Elaeis guineensis - Oil Palm

Description and Uses

Elaeis guineensis (Oil Palm) is a tropical palm from West Africa . It is mainly grown for its oil crops , which have a long shelf life. The crop is harvested by hand picking. It starts flowering after 2 - 3 years. The yield will be 3 t/y/ha, but in its top season there will be a yield of 12 t/y/ha. Other crop types include; oil, fuel, apiculture, ornamental, fodder, alcohol, The fruit is used as major food . The fresh leaf is used as " anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, " with Ferulic acid (0.17 mg/g - 0.50 mg/g) as its significant phytochemical. There is Palm oil extracted by cold pressing from the palm's fruit yielding 45% - 50% oil. The palm's wood is called oil palm and has a density of 480 - 520 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the palm's growing speed is medium, it's energetic value is 3900 ckal/kg and the wood's drying speed is slow. After 23 years the palm can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal. Elaeis guineensis has a lifespan of 120 years.

Environmental limitations

The palm is 20 meters tall with a crown of 7 meters wide. The palm prefers a planting distance of 900 cm and a row distance of 900 cm. It is fast growing and shade tolerant. Elaeis guineensis has a shallow root-system and it has symbiotic associations with the Glomus etunicatum fungi (endo-mycorrhiza). It is not able to fix nitrogen with "any bacteria. The name(s) or string of bacteria include(s) "not applicable ". The palm's flower-morphology is hermaphroditic and is pollinated by bees. Elaeis guineensis is evergreen and not allelopathic and has no thorns.

Elaeis guineensis thrives in an altitude of 0 to 900 meters above sea-level (tropical). The minimum temperature is 16°C; optimally between 27 - 35°C. The optimal rainfall is 3500 mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between 2000 - 3000mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between 4.0 - 6.0 in a soil texture of loam. To salt it is intolerant to wind tolerant and to fire intolerant.

Pests and Diseases

Elaeis guineensis is susceptible to the following pests: Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus . And it's susceptible to the following diseases: Basal stem rot , , .

Seed Propagation

Seeds are intermediate and can be stored for 6 months. There are approximative 5750 seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed:

• (1) Store harvested seeds in water or in the fruit at room temperature
• (2) Soak the seeds overnight in warm water before sowing.
• (3) press the seeds twice its size in the soil soil.