Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kushairi, A.
Elaeis oleifera
Central-South America Low yield High quality oil Tolerant to pests & diseases
Amsterdam
Congo DR
Malaysia
Bogor Mauritius
Historical
Deli dura 1848 1870s 1911 1917 1920s - Bogor, 4 seedlings - Deli, Sumatra - Rantau Panjang, Malaysia - Tenammaran Estate - Formal breeding & selection
Reproductive Biology
Monoecious: male and female flowers
Male inflorescence (flower)
Number of flowers
Males: 700 1200, Females: 5 30
Female inflorescence (flower)
Reproductive Biology
Male 30g pollen per inflorescence Enough for 300 pollinations Pollen mostly shed 1-2 days following anthesis One year storage at 5oC
Male inflorescence
Female Receptive 36-48hr Anthesise sporadically, up to 4 weeks Second day most suitable for pollination Main pollinating agent: Elaeidibius kamerunicus
3mm
Female inflorescence
Number of bunches
Frond production, sex ratio, abortion, bunch failure
Inflorescence development
Stages 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Events Inflorescence initiation Outer spathe initiation Inner spathe initiation Sex differentiation Initiation of fourth bract Spikelet initiation Spikelet differentiation distinct Abortion Anthesis Harvesting Months 33 41 26 34 24 32 23 31 21 - 26 17 21 14 17 9 12 6 0
Planting Materials
Breeding and Seed Production
The need for legitimate planting materials: 25 years economic life Very important to invest in legitimate planting materials, ca. US$0.50 per germinated seed Planting material: dura x pisifera (DxP)
Pollination
Germinated seeds
X
Sh+Sh+ M/F = 60% S/F = 30% K/F = 10% O/B = 18% Sh-ShS/F = 0 Sh+ShM/F = 80% S/F = 10% K/F = 10% O/B = 24%
Tenera (Sh+Sh-)
50% Tenera
Timeframe in OP breeding
10 years of breeding cycle: 1-2 years - pollination / germination 1 year - nursery 2-3 years - juvenile stage 4-6 years - data collection and selection 10 years of progeny testing (field test of the DxP) Thus, 20 years to produce progeny tested materials
Planting Materials
Tissue Culture Clones
Mass propagation of high quality planting materials Supported by breeding programmes Oil palm can be cloned from these ex-plants:
Young leaf Inflorescence Root
Ortet selection:
FFB yield > 200 kg/palm/year Oil/bunch > 28%
Sampling of leaf cabbage from selected ortet
Ortet sampling Callus initiation in explants Embryoid formation (embryogenesis) in callus Embryoid maturation and multiplication Shoot regeneration Rooting Plantlets transplanting
Leaf cabbage
Nursery
Objectives
to provide planting
Pre-nursery
One-stage nursery
Involves the main nursery only Polybags
500gauge (0.12mm thick) x 38 x 51cm filled with top soil two weeks before arrival of germinated seeds arrangement 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9m triangular
Main nursery
Germinated seeds sown 1.8cm below soil surface Make sure not sown upside down
Two-stage nursery
Pre-nursery Main nursery
Involves pre- and main nurseries Pre-nursery Polybags 15 x 23cm Advisable to arrange polybags 10 x 10 for easy management May require shades to protect seedlings against heat from sunlight 3-month old seedlings are transplanted to big polybags in the main nursery
Watering
Water twice daily, morning and late afternoon
Initially, seedlings require 0.5 litre of water a day Later (11 months), 2.5 litres
Watering methods
Manually: watering-can, water hose Irrigation system: sprinklers, lay-flat tubes
Fertilizer application
Age of seedling (months) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Application per month 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 1 Amount (g) 14:13:9:2:2 14 28 42 56 70 84 Amount (g) 12:12:17:2 28 42 56 70 84 -
Weeding
Weeding once a month
between polybags inside the polybags
Between polybags
contact herbicides may be used but not hormonal-type herbicides (causes disorders)
Inside polybags
manual weeding
Culling of seedlings
Selection / culling are done when seedlings are
3 months 7-8 months 12 months, just before field planting
Land Clearing
From jungle, rubber, coconut, oil palm areas Mechanised using Chipping of old oil palm stand for replanting bulldozers, chain saws Zero burning is emphasised environmental friendly If need to burn (e.g. disease) get permit from authority
Burning 6-8 weeks after felling
X X X X
X X
low-lying areas
Weeds on road shoulders
Drainage system
Lining
Lining after land clearing is completed Rows in North-South direction for max sunlight Planting distances
Inland soil (less fertile): 8.8m triangular (148 p/ha) Coastal soil (more fertile): 9.0m triangular (136 p/ha)
Biodiversity
Biodiversity and its conservation given attention in plantations:
conservation of flora and fauna
Plantation industry plays an important role in the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in the oil palm environment
Source: Khairudin Hashim et al., (2005)
Field Planting
Carried out at beginning of wet season Seedlings attained age of 11-14 months Planting holes prepared 2 weeks earlier 300g phosphate fertilizer applied in planting hole to promote root development Polybags removed before planting Planting holes filled-up and soil is firmed
Cover Crops
Objectives
To control erosion and nutrient losses To improve nutrient status from leguminous covers To stabilise soil moisture To improve soil structure and aeration To prevent weeds Mucuna spp.
Cover crop
Weed Control
Objectives
To be free of breeding ground of insect pests and agents of diseases To prevent competition between weeds and crop To facilitate loose fruit collections, fertilizer applications, control of pests and diseases
X = oil palm Harvesting path X Frond pile X X X X X X X Frond pile X X Harvesting path X X X X X Frond pile X X X X Harvesting path X
Frond pile
Frond Pruning
The removal of dead, old and drying fronds
Involves cutting, then stacked neatly in frond pile
Objectives
To facilitate weeding and fertilizer applications, especially in young palms To speed up harvesting collection of bunches To facilitate collection of loose fruits
Timing
First pruning 6 months before first harvest Progressive pruning during harvesting Annual pruning also carried out
Fertilizer Requirements
A major cost in plantation operation
Correct and timely application has impact on yield production and economic return Large quantity of N, P, K, Mg fertilizer requirements
Fertilizer recommendations
Depends on age of palm, soil type, field conditions Based on soil and foliar analyses
Nutrient Recycling 1
Empty fruit bunches (EFB)
EFB mulching
Fertilizer equivalent of 1 tonne EFB 8kg Urea, 2.9kg CIRP, 18.3kg MOP, 4.7kg Kieserite
Nutrient Recycling 2
Pruned fronds
Fertilizer equivalent 1 tonne dried fronds 59.8kg Urea, 14kg CIRP, 39.8kg MOP, 27.8kg Kieserite
Rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros beetle
Controls: carbofuran, pheromone traps, Metarhizium (fungus)
Control of rhinoceros beetle using Metarhizium Cassia cobanensis
Disease
Ganoderma BSR
Parasitoid
Ganoderma
Harvesting
Starts bearing at 2 to 3 years after field planting
Harvest when some, say 2 loose fruits on the ground
Harvesting schedule
2 3 times a month (10 to 15 day round in a month) 7 am to 12 noon
Harvesting tools
Chisel for young palms Sickle for older palms
Harvesting
Locate ripe bunches Remove obstructing fronds Harvest FFB Pruned fronds stacked neatly in frond pile Bunch stalk cut to at least 2.5cm Loose fruits collection, put in sacks Evacuate FFB and loose fruits to platform by the roadside
Harvesting
For high oil in bunches
No unripe bunches harvested (zero unripeness policy) No ripe bunches left unharvested Minimise damage to fruits
during harvesting, loading, transportation
Minimise contamination by earth and soil Keep bunch stalk as short as possible stalks absorb oil in milling process
Transportation of FFB
Palm
Platform
Ramp
Mill
From palms to platforms manual, wheel-barrow, bicycles, buffaloes, motorcycle-trailer, mini tractors, etc. From platforms to ramp by tractors on the same day From ramp to mill by lories either on the same day or the following day
Cost of Production
Cost item General upkeep Fertilizers Harvesting & transportation Maintenance & supervision Depreciation & maintenance of facilities R&D and advisory Others % of total cost Approx. range (%) 12 22 34 10 3 1 18 8 16 12 32 22 46 7 13 1 15 Wide 1 27
Non-recurrent Costs Upkeep and Cultivation Fertilizer Harvesting FFB Transportation Total
USD1 = RM3.3
Conclusions
Oil palm is the highest oil-bearing plant Main products are PO and PKO Important factors in OP cultivation
Suitable land High yielding planting materials/ clones Labour Mechanization
Conclusions
Oil palm cultivation and yield production in environmental friendly manner:
Biodiversity Conservation of riparian areas, slopes, swamps Zero-burning Recycling of biomass Soil conservation Use of leguminous covers crops Integrated pest management (IPM)
Plantations adopt
Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Codes of Practice (COP)
Terima Kasih
kushairi@mpob.gov.my