SUGITO LOSO, SUDRADJAT, HARIYADI, SUDIRMAN YAHYA AND ATANG SUTANDI
Abstract
Oil palm is a plantation commodity that requires sufficient nutrients and drainage management to produce high productivity requires the application of good cultivation technology. The cultivation technology that needs to be applied in oil palm plantations is the role of several drainage methods and the proper level of inorganic fertilization. This research aims to study the role of several drainage methods and appropriate levels of fertilization to improve soil physical and chemical properties, morphology and physiology, and increase oil palm productivity. The experiment was carried out from October 2014 to December 2016 at the IPB-Cargill Oil Palm Education and Research Garden, Jonggol, Bogor, using a two factor separate plot design with three replications.The main plot is improvement of drainage consisting of natural conditions, biopore holes, drain ditches, and heap footprint. Subplots were fertilization doses consisting of 25, 50, 75, and 100% recommended doses. The recommended dosage is 500 g nitrogen (N) + 250 g phosphate (P) + 500 g potassium (K) plant-1 six months-1. The fertilizer rate at 2nd Year of experiment were : 1,000 g nitrogen + 500 g P + 1,000 g K plant-1 six months-1. The results showed that the biopore treatment and 100% recommended dose could increase the soil moisture content, the addition of fronds, the greenness of the leaves, and the stomata density. The interaction of biopore and 100% recommended fertilization rate was the best treatment combination to increase the productivity of oil palm which could produce 18.93 ton ha-1 year-1 fresh fruit bunch (FFB) at 46 months after planting.