Evaluación de los cambios morfofisiológicos del híbrido interespecífico OxG de la palma de aceite (Elaeis oleifera (Kunt) Cortes x Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) bajo aplicación continua de altas concentraciones de ácido Naftalenacético (ANA).

Abstract

In interspecific hybrid OxG oil palm cultivars, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (ANA) is used for artificial pollination, generating the formation of parthenocarpic fruits, which is beneficial at the productive level by increasing the number of bunches formed per hectare, and increasing oil production by more than 25%, as well as reducing the use of labor. Although there have been studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of artificial pollination, other long-term effects of ANA on the palms have not yet been evaluated, so it is necessary to characterize and understand the alterations that may occur in the cultivars due to the constant application of ANA in artificial pollination. The objective of this research was to determine the effects generated on the morphology and physiology of the interspecific hybrid OxG exposed to continuous applications of high concentrations of ANA in both reproductive organs and vegetative parts by means of four treatments. At the morphological level, leaf emission, leaf area, dry weight, leaf rachis length, and yield components were evaluated; at the physiological level, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance were evaluated. The results indicate that the ANA 4800 Foliar treatment generated the most morphological changes, reducing leaf emission to 0.5 leaves per month and slightly increasing leaf area, dry weight and rachis length. At the physiological level, the ANA 4800 Foliar treatment showed significant differences with respect to the other treatments, causing lower averages in the last sampling of photosynthesis rates, transpiration and stomatal conductance of the palms. These results show that there are morphological and physiological effects on the interspecific hybrid OxG generated by the application of high concentrations of ANA on the reproductive and vegetative parts of the palm.