| Popis: |
Over the last few years, GOPDC has turned to sustainable agriculture for all the plantations managed and supervised by the company. It has obtained permission to market organic oil, which involves using authorized products, particularly for fertilization. The main constraint lies in phytosanitary management faced with the risks of attacks by the pest Coelaenomenodera: this particular matter is not covered in this report; GOPDC called in our entomologist, R. Philippe, which explains the absence of an agronomy mission in 2001, at Mr. Rousseau's request. Mineral nutrition matters: plantation monitoring is based on leaf analyses in accordance with the usual rules (sampling, sampling method and date, etc.) that should always be respected. We gave a general talk on this subject to those in charge of these operations and a recent publication can be found in the annex. The study of the analysis results (current and trends) with respect to the fertilizers actually applied raises unusual difficulties, due to the switch to organic agriculture; indeed the time lapse between application of the fertilizing products (by products) and the taking of leaf samples varies substantially due to the fact that these applications are carried out on a continual basis throughout the year. However, this study does bring out the following: - In the NES: the K levels are holding up quite well, but the reactions are sometimes unexpected; consequently, management will be proposed at a sustained fertilizing level. - In the SMH: sometimes erratic trends in the K levels cannot be explained by past applications, particularly the absence of any application in 2001 with the general conversion to organic agriculture. The few young plantings are worth attention. - In the OG: the potassium nutrition situation is very poor on the whole; the fertilization theoretically applied a few years back is proving not to be very effective. It can be feared that production will be clearly affected; the figures are revealing and the low levels of FFB supplies (compared to the areas cultivated) are not unlinked to this situation, even if farmers do not deliver all their yields to GOPDC. GOPDC has also considerably improved collection and farmer accounts management to improve this state of affairs. The fertilization recommendations follow the same principles as in the past, proposing fertilizing rates based on the equivalent K content between MOP (which Gan no longer be used) and substitute products such as by products (mainly EFB, and also PKC, fibres) and a commercial product (Flanamat)1. In order to simplify NES management of these applications throughout the year, we propose applying a common EFB rate, for example (depending on soil types, which are delimited in the field) and that an additional deferred rate be applied (depending on availability) in the form of Flanamat (or another by product). For the SMH and OG the "organic" principle means that virtually only Flanamat can be used, at 5 and 14 kg/palm respectively. We do not have any information on the cost of Flanamat, so we are unable to judge its cost-effectiveness, particularly since no results are available yet on its agronomic effectiveness. Trial proposals Given the above comment, trials need to be set up in the plantations. The first (GHES01), concerns mature Plantings (Kwae) and the second (GHES02) immature Plantings (Okumaning). The protocols focus on the effectiveness of Flanamat: for K nutrition (mainly) compared to conventional fertilization in MOP form, but also EFB, on the one hand, and for general nutrition and growth in young plantings based on N requirements for calculation of the rates of the other fertilizing products used (Urea, Compound, PKC) on the other hand. The maps, procedures and observations to be carried out are detailed for each protocol. A nurse trial protocol is also proposed. General plantation management: - There are no particular problems at Kwae; we merely emphasize the need to start think |
