Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Greener Journal of  Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2 (8), pp.412-423, December 2012

 ISSN: 2276-7770 

Research Paper

Manuscript Number:110912264

 

      Conceptualization of Info- Crop Oil Palm Nutrient Modeling In Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research

                                                            

^*Okpamen U. S., Uwumarongie-Ilori E.G., Okere R.A., Imoisi O.B. and Okolo E. C.

       

Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR, P.M.B. 1030 Benin City, Edo State

 

*Corresponding Author’s Email: okpamens @ yahoo. com

Abstract:

Following the expensive cost in running fertilizer trials, it is increasingly difficult to fund most agronomical projects and in order to reduce cost, save available time and improve on existing data information pool, the idea of info crop-oil palm nutrient sourcing, processing and transformation into a require models is now an issue in oil palm industry. This work review areas of interest done by Universities and Research institutions in Nigeria on the growth and development of oil palm. It represents advancement in the Info-Crop oil palm nutrient modeling and its application to oil palm (Elaeis guineensis L.) growing in diverse tropical environments. The model is based on the regression analysis of oil palm nutrient data computed to predict various crop nutrients, especially the oil palm in tropical and subtropical regions. The Info Crop-oil palm nutrient models were validated with data compiled from approved studies, comprising agronomical and nutritional experiments conducted in Nigeria (NIFOR) and Malaysia (MPOB) between 2001 and 2008 in diverse locations. The treatments included nutrients and varieties of oil palm. Time of first harvest varied between 3 and 4 years, leaf production varied from 8 to 15 fronds year-1 and yield ranged from 9000 to 18,465kg wt ha-1 year-1. The regression coefficients used for validation were generated from field experiments conducted during the same period. Model validation performance was by using SPSS statistical package with known conventional procedures. Parameters evaluated were soil nutrients and climatic elements of the oil palm belts, its zoning and yield output performances across fields of the main station. It was established that field measurements had an experimental error of 10-15% and wide variation existed within treatments. The models reported in the final results adequately explained the effects of nutrients applied and agro-climatic conditions at varying periods for only the agro-climatic zone investigated, simulated potential yields varied from 16 to 24,000kg wt ha-1 year-1 and between 4 to16 bunches per palm stand (Nigeria) and 6 to 19 bunches per palm stand (Malaysia), depending on environmental and managerial influences. We established therefore that info Crop oil palm nutrient modeling could be used to increase the performances of agronomic experiments for rapid prediction of oil palm nutrient requirements and yields across the zones when properly developed and adopted in fields and plantations.
 
Keywords: Info Crop, Info Nutrient -modeling, Regression coefficients, efficiency, agronomic experiment and validation.

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