Plants nutrient variability of oil palm and its correlation to fresh fruit bunch yield.

In recent times, among of the major problems in oil palm plantations is the lack of proper interpretation of yield maps for site-specific management. The ability to determine and diagnose leaf factors that influencing yield variability of oil palm will benefits in managing the plantation for better yield. A study on spatial variability of N, P, K, Mg and Ca in oil palm leaf was carried out at the Dusun Durian Estate of Golden Hope Plantations Berhad in Selangor, Malaysia. The aim of this study is to obtain accurate and timely information on the spatial distribution and status of N, P, K, Mg and Ca in leaf using semivariogram analysis and geographical information system (GIS), and its correlation to oil palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield. The collection of leaf tissue data was conducted using systematic sampling. A GPS device (AgGPS Trimble) was used to precisely determine samples locations. Geostatistics software and classical statistics were used for data analysis. Correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of the relationship between nutrient content in leaf tissue and FFB yield. From kriged map, results indicate that about 32.2% of the area is low in yield, 51.6% is moderate and 16.2% is high in yield, respectively. Correlation analyses shown the total of N and available of P in the leaf have strong positive relationship (r2 = 0.84 and 0.83) with FFB yields. Thus, result implies that N and P in leaf tissue can be used to determine the FFB yields for oil palm production

Spatial Variability of Oil Palm Leaf Nutrients and Yield

In recent times, among the major problems in oil palm plantation is the lack of proper interpretation of yield maps for site-specific management, the identification, and understanding of the causal factors influencing the variability of oil palm yields. The ability to find and comprehend the leaf factors influencing yield variability of oil palm will help in managing the plantation efficiently for better yield. The study of Spatial Varibility of Oil Palm Leaf Nutrients and Yield was carried out at Dusun Durian Estate, Golden Hope Plantations Berhad, Banting, Selangor, in a 15 ha plot which was a coastal oil palm plantation. The objective of this study was to obtain accurate and timely information about the spatial distribution and status of nutrients in the leaf tissue using Geographic Information System (GIs) for precision farming of oil palm plantation. Collection of leaf tissue data were conducted using systematic sampling and an AgGPS Trimble was used to precisely determine the sampling locations. Geostatistics (GS+) software and classical statistics were used for data analysis. Leaf nutrient analysis illustrated that the leaf nutrient variability of N, P, K, Ca and Mg from year 2000 to 2003 could be classified as low whereas coefficient of variation (CV) values of 2.0 to 2.2, 1.9 to 3.0 and 1.9 to 5.3, 5.7 to 7.4 and 6.6 to 7.4 respectively. Based on the semivariance analysis, leaves nutrients have a moderately spatial dependence with the lag distances of 31 1 to 314 m, 161 to 249 m, 185 to 311 m and 169 to 314 m for N, P, K and Ca, respectively. Meanwhile, Mg have a strong spatial dependence (S) with the lag distance is 94 to 183 m. The variability of fresh fruit bunch (ffb) is moderate and is moderately spatial dependence with the lag distance of 310 to 314 m. There is a strong relationship between FFB yield, N and P in leaf tissue. This result implies that N and P in leaf tissue can be used to determine the FFB yields

Determining and Mapping Soil Nutrient Content Using Geostatistical Technique in a Durian Orchard in Malaysia

Soil nutrient are essential for crop growth. Spatial variability of nutrient can be occurred in various scales, between region, field or within field especially in variation in soil properties. Precision farming is a technology currently available for sustainable agriculture. This technology enables farm management is based on small-scale spatial variability of soil and crop parameters in the field. This study was carried out in a Durian Orchard at Bendang Man Agrotourism Project, Sik, Kedah, Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to determine and map soil nutrient content especially Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) variability in a durian orchard using geostatistical technique. The NPK was analyzed and mapped by Geostatistic Plus (GS++) to quantify the level of spatial nutrient available and predict nutrient values at unsampled location. Results indicated that NPK ranged from 45 ppm (P) and 0.8 to >1.4 cmol(+)/kg (K), respectively. Nutrient map showed that the area has less sufficient of N, while P and K were sufficient. This study revealed the potential and ability of geostatistical-variogram in determining and mapping soil nutrient content in a durian orchard. Furthermore NPK map can be used to apply fertilizer to an area, where less NPK content for efficient fertilizer management