OIL PALM SEEDLING PRODUCTION
BY
DR. ELIZABETH TEMITOPE ALORI
INTRODUCTION
• Palm oil is no longer a product of mere gathering by
people who rely on rainforests for a living. Oil palm
cultivation has turned into a lucrative and expanding
business.
• Oil palm is the best oil-containing crop in terms of
yield capacity.
• Growth and production of oil palm are popular in
Nigeria, India, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea,
Colombia, Thailand, etc. Alongside Indonesia, vast oil
palm plantations in Malaysia rank top among global
market suppliers
ECONOMIC GAIN FROM OIL PALM PRODUCTION
• In fact, the cost inputs during the first thirty months
(prior to the first harvesting) are rewarded with up
to 25 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per ha in mature
trees.
• Plantations give about four tonnes of crude palm oil
per ha, which is eight times more productive than
sunflower oil yield
Why Go into Oil Palm Plantations
• It yields well
• It sells well, too.
• The cultivation of the oil palm is spurred by the
high demand for its product – palm oil,
• an ingredient of many daily-use items for
multiple purposes.
• Indeed, its global production in plantations
accounted only for 2 million metric tons in
1970.
• In the marketing year of 2020/2021, the figure
jumped up to 72 million metric tons
• The rise is explained with the expansion of its
traditional applications
• in pharmaceutics,
• beauty,
• personal, and home care
• newly discovered possibilities from human
nutrition to bioenergy technical use.
• Besides, kernel cake is suitable for cattle feeding,
with high protein content and oil residues.
Other extra agricultural benefits from Oil
Palm
• Relatively high pest and weed resistance;
• Possibility of intercropping in cultivation;
• all-year-round harvesting in plantations;
• monthly income (during the fruit-bearing stage);
• absence of irrigation under sufficient rainfall
condition.
CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
OIL PALM
• Subtropical and tropical latitudes, provide the best
climate for the oil palm to thrive.
• stable-warm areas with sufficient soil moisture all year
round.
• The optimal temperatures for the cultivation of oil palm
are 30–32°C (86–89.6°F) for 80 days minimum.
• Temperatures below 20°C (68°F) and above 40°C (104°F)
are critical for growing and adversely affect crop
production
• At least 5-6 hours of bright daily sunshine and
75-100% humidity.
• As for precipitations, the plant thrives under
evenly distributed rainfalls of 2,500-4,000 mm
per year.
• Under a lack or uneven distribution of rainfalls in
plantations, it is necessary to ensure water
supply with irrigation.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF OIL
PALM
• Tree species,
• soil type,
• climatic conditions,
• oil palm plantation management,
• and cultivation practices.
SPECIES OF OIL PALM
The oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) represents the Elaeis
genus belonging to the Arecaceae family and originating
from West Africa.
There are three main crop types for cultivation in
plantations:
• dura – with a thick shell (2-8 mm);
• pisifera – with no shell;
• tenera – a hybrid of the above two.
Suitable Soils For Oil Palm Plantations
The best soil types for the crop’s cultivation are
• loamy or alluvial well-drained earths: at least one
meter deep for root development;
• rich in organic matter;
• with pH 4.0 to 6-8.0;
• having sufficient soil moisture.
SOIL CONDITIONS NOT GOOD FOR OIL PALM
PRODUCTION
• Soil salinization, alkalinization, or waterlogging are
negative for oil palm tree growth.
• Since soil conditions matter, farmers are advised to
perform soil testing to check area suitability before
planting.
Preparation Of Seeds In Oil Palm Cultivation
• Oil palms for plantations are typically propagated
with seeds taken from fruits.
• Seed treatment is a responsible stage in oil palm
cultivation and management because improperly
prepared seeds will germinate after a couple of years
due to long dormancy time.
• Dried for about 2.5 months in stable hot rooms
(40°C) and
• soaked for 4-5 days in daily changed water, seeds are
supposed to germinate in about 12 days (3-3.5
months after extraction).
• Immediately after germination, sprouts are
planted into plastic (polyethylene) bags or
containers with equal ratios of topsoil, sand, and
properly decomposed cattle manure.
• Sprouts for cultivation remain in the bags for
about 4-5 months (until they develop a bifid leaf).
• Then, bifid-leaved sprouts continue in a
plantation nursery, where they grow further for
about a year.
• Finally, seedlings with about twelve-fifteen leaves
and at least one meter high are mature enough
and ready for growing in palm oil plantations.
DIFFERENT PRODUCTION /AREA OF VALUE
CHAIN IN OIL PALM
• Seed production
• Sprouted nut
• Seedling production
• Oil palm plantation
• Oil production
