Agronomic Practices and Macronutrients Status of Different Age Groups of Smallholder Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Plantations in Dibombari Sub-Division, Cameroon  

作　　者：James M. Kundu Godswill A. Asongwe Lawrence M. Ndam David T. Agbor Aaron S. Tening Raymond N. Nkongho James M. Kundu;Godswill A. Asongwe;Lawrence M. Ndam;David T. Agbor;Aaron S. Tening;Raymond N. Nkongho(Department of Agronomic and Applied Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon;Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon;Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey;Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon)

机构地区：[1]Department of Agronomic and Applied Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon [2]Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon [3]Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey [4]Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon

出　　处：《Agricultural Sciences》2023年第10期1444-1464,共21页农业科学（英文）

摘　　要：Oil palm is cultivated by agro-industries and smallholders for vegetable oil production. Good farm management practices with balanced soil and plant macronutrients are needed to attain optimum yields. Smallholder oil palm farmers of Dibombari Sub-Division, Cameroon, suffer from low on farm yields which could emanate from the agronomic practices implemented, which also has an influence on the soil and plant macronutrient status. This study provides information on the agronomic practices, soil and plant macronutrients status in smallholder oil palm fields. Structured questionnaires were administered to 200 farmers to collect data on their agronomic practices, using a stratified random sampling design. Soil and plants were sampled from plantations of different age groups (control, >0 - 4 years, >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations) in four locations of the Sub-Division (i.e. Dibombari-central, Bonamateke, Bomono and Nkapa) using a randomized complete block design. Data collected, was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that 65% of farmers planted Tenera variety, with majority of them below the standards for weeding (81%), fertilizer use (100%), pruning (62%), pest/disease control (90.5%) and harvesting (96%) practices. Soil macronutrients were low across the different plantations except P which was optimal at >0 - 4 years and >4 - 8 years’ plantations but low at >8 - 15 years’ plantation. Similarly, for plant macronutrients, N and P were optimal across the different plantations, while K and Mg were optimal at >0 - 4 years’ plantation but low at >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations. Thus, agronomic practices and macronutrient status of soil and plants were below standards in smallholder oil palm plantations of Dibombari, leading to low yields of fresh fruit bunches.Oil palm is cultivated by agro-industries and smallholders for vegetable oil production. Good farm management practices with balanced soil and plant macronutrients are needed to attain optimum yields. Smallholder oil palm farmers of Dibombari Sub-Division, Cameroon, suffer from low on farm yields which could emanate from the agronomic practices implemented, which also has an influence on the soil and plant macronutrient status. This study provides information on the agronomic practices, soil and plant macronutrients status in smallholder oil palm fields. Structured questionnaires were administered to 200 farmers to collect data on their agronomic practices, using a stratified random sampling design. Soil and plants were sampled from plantations of different age groups (control, >0 - 4 years, >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations) in four locations of the Sub-Division (i.e. Dibombari-central, Bonamateke, Bomono and Nkapa) using a randomized complete block design. Data collected, was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that 65% of farmers planted Tenera variety, with majority of them below the standards for weeding (81%), fertilizer use (100%), pruning (62%), pest/disease control (90.5%) and harvesting (96%) practices. Soil macronutrients were low across the different plantations except P which was optimal at >0 - 4 years and >4 - 8 years’ plantations but low at >8 - 15 years’ plantation. Similarly, for plant macronutrients, N and P were optimal across the different plantations, while K and Mg were optimal at >0 - 4 years’ plantation but low at >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations. Thus, agronomic practices and macronutrient status of soil and plants were below standards in smallholder oil palm plantations of Dibombari, leading to low yields of fresh fruit bunches.

关 键 词：SMALLHOLDERS Oil Palm Plantations Agronomic Practices Soil and Plant Macronutrients 

分 类 号：TP3[自动化与计算机技术—计算机科学与技术]