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Effect of fertigation on yield and economics of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis

Jacq.)

Article  in  Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences · January 2016

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 J. Farm Sci., 29(2): (200-202) 2016
Effect of fertigation on yield and economics of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)
SANJEEVRADDI G. REDDI, H. P. MAHESWARAPPA, B. CHANDRAVATHI AND D. R. PATIL
All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Palms, UHS, Bagalkot
ARS, Campus, Gangavathi - 583 277, Koppal district, Karnataka, India
E-mail: sanjeevraddi.reddi@gmail.com
(Received: August, 2015 ; Accepted: March, 2016)
Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at AICRP on Palms (Oil Palm), ARS Campus, Gangavathi, University of
Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot during 2012 and 2013 to study the effect of fertigation on oil palm through micro-irrigation
under medium black soils of Tungabhadra Command area of Karnataka. Oil palm being a heavy feeder requires balanced and
adequate supply of fertilizers for good growth and yield. The method of application of fertilizers through drippers has to be
cost effective and less dependent on labour. Randomized complete block design was followed with seven different fertigation
doses in three replications. The two years data indicated that, bunch weight was significantly higher (19.11 kg/bunch) in the
treatment receiving fertigation of 1200:600:1200 g NPK/palm/year as compared to 300:150:300 kg NPK/palm/year
through fertigation. The pooled data of FFB yield recorded significantly higher (8.36 t/ha) with the application of
1200:600:1200 g NPK/palm/year through fertigation over all other fertigation and soil application treatments. The treatment
T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK/Palm/year through fertigation with 6 equal splits at bi-monthly interval recorded higher FFB
yield, higher gross return and net returns and have better prospects for adaptation under Tungabhadra command area and
can be recommended on farmers fields.
Key words: Bunch weight, Economics, Fertigation, Oil palm

Introduction Material and methods

Oil palm is the highest edible oil yielding crop giving up to
3-6 tonnes of oil per hectare per year. It is the crop that has a
greater advantage in the productivity per hectare that is much
higher than that of any major oil producing crop, thus cutting
the cost of land infrastructure, maintenance and harvesting. It
is a crop of the future and source of health and nutrition, value
addition, waste utilization, eco-friendly, diversification, import
substitution, co-generation and sustainability. The global
production of vegetable oils has made tremendous impact of
which progress made by palm oil, soybean, rapeseed and
sunflower oil is worth mentioning. Malaysia and Indonesia had
played a dominant role in the production of palm oil. The total
vegetable oil production has increased from 16.07 million tons
in 1960 to 81.83 million tons in 1998 and to 159.43 million tons in
2013 with major contribution from palm oil 56.21 million MT
(Rethinam, 2014).
Oil palm demands a balanced and adequate supply of
nutrients for growth and yield and responds to fertilizer
application. Fertilizer requirement represents the single largest
cost component (65 per cent of total cost). The method of
application of fertilizers through drippers has to be cost effective
and less dependent on labour. Fertilizers savings through
fertigation can be tune of 25-50 percent. Fertigation can
economize the use of water and fertilizer with a corresponding
lowering the cost of production and labour towards weeding,
fertilizers and water application (Mahalaksmi et al., 2001;
Solamlai et al., 2005). The fertigation treatment in oil palm
through micro-irrigation techniques has not been standardized
for increasing the production and productivity in the region.
Literature on fertigation management in micro-irrigated palms is
very scarce. Hence, the study has been taken up to standardize
the fertilizer dose through micro-irrigation and improve the
nutrient use efficiency in oil palm.
A field experiment was conducted at AICRP on Palms (Oil
Palm), ARS Campus, Gangavathi, University of Horticultural
Sciences, Bagalkot to study the effect of fertigation on oil palm
through micro-irrigation under medium black soils of
Tungabhadra Command area of Karnataka. The mean rain fall
of the station for a period of 26 years is about 520 mm distributed
over 35-36 rainy days. During the year 2012 an amount of 372.3 mm
rainfall was received. The maximum temperature was observed
in the month of April & May (37.33 oC and 36.87 oC) and minimum
temperature was in the month of January (13.56 oC) and Relative
humidity was higher in the month of August (84.5%) and lowest
in the month of April (58%).
The experiment was laid out with RBD in seven different
fertigation doses of three replications viz., T1: 300:150:300g
NPK through fertigation, T2: 600:300:600 g NPK through
fertigation, T3: 900:450:900g NPK through fertigation,T4:
1200:600:1200g NPK through fertigation, T5: 1200:600:1800g
NPK through fertigation,T 6: 1200:600:2700g NPK through
fertigation, T7:1200:600:2700g NPK through soil application
on 18 years old oil palm garden. The observations recorded
during 2012 & 2013 were statistically analyzed and presented
and economics of the two years also calculated. The fertilizers
were applied in six equal splits per palm per year.
Results and discussion
Number of bunches per palm
The result on number of bunches per palm as influenced by
the application of different fertigation treatments in oil palm
are presented in Table.1. The data on number of bunches per
palm revealed that significant difference due to fertigation
treatment during 2012 and 2013. During 2012, among the
different fertigation treatments, the treatment T1: 300:150:300 g

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J. Farm Sci., 29(2): 2016

Table 1. Effect of fertigation treatments on the number of bunches/palm, bunch weight (kg) & FFB yield (t/ha) of oil palm
Treatment Number of bunches/Palm Bunch weight (kg) FFB yield (t/ha)
2012 2013 Pooled 2012 2013 Pooled 2012 2013 Pooled
T1 3.11 2.04 2.58 13.58 14.88 14.23 6.04 4.34 5.25
T2 2.56 2.37 2.46 15.15 15.81 15.48 5.55 5.36 5.45
T3 2.67 2.80 2.73 13.15 18.04 15.60 5.02 7.22 6.09
T4 3.00 3.12 3.06 19.74 18.48 19.11 8.47 8.25 8.36
T5 2.28 3.10 2.69 16.74 19.67 18.20 5.46 8.72 7.00
T6 2.53 2.23 2.38 14.74 17.73 16.23 5.33 5.65 5.52
T7 2.50 3.48 2.99 14.20 17.29 15.74 5.08 8.60 6.73
S.Em± 0.19 0.21 0.26 0.79 2.00 1.40 0.44 0.45 0.52
C.D.(0.05) 0.57 0.61 NS 2.34 5.95 4.26 1.29 1.32 1.53
C.V % 12.67 13.22 16.86 9.00 19.95 15.24 13.56 10.92 14.20
T1: 300:150:300g NPK, T2: 600:300:600g NPK, T3: 900:450:900g NPK, T4: 1200:600:1200g NPK,
T5: 1200:600:1800g NPK, T6: 1200:600:2700g NPK, T7:1200:600:2700g NPK
Note: T1 to T6 - Fertigation, T7 - Soil application FFB: Fresh fruit bunches

NPK /Palm/year through fertigation recorded higher number of
bunches per palm (3.11) as compared to T5: 1200:600:1800g NPK/
palm/year (2.28 bunches), T6: 1200:600:2700g NPK/Palm/year
(2.53 bunches) through fertigation and T7: 1200:600:2700/palm/
year (2.5 bunches) through soil application. During 2013, the
number of bunches per palm was found to be significantly higher
with the treatment T7 : 1200:600:2700 NPK/palm/year through
soil application (3.48 no’s ) as compared to T1: 300:150:300 g
NPK/Palm/year, T 2 : 600:300:600g NPK/Palm/year,
T3: 900:450:900g NPK/Palm/year and T6: 1200:600:2700 g NPK/
Palm/year through fertigation and it was on par with
T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK /Palm/year & T5: 1200:600:1800 g NPK /
Palm/year through fertigation. However, the pooled data on
number of bunches per palm did not show significant difference
among the various treatments. These results are close to the
findings of Gnanamurthy and Manickasundaram (2001). They
reported that fertigation in oil palm with water soluble fertilizer
improved the trunk girth, number of fronds and yield with a
saving of fertilizer and water by 20-33 per cent over control.
Bunch weight
An analysis of data in table 1 depicts that, bunch weight
(kg) of oil palm as influenced by the different fertigation
treatments differed significantly during 2012 and 2013. Among
the different fertigation treatments, the T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK/
palm/year was recorded the significantly higher (19.74 kg/bunch)
bunch weight as compared to other fertigation treatments and
soil application treatment during 2012. During 2013, bunch
weight was significantly higher with the treatment receiving
fertigation of 1200:600:1800 g NPK/palm/year (19.67 kg/bunch)
as compared to T 1: 300:150:300g NPK/Palm/year through
fertigation treatment and it was on par with all other fertigation
and soil application treatments. The Pooled data of two years
was showed significant difference. The treatment
T 4: 1200:600:1200g NPK/palm/year was recorded the
significantly higher bunch weight (19.11 kg/bunch) as
compared to T 1: 300:150:300g NPK/Palm/year through
fertigation. The remaining treatments were on par with
T4: 1200:600:1200g NPK through fertigation. This may be due to
the application of appropriate dose of fertilizers through fertigation
with 6 equal splits at bi-monthly will increases the bunch weight
of the oil palm. These results are close to the findings of Narsimha
Rao et al.,2011 and Masthana Reddy et al., 2009.
Fresh Fruit Bunches Yield (FFB)
The results on Fresh Fruit Bunches of oil palm yield showed
significant difference due to the effect of different fertigation
treatments during 2012 and 2013 as presented in Table 1. The
data on FFB yield differed significantly among various
treatments. The fertigation treatment T4:1200:600:1200 g NPK/
palm/year recorded significantly higher FFB yield of 8.47 t/ha
as compared to other fertigation and soil application treatment
during 2012. During 2013, the FFB yield was recorded
significantly the higher (8.72 t/ha) with the treatment receiving
fertigation of 1200:600:1800 g NPK/palm/year as compared to
T1: 300:150:300 g NPK/Palm/year, T2: 600:300:600 g NPK/Palm/
year & T6: 1200:600:2700 g NPK/Palm/year through fertigation
and it was on par with T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK /Palm/year,
T3: 900:450:900 g NPK/Palm/year through fertigation &
T7: 1200:600:2700 g NPK/Palm/year through soil application.
The pooled data of FFB yield differed significantly among
various treatments. The treatment T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK /
Palm/year through fertigation recorded the significantly higher
(8.36 t/ha) FFB yield as compared to other fertigation and soil
application treatments. The two years pooled data indicated
that the treatment T4:1200:600:1200 g NPK/Palm/year through
fertigation with 6 equal splits recorded higher FFB yield and
yield attributes. The higher FFB yield due to the application of
fertilizers along with micro-irrigation this will leads to the fertilizers
and water directly supply to the root zones of the oil palm, this
will leads to the quick absorption of fertilizers by roots of oil
palm. Hence there was no wastage of the fertilizers and water.
These present results were in conformity with the findings of
Narsimha Rao et al. 2011 and Masthana Reddy et al. 2009.
Economics
The gross return, net return and B:C of FFB yield of oil
palm significant difference among the various treatments as
presented in the Table 2. The fertigation treatment
T4:1200:600:1200 g NPK/Palm/year was recorded significantly
higher (` 58,535 ha-1) gross return as compared to other
fertigation and soil application treatments. A significant

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Effect of fertigation on yield and economics of .............................

Table 2. Influence of fertigation treatments on the economics of the difference was noticed in the net return of oil palm FFB yield
oil palm with respect to different fertigation treatments. Application
Treatments Cost of Gross Net B:C of 1200:600:1200 g NPK/palm/year through fertigation
cultivation return return recorded higher net return (` 32,378 ha-1) as compared to other
(` ha-1) (` ha-1) (` ha-1)
treatments except T1:300:150:300 g NPK/Palm/year through
T1 17,441 36750 19309 2.11
T2 20,347 38119 17772 1.87 fertigation. The fertigation treatments T4:1200:600:1200 g NPK/
T3 23,251 42631 19380 1.83 Palm/year recorded significantly higher B:C (2.24) as compared
T4 26,157 58535 32378 2.24 to other fertigation and soil application treatments except
T5 28,622 49007 20385 1.71 300:150:300 g NPK/Palm/year (2.11). The treatment T4
T6 32,321 38666 6345 1.20 :1200:600:1200 g NPK/Palm/year recorded higher gross return
T7 32,321 48606 16285 1.46 and net return and found to have better prospects for
S.Em+ 3960 2875 0.16 adaptation under Tungabhadra command area which can be
C.D.(0.05) 11649 8457 0.48 recommended for farmers adoption.
T1: 300:150:300 g NPK, T2: 600:300:600 g NPK,
T3: 900:450:900 g NPK, T4: 1200:600:1200 g NPK, The study over the years indicated that fertigation in Oil
T5: 1200:600:1800 g NPK, T6: 1200:600:2700 g NPK, palm with treatment T4:1200:600:1200 g N P2O5K2O/ palm/year
T7:1200:600:2700 g NPK in six equal splits at bi-monthly interval recorded higher Fresh
Note: T1 to T6 – Fertigation, T7 – Soil application Fruit Bunches yield and higher gross and net returns.

References
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Integrated Nutrient Management System for Sustainable Crop
Productivity and Soil Fertility, October, 4-24, 2001. Tamil
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Masthana Reddy, B. G., Patil, D. R., Pattara, Arulraj, S. and Hanama
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