A breakthrough in coconut tree cloning technology will help reproduction and preservation

Coconut trees grow slowly and are difficult to clone

Coconut is the sixth most grown fruit on the planet, and the demand for it continues to grow

"Nobody thinks we can do it"

Bart Panis of the Tropical Crop Improvement Laboratory (KU Leuven) and Hannes Wilms, a PhD student of the Alliance, got their inspiration for their research from another fruit variety, the banana

In their research, the scientists first extracted coconut tree embryos from coconuts

"No one thinks we can do it

Coconut challenge

First, the team hopes to protect the genetic diversity of coconut trees as effectively as possible

“Currently, the coconut tree is preserved as a tree collected in the wild

Panis said: "This is important for the future: If a new disease affects coconut production, there may be multiple varieties in the gene bank that can resist the disease and can be grown in the affected areas

Small farmers, fair prices

For today's coconut production, this technology comes at the right time

The researchers have now filed a patent application

DOI

10.

Development of the first axillary in vitro shoot multiplication protocol for coconut palms