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From 2013 to 2019, we collaborated with partners SNV, IDH, K+S Kali and Johnson and Johnson on a research project on (better) management practices in Indonesian smallholder oil palm plantations. The project investigated the agronomic practices that smallholders implemented, assessed the nutritional status of plantations, and identified bottlenecks which stopped farmers from producing more bunches. In addition to the exploratory research on farmers' practices we carried out a pilot in 14 smallholder oil palm plantations in Indonesia. In these fields, we implemented better oil palm management practices, with a focus on nutrient application. We recorded the yields at every harvest, took samples of the soil and leaves, and measured the vegetative growth of the palms. We also had regular discussions with the farmers about the practices that they implemented. Our better practices resulted in some significant changes (for example in palm nutrient status and in the size of the oil palm bunches) but not in significantly better yields. Three important reasons were that the participating farmers already produced good yields, that the better practices were also implemented in the control plots (even though we asked farmers not to do so) and that El Niño strongly affected the yields in 2015 and 2016. The results of the research were presented in the thesis of Lotte Woittiez, which she defended on April 10th 2019. In addition, the work resulted in many other publications which are listed below. Project output:
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Better Management Practices in Indonesian smallholder oil palm plantations (2013-2019)
Begin
2013
End
2019
Crop
Oil palm
Description