Application of compost enhanced the secondary root structure which reduced the fertilizer requirement in oil palm main nursery

The use of compost in the produced from oil palm empty fruit bunch and palm oil mill effluent anaerobic sludge mix media was tested to evaluate the plant growth in oil palm main nursery. Even Conventional inorganic fertilizer increased production but consumption and excessive application that eventually led to environmental pollution. This study was carried out to evaluate of the reduction of applied inorganic fertilizer and effect compost as mixed media from oil palm waste. Mixed media containing 50% compost in soil with soil and chemical fertilizer as the control composition of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% chemical fertilisers were tested for the plant growth and root structure. All the treatment with compost with compost showed significantly improved plant growth compared to the control corresponded directly to the enhanced secondary root structure. Interestingly, the plant growth and secondary root structure in the mixed media with 50% chemical fertilizer composition was not significantly different to that with 100% and 75%inorganic fertilizer. Therefore it is concluded that application of 50% compost in the mixed media resulted enhance secondary root structure which helped to reduce the chemical fertilizer requirement by 50% in oil palm main nursery

Effect of reactive phosphate rock and its NKMg fertilisers under two placement methods on oil palm yield

Studies on the efficiency of phosphate (P) through exploitation of integrated approach on P sources, organic matter and placement methods for mature oil palm in Malaysia are rather limited. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the reactivity of P, its NKMg fertiliser under two placement methods i.e frond heap (FH) or broadcasted at the edge of weeded circle (EWC) on oil palm yield on inland sedentary Rengam series soils (Typic Paleudult). The trial was laid out on an 1992 DxP Felda oil palm planting located at Muadzam Shah, east of Pahang state with high yield potential at 30 tonnes per hectare per year. Two types of reactive phosphate fertilisers namely Senegal Phosphate Rock (low reactive) and Tunisia Phosphate Rock (high reactive) were evaluated in this trial, including a control treatment without phosphate fertiliser. The phosphate rocks (PR) fertilisers were tested at two rates i.e 0.50 kg P2O5 per palm per year and 1.0 kg P2O5 per palm per year. The mineral fertilisers (P or NKMg) were applied at frond heap (FH) or broadcasted at the edge of the weeded circle. Results over six years showed that palm without phosphate and grown under good rainfall distribution, maintained high yield at 28.6 tonnes per hectare per year. In contrast, there was a decrease in foliar, rachis and depleted soil P fertility over time in the plot without PR resulting in reduced overall FFB yield on an average by almost 1.5 tonnes per hectare or 5.3 per cent as compared to those plots with PR at 30.1 tonnes per hectare per year. Therefore, it is vital to continue applying PR to sustain high yields. The trial also showed that applying reactive PR at low rate (0.5 kg P2O5/palm/year) and integrating with other mineral nutrients NKMg at the frond heap enabled to obtain high yields. Overall, performance of high reactive PR is more superior than the low reactive PR

Response of irrigated oil palm in the nursery and the field to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers

Nutrient demand for oil palm is determined by the potential yield, which is varies according to genotype, soil, palm age and environment factor. Moisture stress having a strong influence on oil palm growth and development. Irrigation project was carried out to study the growth performance and yield response of oil palm to irrigation. Therefore, this study highlight the results the major plants nutrients requirements for an oil palm and the strategies to optimize the usage of fertilizer in oil palm under irrigation system. An experiment was laid out at the Oil Palm Nursery, Felda Agricultural Services Tun Razak, Jerantut, Pahang, Malaysia (3° 52' 55" N, 102° 43' 41" E) and FASSB Tembangau 9 Estate (03°00’59.5”N, Longitude 102°28’48.5”E). Experiment of 33 NPK factorial fertilizer trials were conducted for oil palm seedlings in nursery and mature D × P palms planted in the year 2000 under irrigation condition. The trial was conducted on Gong chenak series (Aquic kandiudults) (Soil Survey Staff, 2010). The following rates were used: 0, 112 and 224 g per seedling per year for N (Ammonium sulphate); 0, 71 and 142 g per seedling per year for P (Christmas island rock phosphate); and 0, 34 and 68 g per seedling per year for K (Muriate of potash). The N and K rates tested for mature oil palm were at 0, 4 and 8 kg per palm per year, while P rate tested at 0, 2 and 4 kg per palm per year. Field operation and maintenance of trial plot was as per normal estate practices. Experiment on the NPK factorial trial on oil palm seedling showed that there is important aspect of the need for applying the adequate rate of N fertilizer rather than P and K fertilizer in order to optimize the nutrient uptake. In the absence of N fertilizer, N foliar nutrient status (1.78%), girth size (5.1 cm), seedling height (51.4 cm) and frond length (36.6 cm) was significantly the lowest. The best combination rate of fertilizer for optimum seedling growth was N1P1K1 (112 g SOA, 71 g CIPR and 34 g MOP). Results over 7 years on mature palm showed that the palms treated with complete NPK fertilizer (N1P1K1 and N2P2K2) able to produce average FFB yield at 26.50 – 26.69 t/ha, and much higher by 3.60 – 3.80 t/ha (15-17%) as compared to the plot without fertilizer (N0P0K0) at 22.90 t/ha. However, the treatments plot with the lowest yields were N0P2K0, & N0P0K1 at 21.10 t/ha & 21.12 t/ha, respectively. The study also indicated that palm growth and foliar nutrient status showed a significant response to N manuring were recorded throughout the period of the treatment. Unlike N, no significant responses to P and K fertilizer were recorded. Fertilizer rate at N1P1K1 is the best rate to maintain optimum palm growth (particularly estimated LAI and dry frond weight), yield response and foliar nutrient status