January 2020

Improving productivity of palm plants

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that is in nearly half of all packaged goods in supermarkets, as well as animal feed, biofuel and cosmetic products.

Due to its high demand, farmers are under pressure to increase yields in productions, which risks detrimental impact on the environment.

The oil from the fruit of palm trees, which are native to West Africa, has replaced other oils as one of the leading additives in such a variety of products because of its versatility and affordability.

Additionally, palm plants are very high-yielding as it is. Oils made from other plants use even more land to produce. Any products replacing palm oil would lead to greater deforestation, so it's vital for industry, consumers and government to work together toward a solution to making palm oil even more sustainable.

We've partnered with plantations to improve their farming productivity. Agriculture companies can pinpoint which genetic markers are linked to plant traits, and by using our genomic analysis tools, like KASP, they can sequence and analysis seedlings, learning which will have those desired traits before they've even matured. This allows palm plantations to grow those plants which will lead to even higher yields, ultimately meeting higher demands with fewer plants.

Visit the LGC, Biosearch Technologies website to learn more about KASP and plant genotyping.