Seeds are the first and foremost factor that will determine the success of oil palm investment. A mistake in selecting seeds will have grave and regrettable impacts in the long term (20 to 25 years).
Superior seeds produced by Asian Agri R&D Centre are developed through a systematic and continuous process. In 1996, Asian Agri established an Oil Palm Research Station (OPRS) in Topaz, Riau, to perform selection and breeding to produce superior oil palm seeds. In 2012 Asian Agri set up a state-of-the-art tissue culture laboratory to support the production of superior seeds. This superior seed development program is also supported by a Biomolecular Laboratory facility.
The process of advanced seed production goes through a series of lengthy and closely supervised stages, starting with the systematic and continuous selection and breeding to obtain advanced varieties that would be released by the government through Minister of Agriculture Decree in 2004. OPRS has so far released four varieties, namely, Topaz 1, Topaz 2, Topaz 3 and Topaz 4. By 2015, we have supplied more than 130 million seeds in the form of seedlings to large plantations, smallholder farmers, and independent farmers throughout Indonesia, as well as for export.
Selected Parents and Enrichment of Genetic Resources.
Asian Agri has used selected dura and pisifera parents from Costa Rica. As much as 228 Deli dura (DxP) inbred line progenies from renowned research institutions, such as MARDI Serdang (Malaysia), OPRS Dami (Papua New Guinea), Chemara Research Station (Malaysia), Socfin Johor Labis (Malaysia) and San Alejo (Honduras), and 50 selected pisifera parent progenies from AVROS H&C (Malaysia), AVROS Dami (Papua New Guinea), Ekona (Cameroon), Ghana (Africa), Nigeria (Africa), La Me (Ivory Coast) and Yangambi have been collected at Topaz for seed production purposes and development of new varieties.
In addition to that, we continue to actively enrich genetic resources to support selection and breeding to produce new, more advanced varieties with necessary secondary characteristics. This genetic resource enrichment is performed both independently and in collaboration within consortia supported by the Directorate General of Plantations, Indonesian Ministry of Agricuture.
Tested on both Mineral and Organic Soil
Asian Agri manages commercial oil palm plantations in locations that have different agroclimatic charachteristics. This allows us to test Topaz seeds in various conditions to ascertain their productivity potential. As much as 440 Series 1 DxP progenies originating from introgression of 223 Deli dura with 50 pisifera have been field tested in different agroclimatic locations on mineral and organic soil in a total area of more than 600 hectares in North Sumatra and Riau.
Selected Advanced Varieties
Based on outcomes of careful testing and selection, dura and pisifera parents were selected to produce advanced oil palm varieties of DxP Topaz Series 1, namely:
- Topaz 1 (dura Deli x pisifera Nigeria)
- Topaz 2 (dura Deli x pisifera Ghana)
- Topaz 3 (dura Deli x pisifera Ekona)
- Topaz 4 (dura Deli x pisifera Yangambi)
Topaz DxP Series 3
As further development of Topaz Series 1 above, we continued to perform tests to produce Series 2 and Series 3. The program to improve the quality of Topaz material based on the progeny performance trial that had started since 2002 until 2014 comprised 40 trials and 5 observations (924 hectares). Topaz Series 3 is a result of development of the best DxP Series 2 that produced selected progeny that are classed as DxP Topaz Series 3, considered “the Best of the Best”.
Advantages of DxP Topaz
- High potential yield of FFB and oil
- High productivity since the first harvest
- High oil yield
- Slow vertical growth
- Able to adapt well on marginal land
Quality Control
We apply high selection standards and strict quality control to provide assurance that the plants produced will be of high quality. Our production process applies ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management system.
DxP Topaz advanced seeds are available as seedlings and seeds (pre-nursery and main nursery). For more complete information and orders, contact:
Asian Agri Marekting Office
Jalan Soekarno Hatta No. 7-10 (Accross Simpang Ardhat)
Pekanbaru – 28125
Telp: (62-761) 8399013/6 Ext. 136
Fax: (62-761) 839917
Email: seed_mkt@www.asianagri.com
