Development of an Ecological and Efficient Fertilization Method in Oil Palm Production in the Context of Climate Change in La Mé, Côte d’Ivoire
Adou Bini Yao Christophe *
Oil Palm Program, National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA), La Mé Station, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Soumahin Eric Francis
Agroforestry Department, Plant Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Côte d’Ivoire.
Sossa Elvire Line
Sustainable Soil Fertility Management Research Unit, Soil Science Laboratory, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
N’guessan Kouame Nauva Djary
Agroforestry Department, Plant Physiology and Pathology Laboratory, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Côte d’Ivoire.
Sawadogo Hamado
National Center for Scientific and Technological Research/Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research CNRST/INERA Department GRN SP, Burkina Faso.
Kouakou Tanoh Hilaire
Department of Natural Sciences, Nangui Abrogoua University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The rapidly expanding oil palm industry is limited by various constraints, including soil fertility degradation and water deficit. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the dissolution of NPK 10-10-30+1S+3Mg+4.4Ca fertiliser on the growth and production of oil palm trees. To this end, different doses of NPK 10-10-30+1S+3Mg+4.4Ca fertiliser were applied to oil palm trees in the production phase, in two forms: (i) the fertiliser in aqueous solution and (ii) the fertiliser in standard granular form, using a One Tree Plot Design. Agro-morphological and production parameters, as well as the fertiliser dissolution rate in water, were collected and analysed using SAS software. The results showed that the fertiliser dissolved at a rate of 76%. Furthermore, parameters such as leaf emission and the number of palm bunches were not influenced by the different treatments. By contrast, palm trunk height growth and palm bunch production were influenced by the treatments. Dissolving the NPK 10-10-30+1S+3Mg+4.4Ca fertiliser in water before application appeared to be more agronomically effective, especially with doses of 2.5 kg/palm and 3 kg/palm, dissolved in 5 and 6 litres of water, respectively. These aqueous solutions showed the highest values compared with treatments without dissolution, even though they used the same doses of the same fertiliser. This method of dissolving fertiliser before application could therefore allow for its efficient and environmentally friendly use in the oil palm sector.
Keywords: Elaeis guineensis, mineral fertilisation, aqueous fertiliser application, NPK fertiliser, fertiliser dissolution, trunk height growth, fresh fruit bunch production, bunch weight, rainfall variability.