COMPARATIVE FLOW CYTOMETRIC ESTIMATION OF NUCLEAR-DNA CONTENT IN OIL PALM (ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS JACQ) TISSUE-CULTURES AND SEED-DERIVED PLANTS

Flow cytometric analysis performed on two different crosses of duraxpi sifera cr oil palm gave an accurate estimation of nuclear DNA content. The genome size of Elaeis guineensis was found to be 2C=3.76+/-0.09 p g and therefore ca. 3.4x10(9)bp. Embryogenic calli and plants showed t he same ploidy level, but the measured 2C DNA values differed signific antly. No variation in the ploidy level between three different types of calli originating from foliar explants, namely nodular compact call us, fast-growing callus and friable callus was observed. Since fast-gr owing callus (FGC), already identified as a source of 'mantled' phenot ype variants, did not show any difference in their ploidy level, these results are consistent with the hypothesis of an epigenetic origin fo r this type of somaclonal variant.