Variability in fatty acids composition, iodine value and carotene content in the MPOB oil palm germplasm collection from Angola.

Forty-two progenies of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) germplasm collection from Angola were analyzed for their fatty acid composition and carotene content using gas chromatography and UV spectrophotometry, respectively. Their variation in the fatty acid traits and carotene content were considerably larger than in the current breeding materials in Malaysia. Their means for all the traits, except palmitic acid, were also higher. The phenotypic correlations were negative between palmitic/stearic acid and palmitic/oleic acids, so increasing palmitic acid is likely to decrease stearic and oleic acids, and vice versa. A negative relationship was also found between oleic/linoleic acids. A number of progenies had carotene contents >1000 ppm and one progeny had iodine value >60. The heritability estimates for the individual fatty acids and carotene content were moderate to high, indicating good genetic control over the traits. The Angolan germplasm is therefore potentially useful breeding materials for improving Malaysian oil palm for commercial palnting. However, further studies are needed before the breeding materials proper can be selected and used in actual breeding.