Potential of Biomass from Felled Trees in the Oil Palm Replanting Program as a Raw Material for Ready-to-Eat Cattle Feed

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the potential and develop strategies for using the biomass of old oil palm tree cuttings in the oil palm replanting program in smallholders as a source of feed raw materials for producing ready-to-eat animal feed. This observation research was carried out for three months in the people's oil palm plantation center in the Purnama Kempas area of Jambi Province, Indonesia. Selection of five samples of old oil palm trees that have entered the replanting period using a systematic sampling technique and data analysis of field measurements using a simple mathematical approach carried out in stages. The estimation results show that the potential for fresh biomass of animal feed ingredients for each hectare of old oil palm plantations in the replanting program reaches 56.76 tons of biomass consisting of 41.52 tons of fresh pith (73.15%) and 15.24 tons of green palm fronds (28,85%). The potential of this biomass is more than 4.23 times compared to the ability of a hectare for one year of productive oil palm plantations to provide fresh forage between plants, namely, 13.37 tons/ha, which means that tree biomass because of the replanting program can substitute for the availability of forage between coconut trees, producing palm oil for more than four years. However, because of the simultaneous harvesting process, it must be done under collectively planned management, such as in the form of a village corporation.