiotechnology & Breeding Department, Sime Darby Plantation R&D Centre, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaOil palm seed producers typically require 10 months of various processes from pollination to seed germination to produce commercial <i>dura</i> × <i>pisifera</i> hybrid seeds. Conventional forced fruit shedding from underripe fresh fruit bunches (FFB) usually causes seed damage and an extended retting period (incubation for natural fruit abscission from spikelets), eventually leading to bunch rot and disease infection. As a fruit ripening agent, ethephon has been explored to hasten fruit abscission in many fruit crops and oil palm. Nevertheless, the previous studies in oil palm only focused on fruit shedding from FFB to improve oil extraction rate in oil mills without considering the actual FFB ripeness and retting period, which are critical for oil palm seed production. In this study, the application of ethephon containing buffer (adjusted to pH 9.0) to underripe FFB at 145 days after pollination (DAP), 135 DAP and 125 DAP resulted in 50% more fruit abscission after a 72-h incubation. Considering the minimal seed loss upon FFB harvest (<1%) and 50% reduction in retting period, underripe FFB at around 145 DAP was found to be optimum for seed production using ethephon treatment. The treatment, however, made negligible improvement in fruit detachment for ripe FFB at 150 DAP and older. Importantly, seed germination and culling rate at nursery stages were not significantly affected by the ethephon treatment. Hence, ethephon application can improve commercial seed production practices for oil palm.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/10/380fresh fruit bunchpostharvest technologyethephonretting periodgerminationseed abnormality |
| spellingShingle | Jaime Yoke-Sum Low Po-Yee Fong Chee-Keng Teh Ai-Ling Ong Chin-Ming Lim David Ross Appleton Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production Horticulturae fresh fruit bunch postharvest technology ethephon retting period germination seed abnormality |
| title | Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production |
| title_full | Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production |
| title_fullStr | Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production |
| title_short | Ethephon-Induced Abscission of Oil Palm Fruits at Optimal Bunch Ripeness and Retting Period to Improve Commercial Seed Production |
| title_sort | ethephon induced abscission of oil palm fruits at optimal bunch ripeness and retting period to improve commercial seed production |
| topic | fresh fruit bunch postharvest technology ethephon retting period germination seed abnormality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/10/380 |
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