Plantation crop-OIL PALM

Oil palm-Elaeis guineensis(African oil palm)

Elaeis oleifera (American oil palm)

Family-Palmae/Arecaceae

Centre of Origin-tropical rain forest region of Guinea coast of West Africa

article by k. Teja sri

Chromosome no.-2n=32

Introduction:-

•Cheapest edible oil yielding crop.

•one of the major oil crops in the world, most productive oil bearing crop.

•yields about 3 times the oil yield of coconut, 7 times that of rapeseed, and 10 times that of soybean.

•Indonesia is the world's largest producer (22.22 million tones) followed by Malaysia (16.99 million tonnes).

•Total world production-45.85 million tonnes.

• rich in β-carotene.

• introduced in NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN, KOLKATA (1886).

BOTANY:-

• Unbranched monoecious tree,can grow 20-30 m ht,lives upto 200yrs

• Inflorescence primordium is produced at axil of leaf.

• Inflorescence -spike /spadix with 30-45cm long,spiklets 100-200 in number.

•Female flower has 2 bracteoles, 6 sepaloid tepals in 2 whorls, rudimentary androecium of 6-10 short projections, tricarpellary ovary, of which one carpel develops, and sessile trilobed stigma.

CLIMATE AND SOIL:-

•requires evenly distributed rainfall of 150 mm per month or 2500-4000 mm per annum.

•It comes up well between 29-33°C maximum and 22-24°C minimum temperature.

•Requires sun light for at least 5 hours per day as well as high humidity of more than 80%.

• Oil palm comes up well in almost all types of soils but the best suited soils are well drained deep, loamy alluvial soils, rich in organic matter with adequate water holding capacity. Highly alkaline or saline, water logged and coastal sandy soils are to be avoided.

VARIETY:-

• No cultivars but classified based on fruit structures as follows:---
Dura:-Shell usually 2-8 mm thick, low to medium mesocarp content (35-55 %), kernels large, no fibre ring. In Deli dura palms, kernels tend to be larger, comprising 7-20 % of weight of fruits.

Pisifora:-Shell less with small pea- like kernels in fertile fruits. It is of little commercial value, but is important in breeding commercial palms.

Tenera: It is the ruling hybrid grown all over the world and is a cross between thick-shelled dura and shell less pisifera. Tenera has thin shell (0.5 to 4 mm thick), medium to high mesocarp content (60-90 %) and high oil content. It has higher sex ratio and larger number of bunches than dura.

SEED COLLECTION:-

• Tenera hybrids are used for commercial planting.

•Male and female inflorescences are bagged, 7 days prior to flower opening.

• A female flower is receptive when lobes of the stigma are well separated and pink.

• Receptive period of flowers last flowers for 36-48 hrs

• If pollination is carried out on 3 successive days, maximum fertilization is obtained.

• Pollination is normally carried out in morning.

• Bunches mature within 5-6 months and are harvested .

• Seeds are extracted by scrapping off the exocarp and mesocarp with a knife or retting in water.

NURSERY

• Polybags of 300-400 gauge measuring 40×35cm with spacing of 45×45cm ,watering thrice a week.

• A fertilizer mixture containing 15 g N, 15 g P and 6 g K @ 8 g/5 L of water for 100 seedlings may be applied from 2 to 8 months stage.

PLANTING:-

• Best planting period is June to December

•A distance of 9 m x 9 m x 9 m (triangular planting pattern) accommodating 143 plants per hectare .

•Pit size 60×60×60cm

• Before planting, 400 g Single Super Phosphate or 250 g Rock phosphate and 50g Phorate are applied and mixed with the soil at the base of the pit.

IRRIGATION:-

•Each grown up yielding palms of 3 years age and above requires 200-250 liters of water per day. However, in older plantations during hot summer, 300-350 liters water may be required.

•drip or micro sprinkler irrigation can be advantageous.

MANURING:-