PCA eyes clonal propagation of coconut

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is embarking on a project that will help establish a protocol for the clonal propagation of coconut to improve the efficiency of somatic embryo formation, germination and plantlet regeneration.

Top scientists and tissue-culture experts from the PCA-Albay Research Center (ARC) based in Guinobatan, Albay, are now working on a two-year modern biotechnology project aimed at establishing a protocol for clonal propagation of coconut.

Dr. Erlinda P. Rillo, a veteran science research specialist said the project aims to improve the efficiency of somatic embryo formation, germination and plantlet regeneration of coconut varieties.

Clonal propagation remains to be the only alternative means in mass propagating the coconut and though plantlet regeneration, says Director Alicia Ilaga of the DA Biotechnology Program. 

Scientists said somatic embryo formation and germination remain as the bottleneck in the clonal propagation of the "tree of life". 

Past experiments on induction and germination of somatic embryos were almost always focused on addition of various substances reported to have induced somatic embryogenesis in other crops.

These experiments, however, have failed to address the possibility that there may be some missing factors, which scientists hope to identify.

Treatments that give the best results will be verified, with the inferred results incorporated in the formulation of the protocol, to be verified on PCA recommended coconut vatieties.

Clones then will be established ex vitro adopting the PCA-ARC ex vito establishment protocol. 

Scientists’ efforts will also attempt to establish appropriate cultural requirement to ensure coconut embryo conversion and plantlet development and produce clonal plantlets for ex-vitro establishment trial.

This will help establish a reliable clonal propagation protocol for mass propagation of coconut palms with desirable characteristics, scientists say.

The PCA, and other public and private laboratories will use the protocol for the mass propagation of elite coconut planting materials.

The PCA said this protocol would be made available to other researchers for their own research and development activities.

Related researches involving other palm species may also use the project’s results as basis in the future.