Improving soil health and crop nutrition in oil palm cultivation

Publication date: 12/02/2018
Extent: 26 pages

Contributions by: Jean-Pierre Caliman, Suhardi and Pujianto, Smart Research Institute, Indonesia

Chapter synopsis: Soil health is increasingly regarded as a key factor in oil palm nutrition and productivity. This chapter presents the current state of knowledge about soil and nutrient management through several examples of efficient and productive oil palm cultivation. The chapter highlights the challenges which still need to be addressed in order to make the crop more sustainable in the long term while considering some new concepts in agricultural development. The chapter also considers the emerging tools provided by the fast evolution of new technologies such as sensors and drones, and the tremendous possibilities introduced by molecular biology backed by the amazing increase in calculation capacity and information flows. The chapter considers key issues relating to soil fertility, nutrient management, mineral nutrition and planting materials, and focuses particularly on issues affecting smallholders.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2017.0018.11