Land Suitability Evaluation for Oil Palm (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Elaeis guineensis&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Jacq.) in Coastal Plains of Southwest Cameroon

Georges Kogge Kome,Francis Brice Tedou Silatsa,Fritz Oben Tabi,Roger Kogge Enang

doi:10.4236/ojss.2020.107014

Abstract

Declining yields in oil palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB) have been recorded over the past years in the coastal lowlands of southwest Cameroon and current actual yields are very low (−1•yr−1) compared to the potential yields (25 t FFB ha−1•yr−1). One of the problems limiting optimum oil palm production is lack of detailed pedological information to guide plantation establishment and management. A land suitability evaluation was carried out for some major oil palm producing areas of southwest Cameroon to identify land qualities limiting optimal production. Thirteen sites (9 with sedimentary parent materials and 4 with volcanic parent material) were evaluated using a parametric method. Results indicate that climate was not a major limiting factor for oil palm production in coastal plains of southwest Cameroon. However, soil physical characteristics (mainly clayey texture and poor drainage) and soil fertility constitute limitations to oil palm production. Specifically, limitations in cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), organic carbon (OC) and pH were slight to moderate while K mole fraction was the most severe and the most limiting in all the sites. The fertility limitations were more pronounced in soils derived from sedimentary parent materials where 33% had limitations caused by soil pH and OC compared to none for volcanic soils. In addition, 77.8% of sedimentary soils had limitations caused by CEC compared to 25% for volcanic soils. Considering the overall suitability, soils derived from volcanic parent materials were potentially more suitable for oil palm cultivation ((S3)—50%, (S2)—50%) compared to sedimentary soils ((N)—11%, (S3)—78% and (S2)—11%). Based on the suitability classes of the different soils derived from dissimilar parent materials, appropriate site-specific soil management is needed to improve oil palm yields, especially with emphasis on K fertilization and improved soil water management. Plantation management in coastal plains of South West Cameroon therefore should factor in differences in soil parent material.

Highlights

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most productive oil crop in terms of oil yield per hectare and resource use efficiency due to its high ability at transforming solar energy into vegetable oil
It has been reported that soil acidification in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea as influenced by chemical fertilizers or inherently acidic parent materials can have significant negative effects on oil palm yields, but if well managed, acidic soils can produce relatively high oil palm yields [20]
The relationship between base saturation (BS) and soil pH indicates that BS increases with an increase in soil pH, a classical relationship observed in soils

Summary

Introduction

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the most productive oil crop in terms of oil yield per hectare and resource use efficiency due to its high ability at transforming solar energy into vegetable oil. The optimal yield of palm oil is about 4.2 t∙ha−1∙year−1, and can exceed 6.0 t∙ha−1∙yr−1 in the best-managed plantations [1]. Soil fertility management in oil palm plantations has been identified as a key to successful and sustainable oil palm production [3]. With respect to oil palm cultivation, land suitability assessment studies have been carried out both intensively and extensively in Southeast Asia and parts of South America, and it is reported that more than 95% of oil palms are grown on highly weathered and acidic tropical soils having a low fertility status [4]. If oil palm production has to be sustained, detailed soil fertility investigations coupled to land suitability assessment need to be carried out

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