Estimating root biomass beneath the oil palm trunk

Mohd Haniff Harun and Henson, I. E. and Mohd Rosian Md Noor (2003) Estimating root biomass beneath the oil palm trunk. [Proceedings Paper]

Roots of oil palm originate from the base of the trunk or bole and extend either downwards or radiate outwards at various angles. The standard root sampling technique using an auger cannot take into account the amount of roots present directly beneath the trunk. A recent simulation model has suggested that this could be quite substantial. Two small-scale studies were undertaken to examme the extent and contribution to total root biomass by roots located directly below the trunk. In the first study, 4-year old palms were felled and an auger was used to sample the roots to a depth of one meter at a position corresponding to the center of the former trunk. In the second study, a trench profile method was used to determine the distribution of roots in 15-year old palms. An excavator was used to dig an eight meter long by two meter deep trench starting at about one meter from one felled and two standing palms. The number of primary roots at the soil face was mapped using 20 cm by 20 cm grids. Soil layers of about 20 cm thickness were then successively removed from the exposed face after mapping each, until a point corresponding to the original planting line was reached. The primary root dry weight was calculated from the total root length using a root dry mass/length ratio of 2.552 g/m. In both studies the amount of roots below the trunk relative to the total amount per palm was small. The first study showed that roots below the trunk constituted <2.4 per cent of the total root dry weight of the palms. In the second study, the mean total dry weight of primary roots per palm was estimated to be 35.47 kg (or 5.25 tonnes/hectare at 148 palms/hectare planting density). The primary root dry weight directly beneath the bole was estimated to be only 0.64 kg per palm. This was less than two per cent of the total primary root biomass. Further measurements are needed to confirm these findings.

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Abstract

Roots of oil palm originate from the base of the trunk or bole and extend either downwards or radiate outwards at various angles. The standard root sampling technique using an auger cannot take into account the amount of roots present directly beneath the trunk. A recent simulation model has suggested that this could be quite substantial. Two small-scale studies were undertaken to examme the extent and contribution to total root biomass by roots located directly below the trunk. In the first study, 4-year old palms were felled and an auger was used to sample the roots to a depth of one meter at a position corresponding to the center of the former trunk. In the second study, a trench profile method was used to determine the distribution of roots in 15-year old palms. An excavator was used to dig an eight meter long by two meter deep trench starting at about one meter from one felled and two standing palms. The number of primary roots at the soil face was mapped using 20 cm by 20 cm grids. Soil layers of about 20 cm thickness were then successively removed from the exposed face after mapping each, until a point corresponding to the original planting line was reached. The primary root dry weight was calculated from the total root length using a root dry mass/length ratio of 2.552 g/m. In both studies the amount of roots below the trunk relative to the total amount per palm was small. The first study showed that roots below the trunk constituted <2.4 per cent of the total root dry weight of the palms. In the second study, the mean total dry weight of primary roots per palm was estimated to be 35.47 kg (or 5.25 tonnes/hectare at 148 palms/hectare planting density). The primary root dry weight directly beneath the bole was estimated to be only 0.64 kg per palm. This was less than two per cent of the total primary root biomass. Further measurements are needed to confirm these findings.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. TP684 P3I61 2003 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	biomass
AGROVOC Term:	oil palm > oil palm Prefer using Elaeis guineensisElaeis guineensis
AGROVOC Term:	root systems
AGROVOC Term:	sampling
AGROVOC Term:	data analysis
AGROVOC Term:	roots
AGROVOC Term:	tree trunks > tree trunks Prefer using trunkstrunks
AGROVOC Term:	distribution systems
AGROVOC Term:	storage structures
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Nor Hasnita Abdul Samat
Date Deposited:	04 Aug 2024 08:02
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2024 08:02
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/869

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