Nutrient requirements and sustainability in mature oil palms - an assessment

Ng P.H.C., . and Chew P.S., . and Goh K.J., . and Kee K.K., . Nutrient requirements and sustainability in mature oil palms - an assessment. pp. 331-345. ISSN 0126-575X

A nutrient balance approach is used to assess the sustainability of oil palm plantations at two yield levels of 20 tonnes FFB per hectare per year and 30 tonnes FFB per hectare per year during steady state conditions assuming satisfactory profitability and social acceptance to the population at large. Nutrient requirement estimates were matched against estimated nutrient supply for a relatively fertile inland soil i.e. Munchong series. The nutrient balance (without recycling EFB and POME) showed that for the lower yield level N supply from the Munchong series seemed to be almost sufficient to meet the N requirements of the palms whereas K Mg and P supply would be inadequate after five years from the time of mineralisation. At the higher yield level N supply was not sufficient. In addition K Mg and P would be depleted at a shorter interval. Even if complete recycling of EFB and POME produced from the FFB yield was carried out the nutrients required by the palms were still higher than the nutrient supply from the oil palm agro-ecosystem. Nutrients needed to be augmented by fertilisers to maintin the yield levels were reduced. Thus the use of fertilisers to achieve and maintain a high yield target is inevitable in Malaysian inland soils. After formulation of the fertiliser recommendations the performance and sustainability of a plantation are mainly in the hands of the planters through the consequences of their daily actions and decisions. Primarily the roles of management in relation to sustainability are to provide accurate and sufficent information for the Agronomists to draw up the manuring recommendations implement them diligently and monitor the results. The historical attitude of leaving the fertiliser recommendations solely to the Agronomist will not suffice. Teamwork of Planters and Agronomists is essential for oil palm sustainability.

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Abstract

A nutrient balance approach is used to assess the sustainability of oil palm plantations at two yield levels of 20 tonnes FFB per hectare per year and 30 tonnes FFB per hectare per year during steady state conditions assuming satisfactory profitability and social acceptance to the population at large. Nutrient requirement estimates were matched against estimated nutrient supply for a relatively fertile inland soil i.e. Munchong series. The nutrient balance (without recycling EFB and POME) showed that for the lower yield level N supply from the Munchong series seemed to be almost sufficient to meet the N requirements of the palms whereas K Mg and P supply would be inadequate after five years from the time of mineralisation. At the higher yield level N supply was not sufficient. In addition K Mg and P would be depleted at a shorter interval. Even if complete recycling of EFB and POME produced from the FFB yield was carried out the nutrients required by the palms were still higher than the nutrient supply from the oil palm agro-ecosystem. Nutrients needed to be augmented by fertilisers to maintin the yield levels were reduced. Thus the use of fertilisers to achieve and maintain a high yield target is inevitable in Malaysian inland soils. After formulation of the fertiliser recommendations the performance and sustainability of a plantation are mainly in the hands of the planters through the consequences of their daily actions and decisions. Primarily the roles of management in relation to sustainability are to provide accurate and sufficent information for the Agronomists to draw up the manuring recommendations implement them diligently and monitor the results. The historical attitude of leaving the fertiliser recommendations solely to the Agronomist will not suffice. Teamwork of Planters and Agronomists is essential for oil palm sustainability.

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Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Summary (En)
AGROVOC Term:	ELAEIS GUINEENSIS
AGROVOC Term:	OIL PALMS
AGROVOC Term:	NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
AGROVOC Term:	FERTILIZERS
AGROVOC Term:	FORMULATIONS
AGROVOC Term:	SOIL FERTILITY
AGROVOC Term:	PLANT NUTRITION
AGROVOC Term:	MANAGEMENT
AGROVOC Term:	PLANTATIONS
AGROVOC Term:	SUSTAINABILITY
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:52
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/17851

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