PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE PRIORITIES FOR INTRODUCTION OF OIL PALM IN INDIA

Not AvailableOil palm is a crop of future and source for diversification, value addition, health and nutrition, waste land utilization and ecofriendly. NBPGR have been introduced 154 accessions from Sierra Leone, Czech Republic, Nigeria, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, Cameroon, Belgium, Tanzania, Zambia, Costa Rica. Oil palm germplasm from Pupua New Guinea (EC197907, EC197908), Malaysia (EC99313, EC99353), Indonesia (EC159876 to 877) and hybrids as in vitro cultures (EC332236 to 304) from Costa Rica and Cameroon were also introduced. Also two accessions of American oil palm (Elaeis oleifera) were introduced from Malaysia and Costa Rica and planted at Palode, Kerala. During the year 2000, two advanced generations of Dura accessions were imported from Costa Rica. Future emphasis is for introduction of specific genotypes with desirable traits like high productivity, oil yield and superior oil quality and dwarf palms. Yield promissing dura palms are suitable for irrigated and stress environments, resistant to pests and diseases, pollinating weevils, other pests like Psychid, Slug catterpillars and leaf web worms are needed to be introduced. Major source countries are African countries (Ghana, Nigeria) for high yielding dwarf and drought tolerant material; South and Central America (Brazil, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast) for Elaesis oleifera material having high yield, compact canopy, drought tolerance and high oil quality; South Asian countries (Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) for high yielding and good oil quality varieties.Not Availabl