Oil Palm Bulletin No. 28 (May 1994) p20 - 29

Land application of palm oil mill effluent (POME) on oil palm using a tractor-tanker and flatbed system

KHALID Haron , ZIN Z Zakaria

Oil palms on a Rengam series (Typic Paleudult) soil were supplied with anaerobic tank-digested POME (chemical composition given) or with the recommended rates of inorganic fertilizers (controls). Palms were planted in flatbeds (3 X 3 X 0.3 m) and the POME was applied 6 times a year by a tractor-tanker travelling along alternated avenues between flatbeds. Over 4 years, fresh fruit bunch yield was 2.4% higher for POME-treated plots than controls, while the average bunch weight and bunch number were 4.2% higher and 2% lower, respectively. Leaf nutrient contents and palm vegetative growth parameters were generally similar in both the POME-treated and control plots. Groundwater quality indicated that the rate of POME application was within safety limits. POME application significantly increased soil pH within the flatbeds, particularly at a depth of 15-30 cm. Soil nutrient contents (N, P, K, Mg and Ca) were 2- to 8-fold higher in POME-treated plots than in control plots. It was concluded that POME is a viable fertilizer for oil palm and that the application system used was convenient..


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