To maximize productivity of palm oil, you need to do good management practices.
Before setting up a palm garden, ensure that you do proper soil analysis and the site should be in the open to expose the palm to sunlight and should also have enough moisture. To begin with the palm oil production, get improved hybrid seed and make a nursery. This starts to produce fruits in between 3 to 4 years. Non improved seed takes between 6 to 7 years to begin bearing fruits.
Transplanting
After 6 months transplant the seedlings into the field after hardening them off. When transplanting, dig planting holes while separating the top soil rom the sub soil.
Fill the planting hole with part of the top soil top to act as the base of the plant. Remove the nursery bag and insert the seedling into the planting hole. Do not plant the seedling too deep in the hole because this slows down the rate of growth.
Incase there are grass cutter pests in the area, use wire gauze to protect the seedlings for at least one year.
Management
After root establishment (about 30 days from transplanting), apply urea to stimulate vegetative growth.
Keep the field weed free by either using selective herbicides or using manual weeding. If you cant weed the entire field, weed at least 0.5 metres around the oil palm. This reduces the competition of plants with weeds for nutrients and water.
When the oil palm is old and is no longer productive enough, remove it and replant it again.
