Abstract: Methods for predicting palm oil yield of a test oil palm plant are disclosed. The methods comprise determining, from a sample of a test oil palm plant of a population, at least a first SNP genotype, corresponding to a first SNP marker, located in a first QTL for a high-oil-production trait and associated, alter stratification and kinship correction, with the high-oil-production trait with a genome-wide-log10(p-value) of at least 4.0 in the population or having a linkage disequilibrium r1 value or at least 0.2 with respect to a first other SNP marker linked thereto and associated, alter stratification and kinship correction, with the high-oil-production trait with a genome-wide-log10(p-value) of at least 4.0 in the population. The methods also comprise comparing the first SNP genotype to a corresponding first reference SNP genotype and predicting palm oil yield or the test plant based on extent or matching of the SNP genotypes.

Abstract: Methods for predicting palm oil yield of a test oil palm plant are disclosed. The methods comprise determining, from a sample of a test oil palm plant of a population, at least a first SNP genotype, corresponding to a first SNP marker, located in a first QTL for a high-oil-production trait and associated, after stratification and kinship correction, with the high-oil-production trait with a genome-wide ?log10(p-value) of at least 3.0 in the population or having a linkage disequilibrium r2 value of at least 0.2 with respect to a first other SNP marker linked thereto and associated, after stratification and kinship correction, with the high-oil-production trait with a genome-wide ?log10(p-value) of at least 3.0 in the population. The methods also comprise comparing the first SNP genotype to a corresponding first reference SNP genotype and predicting palm oil yield of the test plant based on extent of matching of the SNP genotypes.

Abstract: Methods are provided for obtaining a high-yielding oil palm plant, comprising determining the level of a protein in mesocarp tissue of a fruit of a parental oil palm plant, determining whether there is a difference between the level of the protein in the mesocarp tissue of the fruit of the parental oil palm plant and the level of the protein in mesocarp tissue of a fruit of a reference oil palm plant, and selecting progeny of the parental oil palm plant based on the difference to obtain the high-yielding oil palm plant. Also provided are methods for predicting oil yield of a test oil palm plant and kits for obtaining a high-yielding oil palm plant.