Prediction of precocity in the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Summary Precocity in the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is defined, for the purpose of this study, as the percentage of palms bearing female or hermaphrodite inflorescences 36 months after germination. A method of calculating breeding values for precocity is described and it is shown that the character is predictable. An upper limit for heritability (h²) of 0.68 and a correlation between observed and predicted values of r=+0.77 (significant at P=0.01) have been calculated from the available data. The available information suggests that precocity could easily be adjusted to the desired level by breeding and selection.