Spectral reflectance of oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) bunches as indicator for optimal harvesting

Abstract

To determine the appropriate harvesting time of Tenera oil palm bunches, the spectral reflectance of ripening bunches was investigated from images taken by a digital Canon PowerShot A20 camera. Every second day images were taken from selected bunches at an oil-palm estate during the growth of the bunchesfrom immaturity to the over-ripe phase, to trace the changes in color which correlate with the process of ripening. The images were analyzed measuring the changes in the three basic colors red, green and blue, using a specially developed Color Analysis computer program for Oil-palm 'fruit' (CAOP), and determining the correlation with the measured palm-oil content of the nuts.Of the three color-bands, the red light reflectance showed the best correlation with ripeness, as the red color increased regularly and practically linearly up to the stage of the maximal oil yield. Some seven days after the thus determined optimal harvesting date for the ripe bunches, some of the ripe nuts will detachfrom the bunch and fall, but then it is too late to use the fallen nuts as indicators for harvesting. From our investigations in the field and in the laboratory we recommend that harvesting should follow immediately after the red reflectance starts declining, after having reached its peak value for the Tenera oil-palm some 5±3 days before nuts begin to detach from the bunch