The Determination of Bunch Yield Components in the Development of Inflorescences in Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis)

Abstract

SUMMARYStages in oil palm inflorescence development which determine the number and weight of the fruit bunch components were identified by thinning to intervene in development and dissection of a sample of the felled palms. This showed that the ratio of female to total inflorescences and the number of flowers per spikelet were determined eight leaves prior to spikelet initiation. The number of spikelets per inflorescence was linked with the meristematic development of the primary axis. Inflorescences were prone to abortion at the onset of rapid expansion of the primary axis. The weight of the frame responded to thinning at these three developmental stages. The weight of single fruits responded shortly after the fruit set was fixed at anthesis; the response levelled off in axils of the six older leaves. At the start of an abortion phase nearly all aborted inflorescences were female, but subsequently female and male inflorescences aborted in equal proportions. Our study suggests that the number and weight of fruit bunch components are determined at a specific developmental stage but that the time to anthesis may vary considerably as a result of fluctuations in the speed of inflorescence development.