Revitalizing Cocos nucifera. L var matag: unravelling new horizons in clonal propagation through organogenesis and LED illumination

Abstract

Coconut palm is of great economic importance and contributes to income generation, employment, nutrition and food security in the commercial sector. Malaysia, which is among the top 10 coconut-producing countries in the world, plays a notable role, while Indonesia is the largest producer. The Matag coconut, a hybrid of the Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Tagnanan Tall varieties, is characterised by its excellent nut quality and higher yield of 25,000 to 30,000 nuts per hectare annually. Despite its fame, the Matag coconut has faced problems, particularly disease susceptibility, which has been accelerated by globalisation and has led to the extinction of many crops. Somatic embryogenesis, an in vitro breeding technique, is a promising avenue for coconut regeneration and micropropagation. However, the genotype dependence and high heterozygosity of coconut lead to variability among the progeny, which limits the effectiveness of this method. The conventional use of fluorescent lamps for in vitro propagation, which are customised to the needs of the plants, has disadvantages such as the generation of unnecessary wavelengths and high energy consumption. The integration of the thin cell layer (TCL) method into tissue culture, particularly via the organogenesis route, is proving to be a transformative technique for coconut propagation. This review highlights the potential enhancement of this novel approach through the use of red and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The use of these LEDs aims to optimise the propagation and acclimatisation of the ‘Matag’ coconut and offers a viable solution for both research and commercial applications.