Hybrid Supergene Oil Palm Seedling (6 Months)

Description

Hybrid Supergene Oil Palm Seedlings 

• Oil palm requires an evenly distributed annual rainfall of 2000 mm without a defined dry season.
• Best oil palm yields are obtained in places where a maximum average temperature of 29-33 degrees and a minimum average temperature of 22-24 degrees are available.
• The crop requires 1800-2000 sunlight hours annually, more than 300 cal/cm2/per day, constant sunlight of at least 5 hours per day for better oil palm yield.
• Moist, deep and well-drained medium-textured soils rich in humus content is considered ideal.
• Gravelly and sandy soils, particularly the coastal sands are not ideal for oil palm cultivation. Heavy clay soils with poor drainage properties may pose problems of aeration during rainy seasons

Features of High-Yield Supergene Oil-Palm Seedling

• Earlier harvest – starting (22 – 24months), compared to 36 – 48 months of SIRM standard seedling.
• The first-year harvest can be up to 7 to 8 tons FFB per hectare.
• The lifespan is 25 years.
• This variety is resistant to diseases like Ganoderma and basal stem rot virus.
• Higher oil-to-bunch ratio, more than 25% bigger seed, thinner shell, and smaller kernel.
• Longer tree lifecycle, 30 years of fruit-bearing, therefore the income period is longer. Although fertilizer application is advised, it can thrive well without fertilizers.
• Shorter palm height, easy to reach, subsequently, the harvesting cost is reduced.
• Tree diameter and circumference is bigger, supports more branch and fruits, reduction of gravity effect allows easy transfer of nutrients from the soil to fruit.
• A wider gap between the leaf stems results in increase photosynthesis for more robust growth.

Oil Palm Nursery Management

• Bring out the seeds from their exocarp by the use of water or a knife. For speed water is preferable. Dry the seeds for about 2-3 days under a shade, this way even if you wanted to store them, they will last for about 9 months with their viability intact but should be stored under a temperature of 27°C.
• The seeds are soaked in water for 5 days but water should be change on a daily basis during those days. Put the seeds in a polythene bag and keep the bag where it can stay and germinate under a temperature of 40°C.
• Remove the seeds from the polythene bag after 80 days and put them in water for 5 days, but always changing the water used for soaking daily.
• Bring them out of the water and dry for just 2 hours, put them back into the polythene bag. And keep them in a cool place to maintain their moisture content. After 10-12 days, the seeds will germinate. This method is the surest way of getting optimum germination of 90-99%.
• Use polybag such as the black nursery bag of 40×35cm. Fill them up with sandy-loam soil that is rich in organic matters. Lay them out with a spacing of 45×45cm putting just one spouting seed in each bag. Mulch them so as to retain moisture. Irrigate them 3 times a week, apply NPK fertilizer 15:15: 6 mixed with 5 litres of water for 100 seedlings when the plants are 2 and 8 months old respectively.
• One month before planting dig the spot you peg and remove any root or stump that may hinder the growth of the oil palm or their roots penetration. The hole should be 0.60m long/wide 0.80m deep. Don’t mix the dugout soil together, return them the same way you brought them out. Planting should be done between May-June. The polythene bag is turned open and the entire ball of earth is buried in the hole (50×50×50) and levelled.

FIELD PLANTING

• Give a space that will allow tractors into your farm but if you have other means of conveying your palm fruits after harvest. You can reduce your spacing to what suits you like 8m by 9m or 8m by 8m. Preferably 9m by 9m (recommended spacing by Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Reserve NIFOR) is the best spacing to use.
• If you use 7m by 7m spacing the fruiting and growth will reduce since the palm trees will be competing with each other for the nutrients. The roots will get into each other’s path thereby reducing yield.
• Planting hybrid supergene should be done with collaring and canning at the same time so as to keep rodents off. It can be done with the use of tin or wire mesh. The nursery can take 14 months or a year for the plants to mature before transplanting. A hectare will take 150 stands for optimum yield.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION IN OIL PALM FARMING

• Apply fertilizer after 3 months of transplanting to the main field. Use NPK fertilizer

WATER APPLICATION

• Planting should be done during the early rains so that they can be established before the dry season sets in. However, where there is a shortage of rainfall or when drought sets in you have to provide the plant with adequate water to grow well.Purchase your hybrid supergene today.