The economic life span of an oil palm plantation largely depends on the growth rate of the planting material used. The Dumpy (Serdang) and PO452T Self (progeny of palm 1-2 T from Pobè, Benin) were used with a view to reducing the vertical growth in improved E. guineensis populations used for breeding. Crosses between the 2 origins and Deli or La Mé parents have led to a 25% to 40% reduction in growth rate when compared to the Deli x La Mé reference control. Dumpy x PO452T Self crosses have a growth rate half that of the control. A programme of introgression into the improved populations has been launched to take advantage of their characteristic and improve their productivity.