Americas and Oceania Group - International Plant Nutrition Institute

Americas and Oceania Group
Northern Latin America
Dr. Raúl Jaramillo
Colombia
Nutrient Demand of Oil Palm Hybrids for Tropical America
Project Leader: Dr. Jose Alvaro Cristancho, Fedepalma, Cenipalma Soil, Water and Mechanization Program,
Villavicencio, Meta Columbia. E-mail: acristancho@ceripalma.org
Project Cooperators: Diego L. Molina, Jorge S. Torres, Isaac T. Vera, Eloina Mesa, and Edna M. Garzón
This study examines the nutrient demands of the OxG hybrid oil palm and the most adequate tools to
calibrate crop fertilization (e.g. foliar critical levels for different nutrients). The nursery phase was initiated
in 2010 with two sets of plantlets growing in two locations of Colombia. In each location two parallel studies
were carried out with rates of: 1) N, P, and K; and 2) Mg, Ca, and B. Plant growth, nutrient absorption, and
leaf physiology were evaluated. The first phase of the study involved independent studies on nursery plants
(before transplanting) at two locations. The nursery experiments were carried out in Tumaco (southwest
Colombia) having alluvial, relatively high organic matter soils and continuous rainfall; and Meta (center east
Colombia) having low organic matter oxisols and seasonal raining. The OxG materials used were accessions
obtained from crosses made with Elaeis oleifera collected in Brazil. Two different crosses were evaluated in
each nursery experiment.
In general the phase I results showed that N controlled the growth of plantlets for the two materials tested in
both locations. But for the other nutrients, the response was specific for each OxG material tested, for instance,
the demand of K and B in one of the tested materials was larger than the recommended rate for E. guineensis,
but the second OxG accession had similar requirements of the African oil palm. As well, the calculated nutrient
demand for P and Ca were material specific. The use of K, Mg and B did not produce significant decreases or
increases in plant growth (leaf number, leaf area, plant height) in the nursery phase. In the case of B, slight
increases were found with the largest quantities used; again, this response was material-specific.
In summary, these results suggest very specific demands of the crop as a function of the material planted,
which in practical terms means that each plantation or region may need to develop site-specific studies to
fully understand the actual demands of the different OxG materials. The experimental design used may serve
as a model for further nursery studies. The second phase of the study was initiated with the transplant of
independently managed plantlets at three locations: the Astorga (Tumaco), Hacienda La Cabaña (Casanare),
and Unipalma de los LLanos (Meta) plantations. Columbia-16
Global Maize Initiative, Colombia
Project Leader: Dilia M. Coral, Fenalce Soils and Nutrition Management Program Cota, Cundinamarca.
E-mail: dcoral@fenalcecolombia.org
Project Cooperators: Henry Vanegas (FENALCE General Manager), Carlos E. Molina, and Gustavo Lemos
In 2011, this study completed four consecutive crop cycles at Villa Escocia, and the fifth cycle was planted
on October 27. The study had following specific objectives: 1) measure yield differences among different
nitrogen management strategies and 2) compare the ecological intensification (EI) management against
traditional maize technology.
In 2009-B, the first planted cycle, the average yield in the intensive management was 7.30 t/ha and
the traditional management yield average was 5.49 t/ha. Only the treatment with intense management
with N in all cycles showed a significantly higher yield (8 t/ha), but this was possibly an artifact as many
other treatments suffered from plant lodging. Overall, this cycle indicated a high fertility soil, with small
differences within N strategies tested with high or low planting densities.
Cycle 2010-B showed the lowest yield overall as a result of extreme rainfall, this was also the cycle in
which the treatments with reduced N application (2/3 cycles) did not receive N. The average grain yield in
2010-B with intensive management was only 6.45 t/ha, while the traditional management average was 5.53
t/ha. The maximum yield was obtained with traditional management N applications in all cycles (8.77 t/
ha), which was slightly higher than intensive management with N in all cycles (8.45 t/ha). It was noticeable
IPNI Interpretive Summaries 53