Fertilizer is an important input in oil palm plantations and has to be managed efficiently for maximum returns. Fertilizer management constitutes the largest field cost item in well-run oil palm plantations in Malaysia. 30 - 50 % of production cost can go into the purchase of fertilizers alone. It is therefore essential for the planter to manage their fertilizer efficiently. 


Four Effective Tips in fertilizer management are : 

RIGHT FORMULATION 

Selecting the right formulation of fertilizer to deliver the nutrients is important. The choice of fertilizer is crucial because fertilizer makes up 30%-50% of the cost of production and not all generic formulations are the best choice. Therefore, choosing the right product with the right formulation is the first step that you should be considered. The best formulation to use depends on the plant’s demand, and plant age which it is estimated through leaf tissue sample testing, which provides the level of nutrients, categorized as macronutrients or micronutrients.


RIGHT RATE
Every plant has different nutrient requirements and varies for each age. It is important for us to know the nutrient requirement that is needed by plants because it will affect the yield later. So, proper fertilizer rates will ensure nutrient availability during important periods of the growing season. It is recommended for you to do foliar testing, soil testing and understand the agronomic conditions such as climate, terrain etc. before applying the fertilizer to avoid overfertilization and nutrient leaching below the root zone. The right rate of fertilizer application will result in good yield performance.

RIGHT TIME
Proper timing of fertilizers is important to make sure our plants received sufficient nutrients that match their nutrient requirements at all times. It also minimizes the risk of leaching and runoff losses. For Oil Palm, fertilizer application should be avoided during months with high rainfall of more than 250 mm per month and low rainfall of less than 25 mm per month, months with high rain days of more than 15 days a month, months with high rainfall intensity of more than 25 mm a day and periods when the soil is saturated after continuous rains. By doing this, the fertilizer applied will be fully taken by the plant and not be easily washed away.

RIGHT PLACE
Fertilizers should be applied in areas with maximum feeder root distributions to ensure good nutrient uptake and increase fertilizer efficiency. For Palm Oil, it is advisable to place the fertilizer at the palm base area, weeded circle around the palm and frond stacking. However, placement strategies need to take into account the characteristics of each fertilizer, oil palm root development, palm age, soil properties, weed management and rainfall distribution.