THE USE OF FACTORIAL MATING DESIGN FOR ESTIMATION OF COMBINING ABILITIES IN COMMERCIAL OIL PALMS

This study aimed to identify the parental palms with high mean and general combining ability (GCA), and the progenies with high mean and specific combining ability (SCA) for bunch yield and bunch component traits. A total of 30 crosses were made from the elite palms of six duras and five pisiferas using a factorial mating design. The progenies were transplanted in a strip-plot experimental design with three replicates. Each plot had six palms of a cross, thus making a total of 540 palms. The data on bunch yield and components were collected from 2012 to 2022. The results showed that R10/1D and R5/21P had good means and GCA for fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and bunch number (BNO) while R8/9D showed significant GCA for oil to bunch, oil yield and kernel yield. R10/5D and KA17/2P expressed high GCA for kernel to bunch and kernel yield. The cross R10/1D×R9/8P showed significant SCA for FFB (mean 262.97 kg palm–1 yr–1) and BNO (mean 20.81 bunches palm–1 yr–1), while R15/14D×KA17/2P for average bunch weight (mean 18.57 kg bunch–1). A43/9D×R9/8P had the best SCA for oil yield (mean 82.24 kg palm–1 yr–1), and R10/5D×KA17/2P for kernel yield (mean 18.15 kg palm–1 yr–1).