2.1. Experimental Setup and Sampling
A total of 16 tenera palms (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.; dura × pisifera) with similar genetic backgrounds (Serdang Avenue dura × AVROS pisifera) were selected from Sime Darby’s oil palm breeding program. These palms were selected from a total of more than 100 trees planted in the same field in a breeding trial located in East Estate, Carey Island, Malaysia, based on the homogeneity of vegetative and growth characteristics, but differentiated by different oil yields and bunch analysis traits that had been recorded over five years. No severe pest or disease issues were observed for any of the individuals during experimental period. Six different inflorescences of each of the 16 selected palms were open-pollinated over a two years period and harvested at 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 WAA, as described previously [19,20]. The full inflorescence was harvested and fresh oil palm fruits taken were randomized and selected for each time point. Fresh mesocarp tissue was separated from the randomized oil palm fruits immediately after the samples were taken in the field and frozen in liquid nitrogen before storing at −80 °C after transfer to the laboratory.