Parental Diversity in Improved Populations of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) After Three Cycle of Reciprocal Recurrent Selection

The recurrent reciprocal selection scheme used in the oil palm genetic improvement in Cote d’Ivoire results on a decrease of the diversity in selected genitor’s populations. To maintain parental diversity, introductions were made at different levels of selection cycles. Therefore parental diversity is essential to any objective oil palm breeding program. This study was used to determine among categorical variables classification criteria whose can put most prominently this parental diversity. Various indices and descriptors of diversity were used to appreciate parental diversity after three cycles of selection. These indices were based on Shannon-Weaver diversity index, Simpson diversity index and Hill diversity index. The criteria for categorical variables classification were based on production groups, origin and genealogy criteria. It appears that among all the criteria, the criterion concerning the genealogy of genitors was the criterion that puts most prominently parental diversity. The use of this categorical variable will maintain within improved genitors population high variability compared to commonly using agro-morphological variables.