MPOB’s research produces oil palm planting materials, including PS1.1 and the Clonal Palm Series, CPS 1, CPS 2 and CPS 3
Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani paid a visit to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) headquarters. Upon arrival, he was greeted by Director General of MPOB Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Hj. Ghulam Kadir. He was accompanied by Datuk Chan Foong Hin, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities and Dato’ Hj. Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli, Secretary General of the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) and senior officials from the ministry.
Plantation and commodities minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani visited the Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s headquarters and met with director general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Hj Ghulam Kadir. The minister was accompanied by Datuk Chan Foong Hin, the Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities, and Dato’ Hj Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK).
MPOB’s research produces oil palm planting materials that cover all aspects of oil palm farming. MPOB’s research produces oil palm planting materials, including PS1.1 and the Clonal Palm Series, CPS 1, CPS 2 and CPS 3, which are available to the industry for high yield production. PS1.1 which has shrub characteristics can produce high oil which is eight tonnes per hectare per year. The ratio of oil to bunch exceeds 30 per cent and is useful for harvesting and automation due to its shrub characteristic.
CPS 1 is capable of producing fresh fruit bunches exceeding 30 tonnes per hectare per year and oil yields between 8 and 10 tonnes per hectare per year, among others. CPS 2 has a short rachis length that is suitable for planting 200 trees per hectare, while CPS 3 produces 11.3 tonnes per hectare of oil.
Datuk Seri Johari said the plantation sector needs to work with MPOB by taking the opportunity to highlight research findings such as the use of quality planting materials produced through advances in biotechnology and tissue culture techniques. According to him, MPOB should be a benchmark for the world in all palm oil research from the upstream sector to the downstream sector. “The oil palm industry makes a significant contribution to the national economy which generates more than RM130 billion in national income,” he said during the briefing session.
To date, MPOB has successfully developed 714 technologies covering all sectors of the oil palm industry including formulations of palm-based food and non-food products. A total of 233 technologies or 32.7% of these technologies have been commercialised and adopted by local industries and entrepreneurs.
MPOB technologies that are ready for commercialisation include the production of quality planting materials, palm clonal breeds, palm fertiliser formulations, disease and pest control techniques, farm mechanisation, manufacturing and processing technologies, green technology, food product and animal feed formulations and palm-based oleochemical products.
MPOB’s research is carried out to meet industry needs and address domestic and international challenges. MPOB successfully carries out oil palm genome research to conserve the oil palm industry. This was done through the use of quality plant materials and pure oil palm seed breed detection tools for plantation cultivation.
Along with sequencing technology development, MPOB continued full-scale sequencing in 2009. The translation and interpretation of the oil palm genome by MPOB was successfully published in the prestigious scientific journal, “Nature” in 2013. The publication of this oil palm genome has become the world’s main reference that encourages discovery and exploration by scientists who work towards sustainability. In addition, it improves economic and social levels.