Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a perennial tropical oil crop that is widely distributed in tropical regions between 10°S and 15°N, mainly in Southeast Asia, West and Central Africa, and North and Central America. In recent years, precipitation in West and Central Africa has been decreasing year by year, leading to water shortages and affecting oil palm cultivation. The northern part of South America has a tropical arid climate, with high temperatures and little rain all year round, which is not conducive to the growth of oil palm. Southeast Asia has a well-defined dry and rainy season, and the temperature drops in the dry season, which inhibits the growth of young oil palm fruits. Therefore, the low temperature and arid environment are not conducive to the growth and development of oil palm, which directly affects the yield of oil palm.
Severe humid conditions (droughts and floods), extreme temperatures (hot and cold) and radiation (ultraviolet rays, ionizing radiation) can all contribute to the emergence of abiotic stressors. Stresses such as high temperatures and precipitation are more common and lead to a significant decrease in agricultural productivity. During the maturation of trees, plants are exposed to various environmental parameters. To assess the effects of abiotic stresses on plants, morphological descriptors such as root diameter, root length and weight, leaf area, ovules, pollen variability, and anther development are commonly measured.
Several researchers have found a significant correlation between the nutritional attributes and yield of oil palm. Subronto et al. In studies of oil palm seedlings, it was shown that leaf area can be used as a selection criterion for 9-month-old oil palm seedlings, as it is significantly correlated with yield. A strong positive correlation was found among leaf number, seedling height and circumference, and seedling dry weight. Balakrishna et al. It was found that there was a positive correlation between leaf area and bunch yield of oil palm. Marjuni et al. A correlation was found between palm tree height (ht) and the number of fresh fruit bunches as well as the average fruit bunch weight. Low temperatures severely impact oil palm growth and yield, leading to increased abortions, delayed vegetative growth, and ripening of fruit bunches, and limiting regional distribution. Tamatave, Madagascar, has a very low minimum temperature of around 18°C in four months, resulting in a clear seasonal pattern in production, with nearly 90% of the crops harvested between June and December due to miscarriages and a decline in the sex ratio.
As a result, low temperatures, drought and disease have hindered the cultivation and development of oil palm globally, reducing yields and acreage, and affecting global demand for palm oil. Throughout the history of oil palm development, stress-resistant cultivation has been a concern for relevant stakeholders. Traditional and modern breeding, as well as biotechnology, are widely used to enhance the stress tolerance traits of oil palm. A variety of environmental pressures have a significant impact on global oil palm productivity and crop quality. Functional genomics practices contribute to our understanding of stress signal perception and transduction, as well as underlying molecular regulatory networks. Through the use of transgenic technology, several stress-inducible genes and transcription factors that regulate stress-inducible expression have been revealed. A thorough understanding of the resistance role of oil palm will lay the foundation for elucidating the physiology, metabolic mechanisms, gene expression, and developmental activities of various aspects of the oil palm life process, thereby improving multiple traits in oil palm.
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