K2K Colombia (2019-2020)

Wageningen University works with CENIPALMA Colombia on increasing sustainability of oil palm production and processing as the knowledge to knowledge (K2K) component of the collaboration between the governments of the Netherlands and Colombia. The objective is to increase circularity of resource use on the field and in the mill. Land savings can be achieved by intensification of production on current land and by land sharing. Therefore the role of PPS is (1) to calibrate and validate PALMSIM for Colombia to assess potential and water limited potential yield for different oil palm growing areas as benchmarks for intensification; (2) to parameterize PALMSIM for a hybrid variety which is resistant against bud rot to assess differences in potential and water limited potential yields compared to current variety; (3) to investigate whether oil palm integration with crops or livestock occurs in Colombia and the contribution of such systems to for instance ecological and income resilience against bud rot or other shocks; and (4) to asses most efficient use of empty fruit bunches (with Wageningen Biobased Research).

Project output:

• Two MSc students (Lucas Mencke and Jochem Visser) are currently working on their thesis for this project.

Contact person: Maja Slingerland