A multinational team of scientists from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Orion Genomics have announced the publication of two papers in the journal Nature outlining the genome sequencing of the oil palm plant and the identification of a single gene, called Shell, that is responsible for increasing the plant's yield of oil by 30 percent. The fruit and seeds of the oil palm are the source of nearly one-half of the supply of edible vegetable oil worldwide and provide one of the most promising sources of biofuel. Scientists from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), which sponsored the research, and Orion Genomics authored both papers.
"Malaysia is the second largest producer of palm oil in the world, and we are committed to investing in technologies, such as genomics, that increase the sustainability of oil palm cultivation," said Datuk Dr. Choo Yuen May, director general of MPOB. "The Orion Genomics team was an important partner on this landmark achievement in genome mapping, which promises to help oil palm seed producers, large commercial plantations and small landholders alike increase the efficiency of their operations and reduce the oil palm agribusiness pressure on our wild rainforests."
The African and South American oil palm plants, Elaeis guineensis and Elaeis oleifera, respectively, are farmed in tropical regions throughout the globe to obtain palm oil. Together they account for 45 percent of the edible vegetable oil produced world-wide. The new research identified the geneShell, which is responsible for the three known shell forms: dura (thick), pisifera (shell-less) andtenera (thin), a hybrid between dura and pisifera palms. Tenera palms contain two forms, or alleles, of Shell–one mutant and one normal, an optimum combination that results in 30 percent more oil per land area than dura palms.
Currently, seed producers and commercial growers rely on selective breeding techniques to maximize plantings of tenera palms, but up to 10 percent of plantings may be the low-yielding duraform due to uncontrollable wind and insect pollination. Identifying whether an oil palm plantlet is the desired shell type can take six years, and, by that time, the trees cannot be uprooted. The identification of Shell has already enabled the development of a simple molecular screen that can be used with seeds and plantlets to prevent the cultivation of undesired non-tenera plants, thereby raising the efficiency of oil palm plantations.
"Orion's long-term collaboration with MPOB successfully combines Orion's genomics technologies with MPOB's significant expertise and germplasm resources, allowing the team to accomplish research breakthroughs like sequencing both oil palm species and discovering the commercially important genes," noted Nathan Lakey, president and CEO of Orion. "With the two publications inNature, we are pleased to share this new knowledge and our methodologies with the scientific community, and we look forward to its further application literally in the field."
Of the crops currently grown to produce edible oil, the oil palm is by far the most efficient – planted on only 5 percent of the world's total vegetable oil acreage, oil palm plants account for nearly 45 percent of the edible oil worldwide. In contrast, soybeans produce 27 percent of the world's edible oil, yet 41 percent of total crop acreage is dedicated to their cultivation.
In addition to its use as an important food oil, palm oil is already impacting biofuel markets and has strong potential to grow. Its energy balance is among the best in the biofuel industry, yielding about nine times the energy required to produce it.
"Because this discovery will help raise efficiency of oil palm agriculture among corporate and small growers alike, it will have a significant impact on the Malaysian economy, because for every 1 percent increase in palm oil yields, Malaysia gains RM 1 billion ($330 million US) in income. This helps Malaysia further strengthen its middle class and decrease the gap between the wealthy and the poor," continued Dr. Choo Yuen May.
