New Oil Palm Planting Material for Malaysia

Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, one of the main oil palm players in Malaysia made a breakthrough by producing new planting material which is a clone between Dura and Pisifera. The launch of the bi-clonal Dura and Pisifera (DxP) was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. DxP was developed using top performing duras and pisiferas in the form of clones compared to normal DxP that came from combination of many parental palms. The production of bi-clonal DxP is less capital intensive than producing pure clones. This gives local planters access to superior planting materials that produce higher yield at lower cost. Guthrie is also looking into advancing the knowledge in oil palm, as well as improving the competitive edge of Malaysia as a major palm oil producer. The company will explore diversification in palm oil uses, such as producing palm puree from palm fruits. This research will be undertaken by the Universiti Teknologi Mara.

For more information write to Mahaletchumy Arujanan, Executive Director of the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) at maha@bic.org.my.