Abstract

Abstract
Studying oil palm root distribution, especially the distribution of fine roots, and its
response to different management practices could give a better management
approach for the oil palm plantation, particularly for the efficiency of fertilizer
application. The aim of our study was to observe root distribution of oil palm in
response to short term change of nutrient availability caused by change in fertilizer
application as well as the differences caused by long-term management.

Abstract
Indonesia has been the world’s largest producer of palm oil since 2008. In Indonesia oil
palm development is strongly linked to economic prosperity for an increasing number
of people, alongside demand for additional and limited (non) farmland. The increased
adoption of oil palm cultivation by smallholders and their systematically lower yields
compared to governmental and private plantations offers an enormous challenge to
understand how smallholder yields could be improved, and how unlimited expansion in

Abstract
Potassium has been known to affect the stomatal movement of palms, especially during drought
stress. Previous studies have observed midday closure of oil palms stomata during the dry
season and some studies in other crops showed that potassium has a role in widening the
stomatal aperture. In this research, we would like to know whether being potassium sufficient
could widen the opening of oil palm stomata and avoid photoinhibition of photosystem II
during drought stress. A pilot study was done beforehand to observe the difference of