SOCFINDO, Indonesia, agronomy visit to the oil palm estates, 7th-20th April 2000

The Aek Loba, Negeri Lama, Tanah Gambus, Lae Butar and Sungei Liput/Medan Ara estates were visited during this mission, which took place from 7th to 20th April. Overall, yields are increasing and the crowns of the palms observed were well loaded with bunches, which should give a good result in 2000. 1999 was marked by a change in fertilizer schedule (No. 16), increasing urea and muriate of potash rates, but decreasing rock phosphate rates. It was possible to compare the results of the leaf analyses corresponding to samples taken in July-August 1999 with the appearance of the palms 8-9 months later (April 2000): - nitrogen nutrition is still very irregular in plantings under 10 years old and progress remains to be achieved, especially at Tanah Gambus, where competition with grasses is serious. - however, in plantings more than 10 years old, it appears to be more than sufficient and it will doubtless be possible, with care in the coming years, to reduce it in some cases. - potassium nutrition has often improved, whilst the weakness seen in Mg nutrition in August 1999 no longer exists at all in the symptoms observable 8 months later; this is doubtless because the dolomite applied in 1999 and the beginning of 2000 has had the time to be taken up. In general, the symptoms have never been so slight (Aek Loba, Tanah Gambus, etc.). - despite a decrease in phosphate fertilier, P nutrition improved somewhat, but it is too soon to draw any conclusions. There are more or less systematic differences in N, K, Mg, etc. nutrition from one block to another. It is clear that the fertilizer schedules used so far, which were intended to level out nutrition for a given nutrient around the critical level, are not succeeding, despite high and repeated applications from one year to the next when contents are low. It will be necessary to wait for the results of the 2000 leaf analyses before proposing any changes to the fertilizer schedules for application in 2001. A considerable effort has been made with the assisted pollination of young plantings, but it still needs to be more fine-tuned to ensure optimum utilization when it is essential and determine with accuracy when and where it is necessary, to avoid systematic use when it is pointless. As regards estate management, more needs to be done to control thefts (Aek Loba) and to improve the quality of upkeep and harvesting (e.g. Div. IV Lae Butar).

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Tailliez, Bertrand
Format:	monograph biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	CIRAD-CP
Subjects:	F01 - Culture des plantes,
Online Access:	http://agritrop.cirad.fr/264386/
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