What Is the Pisifera Variety? Traits, Role, and Differences from Dura
- Pisifera is a shell-less oil palm fruit type with high mesocarp, but female flowers are sterile so fruit set is rare.[1]
- Pisifera fruit consists mostly of mesocarp with little kernel; mesocarp as a percentage of fruit is 92–97%.[2]
- Pisifera serves as the male parent (pollen source) in hybrid seed production, because crosses with Dura produce Tenera.[3]
- Genetically, Pisifera is genotype sh/sh (homozygous recessive), whereas Dura is Sh/Sh and Tenera is Sh/sh.[4]
- Although oil per fruit is high, Pisifera is not planted commercially because it is sterile and harvest is effectively zero.[1]
Pisifera is a shell-less oil palm type that serves as the male parent in hybrid seed production. Although not grown for oil production, its role is decisive for success in the oil palm seed industry.
Table of contents
What Is the Pisifera Variety?
Pisifera is an oil palm fruit type that generally has no shell on the fruit, so the fruit is formed only from yellow mesocarp and part of the white kernel. Remnants of the shell are replaced by a fiber ring around the kernel.[2]
This type is known as a sterile female tree because most bunches abort at an early developmental stage. For this reason Pisifera rarely bears fruit and is not planted commercially for oil production.[1]
Pisifera is nevertheless vital in oil palm breeding programs as the male parent or pollen source. Widely used Pisifera germplasm comes from AVROS and Yangambi, originating from Congo and Nigeria.[3][4]
Fruit Traits and Composition
Pisifera fruit can be recognized because there is no shell enclosing the palm kernel. The fruit is formed only from mesocarp and kernel, so mesocarp as a percentage of fruit is very high.
| Parameter | Dura | Tenera | Pisifera |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell (mm) | 2–5 | 1–2.5 | None |
| Mesocarp as % of fruit | 20–50 | 60–90 | 92–97 |
| Kernel (%) | 4–20 | 3–15 | 3–8 |
| Female flower | Fertile | Fertile | Sterile |
| FFB harvest | Productive | Productive | Effectively zero |
| Commercial role | Female parent | Commercial planting | Male parent |
Role in Breeding
Pisifera is used as the male parent in hybrid seed production. Crosses between Dura as female parent and Pisifera as male parent produce Tenera offspring that are 100% thin-shelled.[3][4]
Because Pisifera is sterile, direct genetic improvement is not possible. Breeders usually improve Pisifera indirectly through Tenera crosses, then select offspring with the Pisifera genotype. Pisifera Sh allele phenotypes are also studied to understand genetic diversity.[4][6]
Tenera seed from Dura × Pisifera crosses has oil production about 30% higher than Dura, with full restoration of female fertility.[4]
Fruit Type Genetics
Oil palm shell thickness is controlled by a single gene called the Shell gene. The gene has three forms: Dura (Sh/Sh) homozygous dominant, Pisifera (sh/sh) homozygous recessive, and Tenera (Sh/sh) heterozygous.[4]
Inheritance is monogenic codominant, first reported in the Belgian Congo in the 1940s. Tenera × Tenera crosses yield 25% Dura, 25% Pisifera, and 50% Tenera.[4][5]
The Shell gene is responsible for the Tenera phenotype in cultivated and wild sub-Saharan African oil palm, and controls oil yield through mesocarp thickness.[4]
Summary
Pisifera is a shell-less oil palm type with sh/sh genotype and female sterility, so it does not give commercial harvests. It serves as the male parent in hybrid seed production because crosses with Dura yield thin-shelled, thick-mesocarp Tenera.
References
- GAPKI (2026). Dura, Tenera, and Pisifera: Recognizing Three Oil Palm Fruit Types. https://gapki.id/news/2026/07/23/dura-tenera-dan-pisifera-mengenal-tiga-tipe-kelapa-sawit-yang-menentukan-produktivitas-kebun/
- Gatra (2024). Here Are Superior Oil Palm Varieties Farmers Can Choose. https://www.gatra.com/detail/news/523179/info-sawit/ini-dia-varietas-sawit-unggul-bisa-jadi-pilihan-petani
- Ministry of Agriculture. Oil Palm Cultivation and Superior Varieties — DxP AVROS. https://repository.pertanian.go.id/server/api/core/bitstreams/5314fefe-5bbe-4ad8-8e6a-4934d6d74f8d/content
- PMC/NIH. The oil palm Shell gene controls oil yield and encodes a homologue of SEEDSTICK. http://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4209285/
- BMC Plant Biology. A practical genome-enabled legitimacy assay for oil palm breeding and seed production. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12870-019-2062-x
- IOP Conference Series. Phenotypic characterization of some Pisifera Sh alleles in oil palm. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/1308/1/012024/pdf