Major QTLs for Trunk Height and Correlated Agronomic Traits Provide Insights into Multiple Trait Integration in Oil Palm Breeding.

Superior oil yield is always the top priority of the oil palm industry. Short trunk height (THT) and compactness traits have become increasingly important to improve harvesting efficiency since the industry started to suffer yield losses due to labor shortages. Breeding populations with low THT and short frond length (FL) are actually available, such as Dumpy AVROS pisifera (DAV) and Gunung Melayu dura (GM). However, multiple trait stacking still remains a challenge for oil palm breeding, which usually requires 12-20 years to complete a breeding cycle. In this study, yield and height increment in the GM × GM (GM-3341) and the GM × DAV (GM-DAV-3461) crossing programs were evaluated and palms with good yield and smaller height increment were identified. In the GM-3341 family, non-linear THT growth between THT_2008 (seven years old) and THT_2014 (13 years old) was revealed by a moderate correlation, suggesting that inter-palm competition becomes increasingly important. In total, 19 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for THT_2008 (8), oil per palm (O/P) (7) and FL (4) were localized on the GM-3341 linkage map, with an average mapping interval of 2.01 cM. Three major QTLs for THT_2008, O/P and FL are co-located on chromosome 11 and reflect the correlation of THT_2008 with O/P and FL. Multiple trait selection for high O/P and low THT (based on the cumulative effects of positive alleles per trait) identified one palm from 100 palms, but with a large starting population of 1000-1500 seedling per cross, this low frequency could be easily compensated for during breeding selection.

Avaliação de parâmetros de qualidade do óleo de Palma BRS Manicoré / Evaluation of Palma oil BRS Manicoré quality parameters

O óleo de palma híbrido é considerado um produto rico em conteúdo insaturado e mais resistente a doenças. Objetivou-se analisar parâmetros que indicam a qualidade do óleo de Palma BRS Manicoré. As amostras foram avaliadas quanto ao índice de saponificação, índice de refração, compostos fenólicos totais, atividade antioxidante e densidade. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à Análise de Variância (ANOVA). Os valores obtidos para índice de refração e índice de saponificação foram pouco inferiores ao limite estabelecido pela legislação. As amostras apresentaram-se ricas em compostos antioxidantes que são benéficos a saúde humana em sua composição. Conclui-se que o óleo UNAUE apresenta atividade antioxidante, o que torna indispensável sua utilização na dieta humana e para outros fins.

Policies for healthy and sustainable edible oil consumption: a stakeholder analysis for Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: Palm oil is a cheap and versatile edible oil in widespread use as a food ingredient that has been linked to negative health and environmental outcomes. The current study aimed to understand the prospects for future health-focused policy development to limit food use of palm oil and promote a greater diversity of oils in Thailand's food system. DESIGN: Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders. The interviews probed views on the economic, health and environmental dimensions of the issue, the prospects for health-focused policy development and the policy development process. Transcripts were analysed using a health policy analytical framework. SETTING: Thailand. SUBJECTS: Stakeholders from a range of ministries, regulatory agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia. RESULTS: There are several impediments to the emergence of strong regulation, including the primacy of economic considerations in setting policy, doubt and misperception about health implications and a complex regulatory environment with little space for health-related considerations. At the same time, some sections of the food industry producing food for domestic consumption are substituting palm with other oils on the basis of consumer health perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Strong regulation to curb the growth of palm oil is unlikely to emerge soon. However, a long-term strategy can be envisaged that relies on greater policy support for other indigenous oils, strategic rebalancing towards the use of palm oil for biofuels and oleochemicals, and harnessing Thailand's food technology capabilities to promote substitution in food production in favour of oils with healthier fatty acid composition.