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Kopyor coconut (Cocos nucifera var. Kopyor), a native Indonesian coconut, differs from common coconuts because it has brittle flesh (endosperm) due to a natural genetic mutation. Kopyor coconut seedlings have been successfully cultivated from the tissue culture technique, which can produce kopyor above 99%. Nowadays, the demand for kopyor continues to increase. The cultivation of kopyor is centralized in several locations in Indonesia. Hence, the time of kopyor distribution to consumers is crucial in the kopyor business. This study evaluated changes in the characteristics of whole fruit and peeled kopyor coconuts during distribution. The observations included quality attributes (appearance, aroma, texture, and taste), physical observations (pH and water content), and microbial observations using the total plate count method. Whole kopyor showed better quality attributes than peeled kopyor. Peeled kopyor coconut flesh began to change color to yellowish-white, mushy, and had a rancid smell and a sour taste in the second week, while whole fruit kopyor in the fourth week. In conclusion, the distribution of peeled kopyor should be carried out in less than two weeks, or even sooner, while whole fruit kopyor can be distributed for up to two weeks without altering the characteristic taste of kopyor.

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the primary source of vegetable oil cultivation globally, and it is considered to be the most profitable oil commodity per hectare. E. guineensis Jacq. micropropagation technique can be achieved through the somatic embryogenesis process, allowing the efficient and true-to-type propagation of plants. The somatic embryogenesis (SE) mechanism describes the interaction of endogenous signals and gene reprogramming, generating signaling that develops embryo pathways. Somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinases (SERKs) are leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases expressed in numerous plant signaling pathways. The SERK gene contributes an essential part in the development of embryos from single somatic cells. The characterization of SERK genes in E. guineensis Jacq. is still limited and under-explored. The objective of this research is to examine the characteristics of SERK gene by comparing the differences and similarities of SERK gene in E. guineensis Jacq. to other crops as well as their evolutionary relationship. The method was initiated by identifying nucleotide sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. Furthermore, it consists of the analysis of nucleotide alignment, alignment of amino acid sequences, protein analysis, protein motif function discovery and analysis of phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree shows E. guineensis Jacq. has a very close relationship with Dendrobium officinale based on the SERK protein and protein motifs. These insights have implications for unraveling the long-term embryo differentiation processes of E. guineensis Jacq. and other crops during propagation by somatic embryogenesis.

Kopyor coconut is a unique coconut native to Indonesia characterized by crumbly flesh and a savory taste. Unlike common coconuts, kopyor coconut undergoes natural mutation, lacking the ability to produce the enzyme α-galactosidase, which results in its distinctive flesh compared to normal coconuts. In nature, kopyor coconuts are rarely found, making them expensive. Kopyor coconuts are distributed as whole fruits, peeled fruits, or repackaged flesh. Kopyor coconut has a shorter shelf life than normal coconut, therefore efforts to extend the shelf life of kopyor coconut flesh are necessary. This study investigated the efficacy of blanching and food additives (potassium sorbate and sugar) in extending the shelf life of kopyor coconut flesh stored under chiller conditions in aluminum pouches. The results showed that the appearance of all treatments remained acceptable until the 6th week. The TSC (Total solid content) results indicated that the blanching-sugar treatment had the lowest values among all treatments. The pH of each treatment did not differ significantly, except for the sugar without blanching treatment, where the pH tended to be lower than other treatments and the control. Based on TPC (Total plate count) result, blanching treatment effectively inhibited microbial growth in kopyor coconut flesh until the 6th week, especially in treatments without food additives. Organoleptic tests on appearance, aroma, taste, and texture showed the highest overall preference for the blanching-sugar treatment.

Drought poses a significant threat to global food security, particularly impacting crops like oil palm. Selecting genes for genome editing to enhance drought tolerance presents formidable challenges. To ensure that the target gene is chosen correctly and results in the desired character, a pilot study is necessary to determine the target gene for knockout. Two genes drought-related, AtBRL3 and AtOST2, were scrutinized in this context. Aligned with the Elaeis guineensis genome, their neighbouring proteins and gene ontology were analysed to identify potential targets for genome editing. AtBRL3, identified as BRL1 (XP_010913986.1) in E. guineensis, exhibited 58.48% identity and 100% coverage. It interacts with 12 nodes, including BIR1, BRI1, and AT2G20050, crucial for signalling pathways and cellular responses. Molecular function analysis revealed kinase activity. AtOST2 showed high similarity to plasma membrane ATPase/HA1 (XP_010913679.1) in E. guineensis, with 87.46% identity and 100% query cover. It correlated with 14 genes associated with ABA stimulus, stomatal movement, and hormone response. EgBRL1 and EgHA1, resembling AtBRL3 and AtOST2, respectively, emerge as promising targets for developing drought-tolerant oil palm cultivars through gene editing. Nonetheless, further validation through in vitro gRNA target selection and in vivo conversion of OST2/BRL3-containing plasmids in oil palm calluses is indispensable to demonstrate their efficacy in conferring novel drought resistance traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]