ASSESSMENT OF NUCLEAR, MITOCHONDRIAL AND CHLOROPLAST RFLP MARKERS IN OIL PALM (ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS JACQ)

A variety of DNA probes was used to screen a diverse set of oil palm a ccessions in order to identify markers with a utility in genotype disc rimination. This survey included samples of the commercial oil palm na tive to Africa (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), the closely-related South Am erican species [E. oleifera (HBK) Cortes] and inter-specific hybrids o f the two. Of 106 major chloroplast bands none showed differences betw een E. guineensis and E. oleifera. Mitochondrial and ribosomal probes were more informative inter-specifically (the former allowing identifi cation of the maternal inheritance of mitochondria) and may be useful in hybrid breeding programmes; however, they were unable to identify p olymorphism within E. guineensis. In contrast, low-copy nuclear genomi c clones were able to identify intra-specific variation, though in mos t cases they revealed a relatively small number of allelic variants. O ne DNA probe showed a much larger number of band variants, revealing t en patterns amongst 13 E. guineensis accessions, and should prove usef ul in genetic fingerprinting and evaluation of oil-palm germplasm coll ections.