Biotechnological Advances for the Propagation and Conservation of Nutraceutical and Oilseed Palm Tree Crops

The demand for nutraceutical foods and vegetable oils has promoted the development of the palm tree agroindustrial chain in the world. The production of açaí and coconut is rapidly expanding. On the other hand, macaw palm and oil palm have fruits with a high oil content, a characteristic that makes them potential species for use in the food, cosmetics, and oleochemical industries, as well as for the production of biofuels. Palm trees are traditionally propagated by seeds, and the impossibility of cloning high-performance genotypes by conventional propagation methods makes it difficult to expand their cultivation. However, biotechnological tools such as somatic embryogenesis have recently been established, allowing the cloning of superior genotypes and accelerating the domestication and sustainable development of some palm tree production chains. In this chapter, we address recent advances and challenges in the in vitro propagation and conservation of five palm tree species: Acrocomia aculeata (macaw palm), Cocos nucifera (coconut palm), Elaeis guineensis (oil palm), and Euterpe oleracea and E. edulis (açaí palm). We believe this chapter will contribute to understanding their domestication panorama and support studies on developing and optimizing propagation systems for these and other palm trees of agroindustrial interest.