Effects of basal stem rot on oil palm inter-frond angles for different severity levels

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) is the most destructive disease of oil palm in Malaysia. White-rot fungus Ganoderma is the causal pathogen of BSR disease leading to significant economic loss to the oil palm industry. Early disease detection is crucial to control the disease and to reduce the disease effects on the yield. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) is an active imaging method which is contact-free, precise, cost-effective and user-friendly. It provides accurate information on tree dimensions and morphology, which relates to plant development and health. This study proposed an image processing technique using the point clouds, ground input data taken from the terrestrial laser scanner that has capability to get a top view image of the tree. The objective of this study was to analyze the oil palm inter-frond angles (measured in degrees) using top view image of oil palm tree at four different severity levels of infection. From the results, mean degree of frond angle in each level showed significant relationship with severity level of BSR with high correlation, R2 values of 0.96. Results from Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for frond angles exhibited significant differences between all levels of infection with p-value less than 0.0001

Elaeis guineensis

Palm oil biomass is constantly produced in large quantities throughout the world as a waste product of the vast palm oil plantations. Biomass from the palm oil industry has been converted into value-added products to a limited extent via thermochemical, chemical, physical, and biochemical conversion routes. However, a significant amount of biomass, such as OPF and OPT, is still left in plantations. A pragmatic approach to converting them to value-added products will not only result in a cleaner environment but also generate significant revenue for the government. It is also suggested that more attention be paid to bioproducts in order to present them in an appealing form to end-users, thereby encouraging good patronage

The Coconut Odyssey: the Bounteous Possibilities of the Tree of Life

Crop Production/Industries,

Systematic analysis of reproductive development in normal and mantled oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) flowers and fruit

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most efficient oil crop in the world; it uses substantially less land and resources and produces more oil than any other oil crop. Even so, to meet the growing palm oil demands due to the increasing global population, per capita consumption rates and biofuel demands, ground-breaking strategies for agronomic and genetic improvement of the commercial planting material are necessary. Clonal propagation through tissue culture has proven to be useful in producing uniform planting materials. However, there are incidences of the deleterious floral homeotic mutant, mantled, in oil palm ramets. In this study, standardised protocols and analytical parameters for the extraction and characterisation of oil palm inflorescences, bunches and pollen in the context of the mantled abnormality are proposed. Genotyping using twenty SSR markers showed good discriminatory powers and revealed ten ‘off types’. Methylation detection at the EgDEF1 KARMA locus using RsaI showed an 18.75% error in distinguishing mantled from normal. Thus, accurate phenotyping and appraisal of mantled phenotype were achieved through visual scoring of unripe bunches. This novel phenotyping regime allowed quantification of the severity as well as variability associated with the aberrant phenotype. For selection and extraction of comparable inflorescence samples from normal and mantled ramets, a new developmental classification was formulated, and the field sampling and histology protocols were optimised through trial. The different developmental categories were validated using ANOVA (F probability<0.001) and Fisher’s protected least significant difference test. This developmental classification supplements the previous model for developmental stage prediction and enables precise field identification of key developmental events. Subsequently, a reproductive developmental series for oil palm from early inflorescence development to floral maturity was prepared. This developmental series permitted comparisons between age categories (three-year-old young clone and ten-year-old mature clones), sexes as well as phenotypes (normal and mantled). Hence, for the first time, mantled reproductive development is compared alongside equivalent normal samples from the same clone, throughout the reproductive developmental process. The mantled phenotype was indistinguishable by histology till pseudocarpels were observable at the developmental category ‘floral triad 3 (FT3)’. Results revealed three novel features of mantled phenotype. Firstly, in the present set of samples, phenotypic expression of mantled was limited to pistillate flowers. Contrary to previous reports, even the abortive staminate flowers in mantled female inflorescences showed normal development while the pistillate flower of the same triad was mantled. Secondly, analysis of field sampling data revealed a lower incidence of male phase (p<.001) associated with the mantled phenotype. This possible effect of mantled on sex determination indicates an earlier manifestation of mantled phenotype than previously reported. Lastly, pollen samples from mantled ramets showed significantly higher pollen abortion and degeneration and lower pollen health (Chi2 probability <0.001). Functional quality assessment of oil palm pollen grains was done through histochemical approaches and germination tests and pollen from mantled sources was analysed for the first time. Healthy reproductive development and adequate pollination are vital for the optimal yield of oil palm. The systematic investigations undertaken here is a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of these events in normal and the mantled ramets. Results of previously uncharacterised effects of mantled phenotype call for further investigation into its phenotypic expression. Methodologies and parameters proposed here should be useful for a wide range of research into floral abnormalities of oil palm

Systematic analysis of reproductive development in normal and mantled oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) flowers and fruit

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most efficient oil crop in the world; it uses substantially less land and resources and produces more oil than any other oil crop. Even so, to meet the growing palm oil demands due to the increasing global population, per capita consumption rates and biofuel demands, ground-breaking strategies for agronomic and genetic improvement of the commercial planting material are necessary. Clonal propagation through tissue culture has proven to be useful in producing uniform planting materials. However, there are incidences of the deleterious floral homeotic mutant, mantled, in oil palm ramets. In this study, standardised protocols and analytical parameters for the extraction and characterisation of oil palm inflorescences, bunches and pollen in the context of the mantled abnormality are proposed. Genotyping using twenty SSR markers showed good discriminatory powers and revealed ten ‘off types’. Methylation detection at the EgDEF1 KARMA locus using RsaI showed an 18.75% error in distinguishing mantled from normal. Thus, accurate phenotyping and appraisal of mantled phenotype were achieved through visual scoring of unripe bunches. This novel phenotyping regime allowed quantification of the severity as well as variability associated with the aberrant phenotype. For selection and extraction of comparable inflorescence samples from normal and mantled ramets, a new developmental classification was formulated, and the field sampling and histology protocols were optimised through trial. The different developmental categories were validated using ANOVA (F probability<0.001) and Fisher’s protected least significant difference test. This developmental classification supplements the previous model for developmental stage prediction and enables precise field identification of key developmental events. Subsequently, a reproductive developmental series for oil palm from early inflorescence development to floral maturity was prepared. This developmental series permitted comparisons between age categories (three-year-old young clone and ten-year-old mature clones), sexes as well as phenotypes (normal and mantled). Hence, for the first time, mantled reproductive development is compared alongside equivalent normal samples from the same clone, throughout the reproductive developmental process. The mantled phenotype was indistinguishable by histology till pseudocarpels were observable at the developmental category ‘floral triad 3 (FT3)’. Results revealed three novel features of mantled phenotype. Firstly, in the present set of samples, phenotypic expression of mantled was limited to pistillate flowers. Contrary to previous reports, even the abortive staminate flowers in mantled female inflorescences showed normal development while the pistillate flower of the same triad was mantled. Secondly, analysis of field sampling data revealed a lower incidence of male phase (p<.001) associated with the mantled phenotype. This possible effect of mantled on sex determination indicates an earlier manifestation of mantled phenotype than previously reported. Lastly, pollen samples from mantled ramets showed significantly higher pollen abortion and degeneration and lower pollen health (Chi2 probability <0.001). Functional quality assessment of oil palm pollen grains was done through histochemical approaches and germination tests and pollen from mantled sources was analysed for the first time. Healthy reproductive development and adequate pollination are vital for the optimal yield of oil palm. The systematic investigations undertaken here is a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of these events in normal and the mantled ramets. Results of previously uncharacterised effects of mantled phenotype call for further investigation into its phenotypic expression. Methodologies and parameters proposed here should be useful for a wide range of research into floral abnormalities of oil palm

ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 Calibration, Validation, Science and Applications

Twelve edited original papers on the latest and state-of-art results of topics ranging from calibration, validation, and science to a wide range of applications using ALOS-2/PALSAR-2. We hope you will find them useful for your future research

Soil Water Properties of Kerangas Forest Soil after Invasion by Acacia

Soil water is important for forest ecosystems as infiltration and percolation process use soil water for plant growth. The presence of invasive Acacia species may limit the availability of soil water because these species absorb more water than native species. Hence, the objective was to investigate the effect of Acacia invasion on the soil water properties of Kerangas forests. In each invaded and non-invaded Acacia plots, holes a lysimeter was installed into the holes and used to extract soil water by direct contact to the soil. The results shows the invasion of Acacia has affected the Kerangas forest by higher absorption of water and higher fixation of nitrate