Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 11.2
Anatomy of an oil
palm tree and oil palm found.
(Source: Ishida and Abu
Hasan
1997
)
Malaysia (Alam et al.
2007b
). The OPF are a by-product of the cultivation of oil
palm trees. Since 1990s the fast growth of the palm oil sector in South-East Asia
has caused rising production of fibrous wastes obtained from the oil palm fruit
bunches during oil palm tree pruning and replanting practices (Dahlan
2000
). About
100 kg ha
−1
of OPF can be produced per day (Ishida and Abu Hassan
1997
) with a
yearly production of 11 t DM ha
−1
(Husin et al.
1986
; Lim
2000
), hence it is a main
waste product of oil palm plantations in addition to trunks and EFB.
Both oil palm wastes (fronds and trunks) previously destroyed by burning but
this practice was prohibited because of damage to environment during 1990s. Now
a day's these wastes are left on the soil to decay and fertilize the soil (Lim
2000
).
Oil palm fronds are low in protein but high-fiber material that is edible for herbivore
livestock. The OPF are lying on soils of oil palm plantations whole the year due to
regular pruning operations (Hassan et al.
1996
)
The OPF are crop residues with high amounts of fiber: NDF and ADF content are
in the 63-80 and 45-57 % DM range, respectively, lignin content is also high with
values from 12 to 37 % DM (Aim-oeb et al.
2008
; Islam et al.
2000
; Khamseekhiew
et al.
2001
). These are poor in protein (around 7 % DM with values between 4 and
10 %) and fat (< 2 %) (Islam et al.
2000
). The fat is usually high in unsaturated fatty
acids (Hassim et al.
2010
).
The oil palm trunks are similar in composition like fronds, with less protein
(< 3 % DM). Empty bunches are bulky (60 % water) and with less protein (< 4 %
DM) and high fiber (> 80 % NDF) than fronds (Hassan et al.
1996
; Prasertsan and
Prasertsan
1996
). Oil palm wastes, mainly EFB, fronds and trunks composts have
many characteristics which are superior from peat in growing media (Lin and Rat-
nalingam
1980
).
The oil palm frond (OPF) compost has abundant potential to be used for the
improvement of soilless culture system. It was effectively used to control plant dis-
eases (Siddiqui et al
.
2008
; Souleymane et al
.
2010
). Furthermore, plant nutrients
from OPF compost are slowly released to plant for longer period of time and leach-
ing chances from the media are less. There is a rising attention toward the low and
cost effective solid state bioconversion of OPF into value added product compost
(Molla et al.
2004
; Alam et al.
2005
; Bari et al.
2009
) (Fig.
11.2
).