7 days after applying Bio-Organic fertilizer

After 7 days, white color fungi appeared.














6 weeks later, based on my observation, quality of oil content in the fresh fruit bunch improved and fresh fruit bunch are more reddish in color. From this experience, I noticed I should not apply this bio-organic fertilizer in the month of May, because the third quarter is drought season, it is insufficient of rainfall to induce the grow of fungi.

Introducing Bio-organic fertilizer in palm tree

I have heard a lot about apply organic fertilizer once a year to enrich the microorganism in the soil after long period of applying chemical fertilizer. 

The reason for stop me introduce in mine farm was the cost per bag. A normal branded 12-12-17 + 2MgO was cost RM124 (50Kg) per bags, whereas the branded bio-organic fertilizer were RM170 to RM190 per bags. 

Recently someone introduce me to Riches Harvest Bio-Organic fertilizer that made of natural resources and the cost is relatively reasonable. the content of this bio-organic fertilizer as follows:-

• Palm Kernel shell powder
• Palm Kernel cake
• Palm press fiber
• Effluent sludge
• Microorganism
• Enzyme
• Natural Mineral Contents
• Humid Acid
• coffee grounds

It is recommended to apply 5kg per tree. Instead I apply 1kg per 10 feet distance. Refer to the video below.

It was fortunate, after applying bio-organic fertilizer, heavy rain came. Unexpectedly, the bio-organic fertilizer does not wash away or dissolved.

Impact on excess Ammonium Sulphate (AS)

 On 2nd February 2012, I modifying the fertilize program by applying single element fertilizer - Ammonium Sulphate (AS) with approximate 900 to 1200 grams per tree rather than mixture of element fertilizer roughly 600 to 800 grams per tree mention earlier.

This approach, in theory, each plant should have same amount of AS element fertilizer applied relative to mixture of element fertilizer.

So theoretical speaking, the leaf will be softer and easy to harvest in coming harvest cycle.

Forth night later, strong wind and heavy rainfall that causes 40% of the palm tree leaves broken, and some even whole trunk fall down. I believe this is due to access apply of Ammonium Sulphate.

As long as the leave still intact with the plant, its' still fine, photosynthesis still take place, nevertheless it create difficulties on coming harvest. On the other hand, even the palm tree trunk fall down, it will take time to recover back to the norm.

Yield was not the same as before acquisition.

Business man talk "Money $$". This is the formula.

If the owner is selling the land to you, chances is the owner will not invest anymore in this land. The process of complete the Sales & Purchase Agreement may take few months.

As a business man, he will not waste anymore money in investing fertilize here and secondly, he will harvest as much as possible before handing over.

As a buyer, by visual observation, you though there are a lot of fresh fruit on the tree, and saving money on not applying fertilize immediately, it will be big mistake.

Does not matter whether the previous owner apply fertilize, apply it immediately. That is rule of thumb.

Essential Nutrient For Palm Oil

Nutrient uptake is low during the first year but increases steeply between year one and year three (when harvesting commences) and stabilizes around years five to six. Early applications of fertilizer, better planting material, more rigid culling has led to a dramatic increase in early yields in third to sixth years from planting. In regions without any serious drop in rainfall, yields of over 25 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per hectare have been achieved in the second year of harvesting.

Nitrogen deficiency is usually associated with conditions of water-logging, heavy weed infestation and topsoil erosion. Symptoms are a general paling and stiffening of the pinnae which lose their glossy lustre. Extended deficiency will reduce the number of effective fruit bunches produced as well as the bunch size.

Phosphorous deficient leaves do not show specific symptoms but frond length, bunch size and trunk diameter are all reduced.

Potassium deficiency is very common and is the major yield constraint in sandy or peaty soils. The most frequent symptom is "confluent orange spotting". Pale green spots appear on the pinnae of older leaves; as the deficiency intensifies, the spots turn orange or reddish-orange and dessication sets in, starting from the tips and outer margins of the pinnae. Other symptoms are "orange blotch" and "mid-crown yellowing". In soils having a low water holding capacity (sands and peats) potassium deficiency can lead to a rapid, premature dessication of fronds.

Copper deficiency is common on deep peat soils and occurs also on very sandy soils. It appears initially as whitish yellow mottling of younger fronds. As the deficiency intensifies, yellow, mottled, inter-veinal stripes appear and rusty, brown spots develop on the distal end of leaflets. Affected fronds and leaflets are stunted and leaflets dry up On sandy soils, palms recover rapidly after a basal application of 50 grams of copper sulphate. On peat soils, lasting correction of copper deficiency is difficult, as applied copper sulphate is rendered unavailable. A promising method to correct copper deficiency on peat soil is to mix copper sulphate with clay soil and to form tennis-ball sized “copper mudballs” that are placed around the palm and that provide a slow-release source of available copper.

Healthy, well selected seedlings are a pre-condition for early and sustained high yield. In most cases granular multinutrient compound fertilizers are the preferred nutrient source for seedlings in the nursery. Where sub-soil is used to fill the polybags, extra dressings of Kieserite may be required (10-15 g every 6 to 8 weeks). Where compound fertilizers are not available, equivalent quantities of straight materials should be used.

To maintain good fertilizer response and high yields in older palms (selective) thinning is often necessary.

Transplant Palm Tree from Nursery

Key sign to look for healthy palm tree from nursery is the leaf. A healthy palm tree is dark green color, age will be base on the leaf count, suggested is 8 leaf count, estimate age of the palm is 8 month old.

DXP is new species, it is highly recommended by the government. Check whether the right species you are buying. They should have a certificate issued the authorized.

Young palm tree is plant in a plastic bag, water retention is low, it is important to watering the plant in the morning and evening, before transplant to a permanent location.

To ensure a healthy grow, some of the activities are as follows:-

1. Soften the ground
2. Spread root enrich fertilize
3. Protect baby palm tree (proper fencing)
4. Sufficient fertilize
5. Prevent water logging.

It will take approximately another 30 months or 2.5 years, count from the day of transplant, to a first harvest. Any fruit produce during this period should be remove.

Why remove 1st round mutual fruit from young palm tree?

Any fresh fruit grow in the early stage is small and not economically. Why?

Business people only talk about Profit and Lost account. If the following formula is true, than it is worth to harvest, or otherwise.

(Fresh Fruit Weight / 1000Kg) X Fresh Fruit Price > Transport Cost + Labor Cost

The fresh fruit is approximate a palm size, weight may be range from 2 kilogram to 3 kilogram, as a result, an acre of land may yield less than 50 Kilogram per harvest cycle. Because it is a young tree, the palm oil collector may buy below the market price, you may end waste your own money.

Now a day, a lot of farm outsource everything, so this is the breakdown of their service charge as follows :-

1. Transportation Cost RM15 per tons
2. Harvest Cost RM28 per tons
3. Loading Cost RM22 per tons

To take note, the price may varies from location to location. So, you may end up paying the palm oil collector for their effort! Alternative, remove all fruits that is palm site from the palm tree make more sense. Another reason was make the palm tree grow stronger, so subsequent palm fruit will be bigger than your palm side, as show in the diagram above.

A grow up (5 years old to 10 years old) palm tree a fresh fruit can weight up to 20 kilogram per fruit, to certain extend, some of the fresh fruit may weight 60 kilogram.