Research carried out by Agrocom Enterprise Sdn. Bhd. (AESB) in the early 1980s led to the successful commercial cloning of oil palm via tissue culture.  While other laboratories were using explants from untested palms, oil palm clones (ramets) produced by AESB were cultured using explants taken from selected elite high yielding palms (ortets) right from the very beginning. 

The first clones (AGK^©) were planted in the field in 1988.  In subsequent years increasing numbers were planted out for field evaluation.  Early results were very encouraging as not only were the yields of the clones - both fresh fruit bunch (FFB) and oil - much larger compared to yields of seed-derived DxP materials, but the incidence of adnormalities was also low.  This  was  a very significant  factor behind the  success and acceptance of AGK clones by growers.  In a census of 12,620 AGK clones planted between 1988 and 1993, the incidence of abnormalities (mantleness) was found to be less than 1 %.  Clones produced by other laboratories at the time (and well into the 1990s) were low yielding and had a high incidence of abnormalities.  This low incidence of abnormalities was maintained in AGK clones commercially planted over 3000 hectares from 1994 through 2002.

From 1992, commercial production of AGK clones was undertaken by Klonsawit Agrocom Sdn. Bhd.  To date, more than 1 million AGK clones have been produced by Klonsawit and planted by large plantations and smallholders all over Malaysia.