Genes controlling flowering: possible roles in oil palm floral abnormality
Floral abnormality in clonal oil palm results in bunch failure and a reduction of oil yield. An in-depth study of oil palm flower development is important to understand the factors involved in this phenomenon. Based on the success of flower development studies of Arabidopsis and rice, efforts have been directed at investigating oil palm flower development. Numerous genes have been cloned and their putative functions studied. Changes in the expression level of some homeotic genes have been detected in abnormal flowers and meristem. Efforts are currently being made to correlate these changes to a measurable physical characteristic to assist in marker development.