This document provides information on the production technology of oil palm. It discusses the economic importance of oil palm, describing its high yield of oil per hectare. The document outlines the plant description, history of cultivation, ideal climate and soil conditions, propagation methods, transplanting, intercropping, pollination, and management practices for oil palm. It also covers harvesting, processing, products, uses, health benefits, and future prospects for oil palm cultivation in Pakistan.

1. HEMVATI NANDAN BAHUGUNA
GARHWAL UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE

2. SUBJECT- PLANTATION CROPS
 TOPIC- PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF OIL
PALM
SUBMITTED TO– Dr. TEJPAL BISHT
SUBMITTED BY – PINKI KUMAWAT
B.Sc. HORTICULTURE 4th SEM.

3. 1) Introduction
2) Economic Importance
3) Plant description
4) History
5) Production Technology
6) Products
7) Uses
8) Health benefits
9) Future Prospective
Outline

4. ▪ Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived
from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the
fruit of the oil palms.
▪ Oil palm belongs to the Genus,
Elaeis (from Greek, meaning "oil")
▪ Elaeis is a genus of palms containing two
species, called oil palms.
Family
Genus
Species
Arecaceae
Elaeis
Elaeis guineensis
Elaeis oleifera
Introduction

5. Elaeis guineensis
Elaeis oleifera
Oil Palm Species

6. 0.67
0.48
0.38
3.74
3.00 4.00
Palm Oil
Rapeseed
Sunflower
Soybean
0.00 1.00 2.00
Vegetable Oil Yield Per tons hectare per year
Vegetable Oil Yield

7. 33.4m
53.3%
19.9m 32%
1.8m 3%
0.5m 0.8%
0.52m 0.8%
0.53m 0.8%
0.94m 1.5%
1.2m 2%
3.6m 5.8%
Global Palm Oil Production
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Colombia
Nigeria
Ecuador
Guatemala
Papua/NGuinea
Other
Palm Oil Production

8. ▪ The high photosynthetic rate of the oil palm enables it to
produce between eight to ten times more oil per hectare
per year (ha/yr) than other oil seeds such as rapeseed or
soybean.
▪ It has an output-to-input energy ratio of 9:1, compared to
3:1 for other oilseed crops.
▪ It emits eight to ten times more oxygen (O2) and absorbs
up to ten times more CO2 ha/yr than other annual crops
grown in temperate countries.
▪ Palm oil also requires less fertilizer per unit of output than
any other crop.
WHY Oil Palm

9. Plant Description
Tree
Mature palms are single-stemmed,
and can grow well over 20 m (66 ft)
tall.
Leaves
The leaves are pinnate, and reach
between 3–5 m (10–16 ft.) long.
Flowers
The flowers are produced in dense
clusters; each individual flower is
small, with three sepals and three
Petals

10. Palm Fruit
The palm fruit is reddish, about the
size of a large plum, and grows in
large bunches.
Each fruit is made up of an oily,
fleshy outer layer (the mesocarp),
and endocarp, with a
single seed (the palm kernel), also
rich in oil.
Plant Description

11. No. of Bunches/plant/year
Single bunch weight
Fruitlets per bunch
No. of palms per hectare
Nursery Period
Palm height
19
10-15 kg
1000/3000
148
18-24 months
up to 2.3 meter
Plant Description

12. History
• Oil palm originated from West Africa, where evidence of
its use as a staple food crop dates as far back as 5,000
years.
• In the late 1800s, archaeologists discovered a substance
that they concluded was originally palm oil in a tomb
atAbydos(Egypt) dating back to 3,000 BC.
• It is believed that Arab traders brought the oil palm to
Egypt.
• Palm oil has long been recognized in West and Central
African countries.
• Palm oil became a highly sought-after commodity
by British traders, for use as an industrial lubricant for
machinery during Britain's Industrial Revolution.

13. ▪ Oil palm is a humid tropical crop and thrives best in the
areas where temperature ranges from:
22°C to 24°C (minimum)
28°C to 33°C (maximum)
▪ Oil palms require at least 5 to 6 hours of bright sunshine
per day and 80% of humidity for optimum growth.
▪ This crop requires annual evenly distributed rainfall of
2500 to 4000 mm or 150 to 150 mm monthly.
▪ As Pakistan’s climate is not suitable for evenly
distribution of the rain, farmers are advised to go for
assured irrigated conditions for oil palm cultivation.
Climate

14. • Well- drained deep loamy moist and
alluvial soils rich in organic matter.
• These trees require at least 1 meter
soil depth.
• Avoid highly saline, highly alkaline,
coastal sandy and water stagnation
soils.
• High yields are obtained in soils
which are rich in humus and have a
crumby structure.
• Optimum soil reaction is from
pH 6.5 to 7.5
Soil

15. • The Propagation in oil palm
cultivation is mainly by seeds.
• Seeds are extracted from fruits
using depericarper.
• Pre-heating of seeds is required for
75 days at 40°C temperature due to
their high dormancy.
• Thereafter, seeds should be soaked
in running water and make them to
cool down for 4 to 5 days.
• 10 to 12 days after germination,
sprouts should be transplanted to
poly bags
Propagation

16. • In nursery raising, the single stage
poly bag system is a very popular
propagation method.
• In this process, a poly bag should be
filled with top soil, sand and well
rotten manure.
• Then sprouts should be placed at a
depth of 2.5 cm in the center of the
poly bag.
• The seedlings will be ready for
transplanting in 12-14 months.
Propagation

17. Transplanting
Land Preparation
• Land should be made weed free.
• Two ploughings should be given to get the soil fine tilth
stage.
• Supplement the field with good organic matter to make
the soil rich field.
Sowing time
• The best season for oil palm planting is from June to
December.
• However, crops grown during summer should be
provided with sufficient irrigation and mulching
• Growing cover crops in the tree basin is preferred to
avoid hot winds in summer season.

18. ▪ Healthy Seedling of 12 to 15 months
age old with at least 1 meter height
and 12 to 13 functional leaves are
recommended in the oil palm tree
cultivation.
▪ Mix the soil with 400 grams of single
super phosphate and apply at base of
the pit as soon as planting is done.
▪ 143 to 145 oil palm plants can be
accommodated in 1 hectare land.
Transplanting
Ready to Transplanting

19. ▪ In triangular planting method, with a spacing of 9 m x 9 m
x 9 m
▪ Planting should be done in the pits with size of 60 cm x
60 cm x 60 cm.
Planting Geometry

20. • Oil palms are a wide spaced perennial trees and inter
space can be utilized for intercropping during initial 3
year period.
• The most suitable inter-crops during initial 3 year period
are any vegetables, chilies, banana, tobacco, ginger,
pineapple.
Intercropping

21. Never do the following Practices:
1. Leave the palm basin while
growing intercrop
2. Do not plant the intercrops
within the palm basin
3. Do not
leaves
cut the oil palm
while growing
intercrops
4. Do not tie the leaves
5. Do not grow oil palm in ill
drained soils/low lands
Avoid these Practices

22. • Oil palm crop requires sufficient irrigation as its growth
rate is faster and produces high yield and biomass.
• Each growing plant requires about 20 liters of water per
day.
Drip irrigation
• This system can be adopted in the undulated terrain land,
if the water is a main constraint.
• In case of drip irrigation method, each palm requires 4
dippers at the base.
• With 4 dippers ejecting 5 liters of water for five hours per
day is enough to cover the 20 liter requirement per
day/palm
Irrigation

23. • It Is necessary in order to ensure fertilization of all
females flowers in the bunch especially during rainy
season.
• The oil palm is a highly cross-pollinated crop in which the
insects and wind assist pollination.
• When wind pollination is not sufficient, assisted
pollination should be done.
• Collect pollen from male inflorescence and dry in Sun for
about 5 hours and store in a moisture free containers.
• It remains viable for over 30 days.
• Mix this pollen with chalk powder (1:4) and use for
pollination
• The stigma remains receptive for 3 days, after they have
opened.
Assisted Pollination

24. ▪ Regular manual weeding or chemical weeding can be
carried out in oil palm cultivation.
▪ However, chemical weeding should be done only with
recommended herbicides.
▪ For effective control of weeds, Glyphosate of 700-750
ml/ha/year or 17 ml/palm should be applied.
Weed Control

25. ▪ As part of the basin management practice in the oil palm
cultivation:
– basins of 1 meter radius
– second year 2 meter radius
– Third year 3 meter radius
▪ Should be made by removing the soil inside so that soil
accumulation can be prevented in the collar region of the
palm.
▪ For healthy roots, basins should be weed free and clean.
Basin Management

26. ▪ Oil palm trees start flowering in 14 to 18 months after
planting the crop.
▪ Oil palm tree produces both male and female flowers
separately on the same palm tree.
▪ The process of removing male and female flowers in
early stages of oil palm plantation is called “ablation”.
▪ Ablation is required in oil palm cultivation for
development of stem girth, vigour and string root system.
▪ This process can be extended up to 2 to 3 years
depending on the tree vigour and growth.
Flowering and Ablation

27. Age Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Magnesium Boron
Source Urea SSP MOP MgSO4 Borax
g/palm/year g/palm/year g/palm/year g/palm/year g/palm/year
1st – 2nd Year 870 1250 670 125 25
3rd Year 1750 2500 1350 250 50
4th & Onward 2600 3750 2000 500 100
Fertilizer

28. Insect Pest and Diseases
Insect Pests
1. Rhinoceros beetle
2. Mealy bugs
Diseases
1. Pestalotiopsis leaf spot
2. Ganoderma butt rot
3. Bacterial bud rot
4. Oil palm wilt

29. ▪ The oil palms will be ready for harvesting in 2.5 to 3 years after
the plantation in the main field.
▪ Harvesting can be done when the fruits on palm turn into
yellowish – orange colour and 5 to 8 fruits drop on their own.
Harvesting

30. ▪ Determining harvesting time is very important in oil palm
cultivation as it greatly impacts the quality and quantity of
oil.
▪ Harvesting can be done when the fruits on palm turn into
yellowish – orange colour and 5 to 8 fruits drop on their
own.
▪ The final check would be when pressing the fruits hard with
finger, orange coloured oil should extrude from the palm
fruits.
▪ Harvesting takes place throughout the year and generally
done in 10 to 14 days interval with the help of sharp knife or
sickle.
▪ A stalk length of 5 cm should be left while harvesting the
fruit bunches
Harvesting

31. Oil Palm Age
24th- 36th month
37th-48th month
49th-60th month
61st-72nd month
Yield
03-05 tons / ha
06-08 tons / ha
08-10 tons / ha
18-20 tons / ha
Yield

32. Products
Oil Palm Processing
Fresh Fruit bunches
Sterilization
Striping
Empty Bunches
Sterilized Fruits
Digestion
Processing
Crude Oil Mesocarp waste

33. Uses
1. Cosmetics (mainly palm kernel oil)
2. Biofuel and energy
3. Animal feed (palm kernel expeller)
4. Pharmaceutical
5. Industrial Organic Chemical
6. Food Industry
▪ Used as a cooking oil
▪ Shortening of Salads
▪ Manufacture of margarine
▪ Non-dairy creamers
▪ Ice cream

34. • Palm oil plays a role in promoting cardiovascular health.
• The tocotrienols found in palm oil also help support the
heart against stress
• Improved blood circulation
• Regulated cholesterol levels
• Reduced free radical damage and inflammation
• Reduced blood pressure
Health Benefits

35. ▪ Studies suggest that palm oil’s antioxidant properties
help prevent various types of cancers.
▪ According to findings, tocotrienols exhibit their potent
antioxidant properties and aid in inhibiting the
development of skin, stomach, pancreas, lung, liver,
breast, prostate, colon, and other cancers. Regular
vitamin E cannot perform this.
▪ ncreases your protection against diseases like dementia,
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other mental conditions.
▪ palm oil can help strengthen immune function and
promote bone, eye, oral, lung, skin, and liver health.
▪ As a fat-rich oil, palm oil helps provide energy and
enhance the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients such as
vitaminsA, D, and E.
Health Benefits

36. Calories and Vitamins
▪ Palm oil, like all other oils and fats, provides 9 kcal g-1
compared with 4 kcal each for protein and carbohydrates.
▪ Fats are also a source of vitamin A, D and E and act as
carriers of these and of vitamin K in the human body.
▪ Palm oil is a rich source of pro-vitamin A, in the form of
carotenoids (500-700 mg kg-1).
Nutrition

37. • A highly versatile vegetable oil
• Rapidly growing market share
• World’s top selling vegetable oil
• In Pakistan, very low area under cultivation of oil palm
• All of palm oil requirement is fulfilled by import
• There is need to plant oil palm for self requirement as
well as for export.
• Sub-humid areas of Pakistan are suitable for oil palm
cultivation
Future Prospective