Description
Book SynopsisThe oil palm is the world's most valuable oil crop. Its production has increased over the decades, reaching 56 million tons in 2013, and it gives the highest yields per hectare of all oil crops. Remarkably, oil palm has remained profitable through periods of low prices.
Table of ContentsPreface to the fifth edition xxiv
Preface to the fourth edition xxv
Preface to the third edition xxvi
Preface to the second edition xxvi
Preface to the first edition xxvii
Acknowledgements xxix
Abbreviations xxxi
1. The origin and development of the oil palm industry 1
1.1 Origin of the oil palm 1
1.2 The oil palm in Africa 3
1.3 Development of the oil palm plantation industry 4
1.4 Development of the industry since 1950 6
1.5 Development methods 22
1.6 Trade in and use of oil palm products 26
2. The classification and morphology of the oil palm 30
2.1 Classification of oil palms 30
2.2 The African oil palm, E. Guineensis Jacq 30
2.3 The American oil palm, E. Oleifera (HBK) Cortes 49
2.4 The E. Guineensis X E Oleifera hybrid 51
3. The climate of the oil palm]growing regions 53
3.1 Temperature 53
3.2 Rainfall, evaporation and water balance 55
3.3 Radiation and its effects 61
3.4 Total climate and oil palm growth 63
4. The soils of the oil palm]growing regions 68
4.1 Soil classification in the equatorial tropics 68
4.2 Soil characteristics important for the oil palm 72
4.3 Soil characteristics unfavourable for oil palm 74
4.4 Histosols and peats 77
4.5 Soils of Asia 82
4.6 Soils of Africa 84
4.7 Soils of America 86
5. Growth, flowering and yield 89
5.1 Analysis of plant growth 89
5.2 Vegetative growth and partitioning of dry matter 100
5.3 Environmental and management factors 105
5.4 Flowering 116
5.5 Yield 127
6. Selection and breeding 138
6.1 History of selection 138
6.2 Techniques used in oil palm breeding and selection 156
6.3 Variation and inheritance 173
6.4 Methods of selection and breeding 187
6.5 Selection and breeding in practice 197
6.6 Oil palm improvement in the future 206
7. Vegetative propagation and biotechnology 208
7.1 History of oil palm tissue culture 208
7.2 Tissue]culture methods 209
7.3 Abnormal flowering, bunch failure and other problems 212
7.4 Clone testing 216
7.5 The future for oil palm clonal propagation 219
7.6 Other aspects of oil palm biotechnology 220
8. Seed germination and nurseries 225
8.1 Seed germination 225
8.2 Nurseries 233
9. Site selection and land preparation 240
9.1 Digital technology and the oil palm plantation 240
9.2 Choice of site for oil palm planting 240
9.3 Plantation layout 250
9.4 Field preparation 255
9.5 Uses and covers of interrows 270
10. The establishment of oil palms in the field 275
10.1 Planting in the field 275
10.2 Shortening the immature period 278
10.3 Spacing of plants in the field 278
10.4 Practical aspects of field establishment 288
11. Care and maintenance of oil palms 290
11.1 Care of palms and plant cover 290
11.2 Field mechanisation 301
11.3 Irrigation 303
11.4 Assisted pollination 307
11.5 Fruit bunch harvesting 307
11.6 Oil extraction ratio 317
11.7 Palm age and replanting 320
11.8 Site potentials and plantation management 321
11.9 Smallholder plantations 327
12. Mineral nutrition of oil palms 329
12.1 General principles of plant nutrition 329
12.2 Palm uptake systems 336
12.3 Nutrient deficiency and its control: field experiments 344
12.4 Nutrient deficiency and its control: visual symptoms and leaf analysis 351
12.5 Soil composition and plant nutrition 360
12.6 Practical systems for fertiliser assessment 363
12.7 Recycling and losses of nutrients 383
12.8 Deficiencies and toxicities in special and unusual soils 391
12.9 Practical management of fertilisers 393
13. Diseases of the oil palm 399
13.1 Diseases of germinating seeds 399
13.2 Seedling diseases 401
13.3 Adult palm leaf diseases and disorders 404
13.4 Stem and root diseases 408
13.5 Diseases of the bud or stem apex 429
13.6 Diseases of the bunches and fruit 434
13.7 Other abnormal conditions 435
13.8 Plant quarantine 435
14. Pests of the oil palm 437
14.1 Integrated pest management 439
14.2 Nursery pests 442
14.3 Leaf pests of immature palms: African spear borer 443
14.4 Stem damage to young palms 443
14.5 Leaf pests of mature palms 447
14.6 Stem pests of mature palms 451
14.7 Root pests: Oil palm root miner 453
14.8 Pests attacking fruit and bunches 453
14.9 Mammals and birds as pests 454
14.10 Insect vectors of diseases 458
14.11 Pests of other components of the oil palm agroecosystem 458
15. The products of the oil palm and their extraction 460
15.1 Palm oil products and their chemical structure 460
15.2 Nut composition 464
15.3 Oil synthesis and breakdown in the fruit 464
15.4 Extraction of palm products 465
15.5 Further processing of oil palm products 478
15.6 Other oil palm products 480
16. Marketing, economics, end use and human health 483
16.1 Palm oil marketing 483
16.2 Production costs 485
16.3 Uses of palm oil and PKO 487
16.4 Palm oil and human health 492
16.5 Conclusions 494
17. Oil palm and climate change 495
17.1 Climate change 495
17.2 The role of oil palm in climate change 498
17.3 Effects of climate change on oil palm 505
18. Biofuels 507
18.1 Biofuel from oil palm 507
18.2 Biodiesel from palm oil 510
18.3 Politics and ethics of biofuel production 514
18.4 Conclusion 518
19. Oil palm and sustainability 519
19.1 The need for sustainability 519
19.1.1 Campaigns against palm oil 519
19.2 Oil palm expansion and deforestation 523
19.3 Biodiversity in plantations 528
19.4 Social aspects of oil palm development 530
19.5 Palm oil and food supplies 532
20. Concluding remarks 535
20.1 Future demand for palm oil 535
20.2 Future yields 535
20.3 Sustainability 536
Reference list and index of citations 537
Index 627
