Development of new high-yielding planting material based on performance of 38 oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Dura × Pisifera families

Due to the narrow genetic base of both Deli and AVROS populations used in Malaysian commercial planting materials, exotic germplasm from Nigeria has been introduced into existing breeding populations. This study was conducted to select the best families from 38 dura × pisifera (D × P) families for the development of new high-yielding planting materials. The families were planted at the MPOB Research Station Hulu Paka, Terengganu, Malaysia, in 2007, in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Bunch yield recording, bunch quality components estimations, and vegetative measurements were analysed using analysis of variance, followed by comparisons between family means, heritability estimates, and cluster analysis. Highly significant genetic variation was observed for all traits among the 38 D × P families. Families PK 4044, ECP HP 496, ECP HP 500, and ECP HP 502 exhibited excellent yield-related traits such as fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield, bunch number (BNO), oil yield (OY), total economic product (TEP), and total oil content (TOT). Although the broad-sense heritability estimates were low for FFB yield (15.8