Assessment of Water Stress Tolerance in Juvenile Oil Palm Genotypes (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) under Greenhouse Conditions through the Measurement of Morphological and Physiological Parameters

Aims: The oil palm industry holds significant importance in Ivorian agriculture. Côte d’Ivoire is the second largest producer and the foremost exporter of palm oil in Africa. The purpose is to augment palm oil production by expanding the cultivable area in non-traditional agricultural zones characterised by water scarcity. Nevertheless, the existing oil palm genotypes have not been chosen based on their resistance to water scarcity. This research seeks to find genotypes that are likely to withstand water scarcity.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the CNRA La Mé Research Station (Abidjan region) and endured for 60 days during March to April 2024.

Methodology: Six-month-old Tenera hybrid (Dura X Pisifera) oil palm seedlings of 23 genotypes were arranged in randomised completely block design with three replications and treated with two irrigation regimes (RH100%, RH0%). Observations were conducted by assessing morphological and physiological parameters to identify genotypes with enhanced resistance to water deficit.

Results: The examined parameters were influenced by the water deficit. Statistical analysis indicated that on the control diet (500 ml/d), all examined genotypes exhibited normal parameter values, which were somewhat uniform overall. Conversely, in the extreme deficit diet of 0 ml of water, the reduction in the values of the examined parameters compared to the control was minimal for genotypes 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 23, and moderate for genotypes 6, 11, 14, 17, and 22. The reduction was significant for genotypes 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

Conclusion: This nursery research, designed to distinguish sensitive genotypes from resistant ones under water stress, represents a significant advancement in validating drought-tolerant genotypes in a natural setting.