DNA Sequence-Based Markers for Verification of Ramet-to-Ortet Relationship in Oil Palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Abstract

Since oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) does not breed true, tissue culture-derived material is the resource of choice for achieving oil palm homogeneity in terms of growth and yield. Currently, no genomic tagging method is available with which one could verify the ortet (tissue donor oil palm) from which the clonal planting material (ramets) origi-nated, particularly in cases of unsatisfactory performance. Thus, Sime Darby Plantation used 10 genomic microsatellite markers to genotype 8 sets of 5 ramets +1 ortet and 2 single ortets. The average genetic distance (D) among oil palms from the same set of ramets and ortet was 0.0000 with the exception of sets containing off-type ramets (D = [0.0834 - 0.1505]). The dendrogram showed that the ramets and their ortet of origin formed a sub-cluster, confirming their simi-larity. The 10 microsatellite markers were valuable to Sime Darby as tools for verification of ramet-to-ortet relation-ships and for the identification of off-types. Furthermore, the set of 10 markers revealed a high expected heterozygosity (He = 0.634) that is a high expected heterosis effect on which yield depends.