Family: Palmae

Scientific name: Elaeis guineensis

Straight, unbranched
stem,
large evergreen leaves,
spirally arrange at the top
of the stem
Monoecious - producing
male and female
inflorescences in leaf axils
Male flower: tubular in
shape
Female flower: cylindrical
in shape
The fronds are arranged
either right handed or left
handed, but have no
significance to fruit
production.

Initial floral formed some 33 44 months.

Male flower

12 20cm long

Female flower

25 45 cm long

 Pollinated

by Elaeidobius
kamerunicus
5-6 months ripe, ready for harvesting

Roots
Fibrous root descend from the palm base to the
bottom of the soil which consist of primary,
secondary, tertiary and quaternary.
Distribution depends on the soil condition,
texture and well aerated soil.

Foliage/fronds
Matured palms carries
25-40 fronds and
produced 25 fronds
per year.
Inflorescence borne in
the axils of the
pinnate fronds.
Analysis of foliar is
being carried out by
taking leaf sample
from fronds no 17.
(1,9,17)

Rachis

Leaf/Pinna
e

Pinnate fronds

Fruit
Matured
depending on
weather
1000-3000 fruitlets
per bunch, 5cm
long and weight
30gm. The fruit
characteristic
depends on
Shell thickness
Oil content of
mesocarp

Mesocarp
Stigma
Operculum
Embryo
Kernel
Shell

 Temperature: 25 300C
Annual rainfall: 1500 3500/year
Relative humidity: 80%
Sunlight: > 6 hours daily
Soil: almost all type of soil, except

for sandy soil

 Consists

of three main fruit type:

Dura
Pisifera
Tenera

Each type have different

characteristics.
Tenera is the hybrid of Dura & Pisifera.
Mainly Tenera is used widely in
Malaysia

Thick
endocarp/shell: 28mm
mesocarp: 35-65%
kernel: 7-20%
Rate of oil: 17-18%
Dura as female

Absence of
endocarp / no shell
Thick ring fibre
Big mesocarp and
more oil content
Pisifera as a male

Thin endocarp: 0.54 mm

Mesocarp: 60-95%
Kernel: 3-15%
Rate of oil: 22
24%
Hybrid by dura and
pisifera

types;

Natural pollination
Controlled pollination

 Using

African weevil Elaeidobius

kamerunicus
It will spread the pollen of the male
flower to the female flower
Spreading of pollen through the
natural movement of the insect
Mature bunch can be harvested 5 6
month after pollination

 Pollination

between Dura (female)

and Pisifera (male)
Produce Tenera hybrid
The age of Dura and Pisifera palm
must be 6 years old

Bagging of
male flower 7
days before
anthesis

Bottling &
storage

Male flower
harvested at
anthesis

Pollen
viability
test

Oven dry
24 hrs, 35
400C

Extraction
& sieving
of pollen

Bagging of
female flower
7 days before
receptive

Ready to
pollinate after
10 days

5 gram male
pollen mix
with natural
powder

Harvested: 5-6
months

Pollination:
10 days,
remove bag
after 4 weeks

Spray to female
flower 5/6
times

 Nursery

site selection must include

the following factors:
Topography
Water supply and drainage
Good soil for planting medium
Accessibility & roads
Safety

Must be flat area

Easy to construct
irrigation
Easy for
maintenance
Ensure seedlings
have a straight
stand for planting
No water-logging

Have nearby water

supply
Drainage using
springkler / drip
irrigation

Availability of
sandy loam soil
Suitable for oil
palm seedlings
Free from disease
(Ganoderma spp.)

Easy to access
Good all weather
road

Having watchman
to secure the area
from theft,
vandalism
If possible, put
fence around the
nursery
Regular check

 Clearing

2 months before arrival of

the seeds
Fencing
Lining space the polybag evenly
Ordering seeds
Polybag filling
Shading

 Utilises only large polybags

Germinated seeds are planted

directly into the polybags.

Advantages:
Less handling of seedling
Avoid nursery transplanting shock
Smaller labour requirement
Less cost material cost

 Disadvantages:
Require larger area and infrastructure
More irrigation resources
Culling is more difficult & time

consuming
Difficult to observe and supervise
Not advisable for large planting scale

 Planting

seed at pre-nursery (2-3

months) and transplant to main
nursery (4-12 months)
Advantages:
Require smaller initial area
Require less irrigation
Lower maintenance costs in early stage
Primary culling can be carried out

 Disadvantages:
More handling of seedlings
Increasing maintenance work/cost
Risk of transplanting shock
Require additional infrastructure

Pre nursery

 If

the total area proposed for

plantation is 1000ha and planting
density is 136 palms per hectare,
what are the total seedling to be
planted in the nursery?

 Pre-nursery

stage:

Polybag filling using best top soil 4

weeks before planting

Apply with Rock Phosphate (CIRP) @
10kg/1000 polybags (15cm x 21 cm)
Shading using palm fronds / black
netting (30% shade)
Planting of germinated seeds
Arrange and labelled the polybags

 The

main nursery

Polybag filling using best topsoil, a

month prior to planting

Apply 100g Rock Phosphate (CIRP)
Using large polybag: 38cm x 45cm
Spacing of polybags: 0.91m x 0.91m x
0.91m
Set up of irrigation

 To

remove poor quality / abnormal

seedlings
Timing of cull:
Pre-nursery cull: At transplanting from

pre nursery to main nursery ( at

3-4 months)
At 9 months (in the main nursery)
At 12 months (in the main nursery) or
prior to field transplanting

 Colante
Crinkled leaf
Chimaera
Grass leaf/narrow
Rolled leaf
Twisted

leaf

PRE-NURSERY CULLING

 Stunted
Juvenile
Erect / Upright
Flat top

 Erect / upright
Flat top
Juvenile
Chimaera
Narrow pinnae
Short broad pinnae
Wide internode
Short internode

 Planting

of oil palm at the age of 12

months
The field must be ready before
transplanting

Surveying

Lining for
planting

Planting of
Legume cover
crop

Road
construction

Drain
construction

Terrace
construction

Land clearing

Holing &
Planting

 The initial stage before planting

Identification of area to be planted
Preparation of map, boundaries, site

selection

To provide access to vehicle for

planting, transportation of fruit
bunches and maintenance
operation.
To minimize vehicle damage during
daily operations.
Types of roads: main road,
subsidiary road, perimeter
road/jeeptrack

To drain out water from swampy, peat

and low-laying area
Maintain ideal height of water table
Types of drains:

Main drain
Collection drain
Field drain / subsidiary

To clear jungle/existing plantation

for oil palm plantation
To provide an area free from debris
for field establishment and planting

To facilitate effective establishment,

maintenance and harvesting of oil
palms
To minimize soil erosion
To reduce rain water runoff and
nutrient losses
To provide each palm with equal
access to light, nutrients and water

 To

produce an evenly spaced stands

of palms
Ensure that palms has the same
access to nutrients, water and
sunlight
Planting system: triangular system
Planting distance: 28ft x 28 ft (peat
area), 29ft x 29ft (undulating), 27ft x
30ft (steep area)

Make sure that the area for lining and planting is cleared of
debris.
Determine the Raja base line, then use compass to
determine the angle of 90. After that, measure the
distance of the planting points (28ft / 29ft).
Then, the measuring tape is pulled at 60 for triangular
planting. Marked out the intermediate points using pegs.
Pull the measuring tape along the base line and mark the
interval using peg.
Once the first section has been lined, these points are used
as reference points to continue lining across the palm
block.
Before planting, make sure that the linings for planting
points are double check to avoid any mistakes.

Hilly terrain
If palms are straight lined over hill, the
palm spacing must be increased to allow
for the effect of the slope on the
horizontal palm spacing. Therefore, the
palm planting distance must be increased
when crossing hill.

If the distance are not corrected, overcrowding will result in hill.

 Steep terrain
Terraces are installed

where the
slope >20or 40. Terraces should
always follow the contour of the area
being planted. The distance between
terraces is related to the slope the
steeper the slope, the closer the
horizontal distance between
terraces.

Advantages:
To control erosion
Improve soil condition
Provide Nitrogen
Pest control
Weed control
Reduce soil temperature

Types

of LCC: Mucuna bracteata,

Calopogonium mucunoides, Centrosema
pubescens, Pueraria phaseoloides

 Planting hole: 0.3m x 0.3m x 0.3m

Apply 500g CIRP and 500g SRF
Place seedling inside the hole
Cover the seedling with soil, avoid

shallow planting

 Fertilizer application
Weed control
Pest & disease control
Soil conservation
Water requirement

To supply palms with sufficient

nutrient
To promote healthy vegetative
growth, maximum economics fruit
bunch yield and resistance to pests
and diseases
Dosage depends on the maturity of
oil palm

Nitrogen

Potassium

Magnesium

Boron

Year
0-2
3-5
>5

Area of
application
At circle of palm
At circle until end
tip of canopy
At fronds
stacking and palm
row

Year

Rounds

0-1

35

>1

2-3

 Weed

unwanted plants grow in the

field
Second highest cost after fertilization
(17% - 27% of operation cost)
Control measures: chemical, culture,
mechanical, biological control
Types of weed control: circle
weeding, strip weeding, path
weeding, noxious weed control

Axonopus compressus

Digitaria ciliaris

Michania micrantha

Ipomoea cairica

Passiflora foetida

Mimosa invisa

Clidemia hirta

Melastoma malabathricum

Nephrolepis biserrata

Stenochlaena palustris

 Culture control mulching, LCC

Mechanical control hoe, parang,

sickle
Biological integrated pest
management
Chemical using weedicide

 Nursery
Seedling are highly sensitive
Manual control pre nursery
Manual, mechanical & chemical control

main nursery

 Immature

palm

Use culture, mechanical, chemical and

integrated with LCC

6 rounds per year
Using EFB for mulching

 Mature

palm

Chemical control
Integration with cattle/cow/
Mechanical control using sickle, parang
2 or 3 rounds per year

Species

Impirata cylindrica

Pennisetum

Active ingredient

Rate in 18 L water

Glyphosate*

180-240ml of 41%
product

Imazapyr*

150 225 ml of 10%

product

Metsulfuron-methyl
Glyphosate*
Fluazifop-butyl

3g of 20% product
60ml of 41% product
60 ml 0f 26% product

Species

Active ingredient

Rate in 18 L water

Fluroxypyr*

15 ml of 26% product

2,4-D amine*

56 ml of 70% product

Mikania micrantha

Passiflora foetida

Species

Melastoma
malabatrichum

Active
ingredient

Rate in 18 L
water

Triclopyr*

60-80 ml of 32%
product

metsulfuron methyl
Triclopyr*
metsulfuron methyl

Clidemia hirta

6 g of 20%
product
60-80 ml of 32%
product
6 g of 20%
product

Species

Active
ingredient

Rate in 18 L
water

metsulfuron methyl

4-6 g of 20%
product

Nephrolepis biserrata
Glufosinateammonium**+
2,4-D amine*

Stenochlaena palustris

60 ml of 18%
product + 60 ml
of 70% product

Adoretus compressus
Control

Apogonia sp.

Trichlorfon
Chlorferfenvinphos

Control

Trichlorfon
Chlorpyrifos

Adult

larva

 Metisa plana
Pteroma pendula
Darna trima
Setora nitens
Coptotermes curvignatus
Rats Rattus argentivitus,

Rattus
rattus diardii, Rattus tiomanicus

 Basal

stem rot (BSR) Ganoderma

spp.
Crown disease
Marasmius disease

 To

provide an optimum
photosynthesis
To remove unwanted branches
Age
No. of fronds
disease,
dead
< 3 years
4-7 years
8-14 years
>15 years

maximum
48 - 56
40 - 48
32 - 40

 Fronds

arrangement

o Flat / undulating area - Alternate row

arrangement
o Terrace area depends on contour
Avoid

excessive pruning

Ready to harvest after 3 years

3 5 years = scout harvesting
Objectives:
To produce maximum quality of palm product
To harvest all fruits bunches that can be
economically proccessed
To harvest only ripe fruits and collect all loose
fruits
To deliver the FFB to the mill within 24 hours of
harvest
Maintain optimun frequency of harvesting
rounds

 Identification of ripe fruits

Remove fronds below ripe bunch
Fronds arrangement at stacking row
Cut the fruit bunch
Collect all loose fruits
Cut long stalks
Arrange FFB neatly at the platform
Minimize bruise/injury to FFB
Avoid delay transportation

 Harvesting

criteria: At least three

loose fruits on ground
Harvesting rounds: 7-10 days
(depends on availability of FFB)
Methods: using chisel for young palm
(immature), sickle for mature palm

Bunch reception

Bunch sterilization

Bunch threshing

EFB

Fruit digestion

Oil clarification

Pulp pressing

Nut recovery

Pulp pressing
Oil clarification

Nut recovery

Oil drying

Nut drying

Oil packing

Nut cracking

Shells

Kernel separation

Kernels

Kernel storage

 Bunch

reception

FFB arrives from field

Grading of FFB

Ripe bunch

Over ripe bunch

Unripe bunch

Long stalk bunch

Empty bunch

Small bunch

Dirty bunch

Rotten bunch

a process of removing the external impurities

and to loosen them from bunches
Use of high temperature wet-heat treatment
Purpose:

To destroy lypolytic enzymes which cause the FFA

content to increase.
To soften the pericarp, ready for digestion and
easier for oil release
To dehydrate the fruit to achieve favorable ratio of
water to oil in pericarp.
To minimize the brake off the kernel while
pressing, threshing and nut cracker

 Threshing
Removal of fruits from bunches
Detach the fruit from bunches, leaving

spikelets on the stem

Produce EFB
EFB send to field to provide mulching for
immature palm

 Releasing

the palm oil in the fruit

through the breaking down of the oilbearing cells
Digesting the fruits at high
temperature
Objectives:
Destroy fruits outer covering (exocarp)
Complete disruption of oil cells

 Process of oil extraction

Two methods:
Dry method mechanical presses
Wet method use hot water to leach out

the oil

 Clarification

separate the oil from

its entrained impurities

Re-heating

bacteria.

the oil to kill all germs,

 Oil

transferred to a tank for storage

prior to dispatch from the mill
Maintained around 500C
Using hot water or low pressure
steam-heating coils to prevent
solidification and fractionation

 Residue

of pressing consists of a
mixture of fibre and palm nuts
Nuts separated from fibre
Use fibre and nut shells to fire the
steam boilers

THE END
GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR QUIZ AND TEST