As part of the VitaSPEC project, Fabienne Morcillo, Stéphane Dussert, Thibaut Bontpart (MADE team), and Martin Ecarnot (INRAE, UMR AGAP) carried out a mission at the CRA-PP (INRAB) station in Pobè, Benin. This project, conducted in collaboration with INRAB and the company PalmElit, aims to develop a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) method to measure the oil content of the oil palm fruit mesocarp and its lipid composition (fatty acids, provitamin A [carotenes], and vitamin E [tocochromanols]).
Based on the calibrations obtained for each family of compounds, the objective of this mission was to assess variation at both the bunch and fruit scales, in order to establish an experimental phenotyping protocol. This protocol can later be used for high-throughput phenotyping within the genetic resource collection maintained at the station or in the genetic trial monitored as part of this project.
A visit to the French Embassy in Benin was also carried out to identify new funding opportunities, particularly for obtaining a mobility grant for a PhD student.
