Elaeis Guineensis Research Articles

Land-use effects on leaf-litter breakdown in streams in a tropical lowland catchment

The expansion of oil palm and cattle grazing in the tropics continues to alter numerous ecosystem functions. The generated land-use change is potentially impacting stream leaf-litter breakdown, a fundamental process for freshwater ecosystems. To assess the effect of land-use change, we studied breakdown rates of forest (Pachira aquatica, Pouroma aspera, Sloanea ampla, and Hippocratea volubilis) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaves after a 26-day immersion in streams surrounded by rainforests, grazing lands, or oil palm plantations with and without riparian buffers. In addition, we assessed breakdown drivers by deploying litter bags (248) of two mesh sizes (15 mm and 0.5 mm) allowing or restricting macroinvertebrates’ access (134 coarse-mesh bags and 114 fine-mesh bags). Forest leaf breakdown by microbes (fine-mesh) was lower by 55% in the plantations compared to forests; while microbial oil palm-leaf breakdown was lower by 32% in the unbuffered plantations compared to forests (p < 0.05). Total litter breakdown was lower (p > 0.05) in the plantations but not when these preserved riparian buffers. Litter breakdown was driven primarily by microbes in all land uses except in the buffered plantations, possibly due to increased shredder biomass. These results suggest that oil palm agriculture may decrease microbial stream leaf-litter breakdown, especially in streams with no riparian buffers.

Overview of the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as food and feed – A critical review

Overview of the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) as food and feed – A critical review

Genotypic effects on accelerated propagation of oil palm breeding materials selected (Elaeis guineensis jacq.) using somatic embryogenesis

Vegetable oil production from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an important industry due to the rising demand every year. The somatic embryogenesis culture can propagate oil palm duplicate as parent plant, which can be selected as breeding material to produce new planting germplasm with high production or disease resistance. This study aims to evaluate the genotypic effect of somatic embryogenesis, while immature leaflets were employed as explants. The culture used embryo induction medium based on Murashige and Skoog (MS) modifications that contained 5 ​mg/L Naphthalene Acetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 ​mg/L Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP). The genotypic effect was statistically significant in the percentage of callus induction, producing somatic embryos, and germination embryos. In this study, we successfully cloned thirteen oil palm genotypes (GE-02, GE-03, GE-06, GE-07, GE-09, GE-23, GE-24, GE-27, GE-28, GE-32, GE-33, GE-34, and GE-35), with the highest number of somatic embryos formed on GE-27 with a percentage of 70.1%. The cloning was successful in accelerating the propagation of oil palm for materials breeding programs to create new varieties with high production and disease resistance. It is necessary to observation the performance of these clones in the field in terms of mantle flower appearance.

Effect of Baculovirus oryctes concentration on mortality of Oryctes rhinoceros L.

One of the key plantation crops in Indonesia, particularly in the expanding Riau region, is oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). The frequent attacks by Rhinoceros beetles (Oryctes rhinoceros), are the greatest barrier to oil palm development in Riau region. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which puts an emphasis on ecologically friendly controls one of which uses the entomopathogen Baculovirus oryctes, is the preferred control strategy. This study sought to determine the optimal suspension concentration of Baculovirus oryctes infected larvae on the mortality of the Oryctes rhinoceros beetle. The treatment given was concentration of Baculovirus oryctes suspension of, 0 ml.500 ml−1 water (0 x 106 PIBs.ml−1), 40 ml.500 ml−1 water (6 x 106 PIBs.ml−1), 50 ml.500 ml−1 water (7.6 x 106 PIBs.ml−1), 60 ml.500 ml−1 water (9.3 x 106 PIBs.ml−1) and 70 ml.500 ml−1 water (9.6 x 106 PIBs.ml−1). The results showed that the suspension concentration of 70 ml.500 ml−1 water (9.6 x 106 PIBs/ml) is the best trend concentration because it generates the fastest initial time of death which is 180 hours, lethal time 50 for 288 hours after application and total mortality of 70.83%. The conclusion is that Baculovirus oryctes can be used to kill rhinoceros beetle Oryctes rhinoceros best at a concentration of 70 ml.500 ml−1 water (9.6 x 106 PIBs ml−1).

Histological study of the mammary gland of lactating albino Wistar rats treated with oil palm sap as galactagogue

Background: Population of mothers’ resident in Southeastern Nigeria often use the juicy oil palm sap from African (Elaeis guineensis) palm tree commonly called Palm Wine as galactagogue to boost milk production in lactating women. This study investigated the effects of oil palm sap on the histology of mammary gland in lactating rats. Method: Twenty primiparous female albino wistar rats were used and randomly divided into four groups (n=5, each). The rats in the treated groups received a daily administration of oil palm sap through orogastric method at a dose of 10ml/kg. The positive and negative control groups received 5mg/kg of metoclopramide and 2.5mg/ kg of bromocriptine, respectively while the normal control group received 0.5 ml distilled water. The mammary glands of lactating rats were harvested and fixed with 10% formalin for routine histological procedures and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and viewed under light microscope. Result: Histological analysis showed that oil palm sap induced the development of the lobuloalveolar system of the mammary glands. Conclusion: This study scientifically validates the galactagogue properties of oil palm sap and justifies the traditional use of this plant extract to boost milk production in lactating women.

Changes in Soil Chemical Properties and Growth of Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) with Comparative Composition of Plant Media

One of the benefits of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) waste can be processed into bokashi as a planting medium for oil palm nurseries. The research aims to: Determine changes in soil chemical properties due to the comparison of planting media, and obtain the best ratio of planting media to the best seedling growth in Main-Nursery. The research was conducted in Koto Panjang Ikur Koto Village, Koto Tangah District, Padang City. The study was conducted in January-April 2022. RAL design (completely randomized design) with 4 treatments and 6 replications. One experimental unit consist of 3 polybags of plants so there are 72 polybags of plants. Treatment: A = Control (Without Bokashi OPEFB), B = Topsoil: Bokashi OPEFB (1:3), C = Topsoil: Bokashi OPEFB (1:1), and D = Topsoil : Bokashi OPEFB (3:1). The results showed: Treatment B or Topsoil : Bokashi OPEFB (1:3) is the best, cause increase in soil chemical properties: pH 1.17 units; C-organic 1.98%; N-total 0.11%; P-available 4.01 ppm; K-dd 0.48 me/100g; Mg-dd 1.42 me/100g; and Ca-dd 2.67 me/100g. OPEFB bokashi application was significantly different to increase the plant height, not significant to wet weight and dry weight of the plant.

Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Bacteria Isolated from the Gut of the Larvae of African Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis)

The indispensability of plastics in everyday life has made the search for environmentally sustainable alternatives to these nonbiodegradable polymers more earnest. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of biodegradable, biocompatible plastics comprising of polyesters of R-hydroxyalkanoic acids. They are accumulated intracellularly as polymeric granules upon cultivating several gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in nutrient-limiting conditions. Hence, the objective of this paper is to investigate the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates by bacteria isolated from the gut of the larvae of African Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis) using agricultural-waste substrates. Two bacteria isolated from the gut of polystyrene-fed R. phoenicis larvae were utilized for the production of PHA using brewery waste, bean hull, cassava peel and palm pith, as substrates. The bacteria were identified as Lysinibacillus macriodes and Pantoea dispersa. Isolate P. dispersa accumulated PHAs ranging from 0.89- 1.44 g/L from agricultural waste and 4.24 g/L from glucose, equivalent to 30.8%-46.7% and 71.9% yields respectively. L. macrolides, accumulated PHAs ranging from 1.11-1.50 g/L from agricultural waste and 3.89 g/L from glucose equivalent to 40.4%-48.1% and 69.2% yields respectively. The isolates can be desirable candidates for PHAs production under optimized conditions.

Characterisation and expression analyses of two putative cerato-platanin proteins isolated from Ganoderma boninense Pat.

Cerato-platanin (CP) proteins are small extracellular proteins that play essential roles in the plant-pathogen interactions of some economically important filamentous fungi. At present, there is a lack of information about the roles of CP proteins secreted by Ganoderma boninense, the causal agent of basal stem rot disease in African oil palm, during the early host-pathogen interaction. This work studies the properties and roles of two CP proteins from G. boninense strain PER71. Using bioassay-guided fractionation and nano-LC-MS/MS analysis, we identified peptide matches for G. sinense ZZ0214-1 CP-like and other elicitor proteins in the culture filtrate of G. boninense strain PER71. We found that GbCP2 and GbCP6, two out of nine CP gene models identified in the fungal genome of G. boninense strain PER71, exhibited potential effector properties. We further validated their effector properties by isolating and characterising their coding regions. Interestingly, GbCP6 showed a significant expression level at 11 days post inoculation, indicating its significance in fungal pathogenesis. On the other hand, GbCP2 did not show differential expression at any sampling point, suggesting a different function or role in the pathogenicity of G. boninense. This study identifies GbCP6 as a potential biomarker for early detection of basal stem rot disease in oil palm.

Development of new high-yielding planting material based on performance of 38 oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Dura × Pisifera families

Development of new high-yielding planting material based on performance of 38 oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Dura × Pisifera families

The Effect of Soaking Zeolite Stones and Activated Charcoal on the Survival of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) Raised in Oil Palm Plantation Wastewater (Elaeis guineensis)

Ikan nila merah merupakan salah satu jenis ikan air tawar yang memiliki tingkat toleransi lingkungan yang luas, termasuk pada lingkungan dengan toksisitas tinggi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan mengevaluasi pengaruh perendaman batu zeolit dan arang aktif terhadap kelangsungan hidup ikan nila merah yang dipelihara di air limbah perkebunan kelapa sawit. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode eksperimen RAL (Rancangan Acak Lengkap) dengan 4 perlakuan dan 3 ulangan. Perlakuan perendaman yang digunakan adalah P1 tanpa dosis/kontrol/10 L air limbah, P2 dengan takaran zeolit dan arang aktif dengan perbandingan 50 gr : 50 gr/10 L air limbah, P3 dengan takaran zeolit dan arang aktif. arang dengan perbandingan 100 gr:100 gr/10 L air limbah, dosis P4 zeolit dan arang aktif dengan perbandingan 150 gr:150 gr/10 L air limbah. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis dengan menggunakan uji Anova dan Duncan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perendaman pada batu zeolit dan arang aktif berpengaruh terhadap kelangsungan hidup ikan nila merah. Kelangsungan hidup tertinggi terdapat pada perlakuan P3 dengan hasil 90±10b, disusul P4 dengan hasil 83,33±5,77b, kemudian disusul P2 dengan hasil 76,67±5,77b, dan kelangsungan hidup terendah terdapat pada P1 dengan hasil 76,67±5,77b. hasil 66.67±5.77a.Kata Kunci: Nila merah, kualitas air, zeolit, arang aktif, kelangsungan hidup.

Towards an Annually Updated Oil Palm Age Database (OPAD) with Multimodal Remote Sensing Features: Design and Preliminary Result

The cultivation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is globally significant, particularly in tropical regions, due to the diverse applications of palm oil and palm kernel oil. This necessitates precise monitoring for sustainable management amidst escalating demand. This study aims to develop an annually updated Oil Palm Age Database (OPAD) using multisource remote sensing data to predict the oil palm age, a critical factor affecting productivity and environmental sensitivity. By comprehensively analyzing multisource remote sensing data from 1982 to 2023, this study establishes OPAD and validates its reliability using a random forest classifier. The findings reveal the relationship between remote sensing data features and changes in the oil palm age, offering insights into sustainable management practices. The results indicate an overall accuracy of 86.86 ± 0.92% for grouped age (i.e., seed (1-2 years), young (3-8 years), teen (9-14 years), mature (15-25 years), and post-mature (over 25 years)), with features such as GEDI forest height, ScanSAR HH SAVG, Planet NIR, and Planet Blue being instrumental in age prediction. Integrating optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and canopy height data enables effective age prediction, which is essential for optimizing management strategies, assessing yield potential, and mitigating environmental impacts.

Detection and quantification of splicing variants of Hd3a gene in oil palm

Alternative splicing is a complex process that contributes to the generation of diverse mRNA and protein isoforms, including in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Despite their importance, many functions of alternative splicing genes remain poorly characterized. This study aims to investigate splicing variants of gene encoding Heading date 3a in E. guineensis (EgHd3a) using the GenBank database and ClustalW algorithm. To ensure the data accuracy and reliability of design isoform‐ specific primers, special emphasis is given to primer design techniques and validation using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real‐time (qRT)‐PCR analysis. The designed primers demonstrated high specificity and discrimination between mRNA specimens. Nucleotide variations at the 3’‐end influenced the specificity of primers with the addition of GC composition. Furthermore, qRT‐PCR analysis revealed a strong correlation between Ct values and gene concentration for the isoforms which indicates a reliable amplification of EgHd3a. Although two isoforms, Hd3a‐X2 and Hd3a‐X3, showed slightly higher than acceptable PCR efficiency values, caution is advised to prevent non‐specific amplification. Despite the challenge posed by the limitation of primer positioning due to alternative splicing, the chosen primer proved optimal for analysis. This study highlights the importance of considering alternative splicing in gene quantification experiments and provides insights into the critical steps, methods, and quality control measures necessary for accurately detecting alternative splicing events, contributing to understanding this complex biological process.

Combining modeling and experimental approaches for developing rice-oil palm agroforestry systems.

Monoculture systems in South East Asia are facing challenges due to climate change-induced extreme weather conditions, leading to significant annual production losses in rice and oil palm. To ensure the stability of these crops, innovative strategies like resilient agroforestry systems need to be explored. Converting oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) monocultures to rice (Oryza sativa)-based intercropping systems shows promise, but achieving optimal yields requires adjusting palm density and identifying rice varieties adapted to changes in light quantity and diurnal fluctuation. This paper proposes a methodology that combines a model of light interception with indoor experiments to assess the feasibility of rice-oil palm agroforestry systems. Using a functional-structural plant model of oil palm, the planting design was optimized to maximize transmitted light for rice. Simulation results estimated the potential impact on oil palm carbon assimilation and transpiration. In growth chambers, simulated light conditions were replicated with adjustments to intensity and daily fluctuation. Three light treatments independently evaluated the effects of light intensity and fluctuation on different rice accessions. The simulation study revealed intercropping designs that significantly increased light transmission for rice cultivation with minimal decrease in oil palm densities compared with conventional designs. The results estimated a loss in oil palm productivity of less than 10%, attributed to improved carbon assimilation and water use efficiency. Changes in rice plant architecture were primarily influenced by light quantity, while variations in yield components were attributed to light fluctuations. Different rice accessions exhibited diverse responses to light fluctuations, indicating the potential for selecting genotypes suitable for agroforestry systems.

Effects of Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) Oil on Performance, Thermotolerance, and Welfare of Broiler Chickens in Heat Stress Condition

Heat stress negatively affects the broiler chickens’ productivity and well-being. This study was carried out to assess the effect of dietary palm oil inclusion on the growth performance, thermotolerance, biochemical parameters, and welfare of broiler chickens raised in tropical climates. A total of 500 broiler chickens aged 15 days were divided into four treatments, each consisting of five replicates with 25 chickens per replicate in a randomized design. The control group was fed a standard diet without palm oil (T), and the remaining diets contained palm oil at the inclusion levels of 1% (P1), 2% (P2), and 3% (P3). During the 4 weeks of experimentation, daily temperature and relative humidity in the poultry house were measured by thermo-hygrometers, and growth performance was weekly recorded. At 45 days old, six broiler chickens were slaughtered with measurements taken for carcass compositions and intestinal length. At 42 days of age, blood samples were collected for the Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) hormones, biochemical profiles, and Heterophil: lymphocyte (H/L) ratio assessment at the Regional Center of Excellence on Avian Sciences. Gait abnormality and litter quality were assessed at 38 days of age. The results indicated that the incorporation of 1% palm oil improved the growth performance of chickens compared to other groups. Similarly, the concentrations of T4 and T3 were higher in the 1% palm oil group. Triglycerides and total protein concentrations were higher in the broiler chickens of the control group, compared to other treatment groups. The dropping weight and gait score decreased with the increasing rate of palm oil. The results suggest that palm oil can be a beneficial dietary supplement for broiler chickens, particularly under heat-stress conditions. The incorporation of 1% palm oil contributes to the improvement of growth performance and the well-being of broiler chickens in tropical climates. However, it is crucial to consider the appropriate level of palm oil inclusion, as higher levels may have adverse effects, such as increased mortality. Keywords: Energy, Feeding strategies, Heat stress, Palm oil, Welfare

The socioecological benefits and consequences of oil palm cultivation in its native range: The Sustainable Oil Palm in West Africa (SOPWA) Project

Agriculture is expanding rapidly across the tropics. While cultivation can boost socioeconomic conditions and food security, it also threatens native ecosystems. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), which is grown pantropically, is the most productive vegetable oil crop worldwide. The impacts of oil palm cultivation have been studied extensively in Southeast Asia and – to a lesser extent – in Latin America but, in comparison, very little is known about its impacts in Africa: oil palm's native range, and where cultivation is expanding rapidly. In this paper, we introduce a large-scale research programme – the Sustainable Oil Palm in West Africa (SOPWA) Project – that is evaluating the relative ecological impacts of oil palm cultivation under traditional (i.e., by local people) and industrial (i.e., by a large-scale corporation) management in Liberia. Our paper is twofold in focus. First, we use systematic mapping to appraise the literature on oil palm research in an African context, assessing the geographic and disciplinary focus of existing research. We found 757 publications occurring in 36 African countries. Studies tended to focus on the impacts of palm oil consumption on human health and wellbeing. We found no research that has evaluated the whole-ecosystem (i.e., multiple taxa and ecosystem functions) impacts of oil palm cultivation in Africa, a knowledge gap which the SOPWA Project directly addresses. Second, we describe the SOPWA Project's study design and—using canopy cover, ground vegetation cover, and soil temperature data as a case study—demonstrate its utility for assessing differences between areas of rainforest and oil palm agriculture. We outline the socioecological data collected by the SOPWA Project to date and describe the potential for future research, to encourage new collaborations and additional similar projects of its kind in West Africa. Increased research in Africa is needed urgently to understand the combined ecological and sociocultural impacts of oil palm and other agriculture in this unique region. This will help to ensure long-term sustainability of the oil palm industry—and, indeed, all tropical agricultural activity—in Africa.

Analysis of Pollen in Stingless bee (Meliponula ferruginae [ Moure]) Honey, an Indicator of Deforestation Levels at University of Ilorin and its Environs

Pollen analysis of the honey of stingless bees was conducted to ascertain the levels of deforestation in the campus of the University of Ilorin, North Central Nigeria. Thirteen honey samples from the nests of Meliponula ferruginae in four different localities, with varied deforestation levels, in the University of Ilorin Agro-Ecological areas were analysed. Pollen grains were identified and counted under high power light microscope. Species diversity assessed using Shannon diversity index, species richness and dominance of the floral origin of the pollen were calculated using PAST Software. A total of 43 pollen types belonging to 26 families, and a fungal spore, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, were recovered. Twenty-four pollen types were recovered from samples from Bolounduro and Oyun, both slightly disturbed agro-ecological areas; 14 pollen types were from the Senior Staff Quarters, a slightly disturbed agro-ecological area bordered with date palm plantation and twenty-six pollen types were from Jalala, a highly disturbed agro-ecological area. The most dominant pollen types namely Hymenocardia acida, Lannea sp., Elaeis guineensis, Alchornea sp., Vitellaria paradoxa, Entada abyssinica and Parkia biglobosa indicated that the study area was Guinea savanna. The honey samples from the slightly disturbed localities yielded pollen of open/secondary forest while those from the highly disturbed locality yielded an array of the pollen of economic plants and herbs characteristic of anthropogenic disturbance. The honey samples from all the sites showed high diversity of pollen types. Polyflora honey with high Shannon-Weiner Diversity index and monoflora with low Shannon-Weiner Diversity index were observed in all the sites except at Bolounduro where monoflora with high Shannon-Weiner Diversity index was observed.

Polystyrene degradation by bacteria isolated from the larvae of &lt;i&gt;Rhynchophorusphoenicis&lt;/i&gt;

The larvae of insects of the order Coleoptera have been reported to biodegrade plastics aided by their chewing mouthparts and the activities of their gut biota. However, there is no report of this ability by the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis). This study aims to the ability of R. phoenicis larvae to biodegrade polystyrene (PS). A total of 100 R. phoenicis larvae were fed for 21 days with PS foam, and afterwards, the gut contents of survivors were investigated for possible PS-degrading bacteria. Bacterial isolates were screened for PS biodegradation in an Erlenmeyer flask with PS film as the sole carbon source, in a mineral salt medium (MSM) at a temperature of 30oC and a pH of 7, for a period of 28 days. The isolates were used for biodegradation assay under the same conditions, for 60 days. The weight of PS films was determined before and after the biodegradation assay. Chemical changes in the films were confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Two bacterial isolates were recovered from the gut of the only surviving R. phoenicis larvae fed with 100% PS. The isolates were identified based on their 16S rRNA sequences as Lysinibacillus macriodes and Pantoea dispersa with accession numbers OQ652017 and OQ652023 respectively. The isolates caused an 8.8% reduction in the weight of PS film and FTIR spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of groups suggestive of degradation products with the carbonyl group showing up as absorption peaks in the range of 1640-1760 cm-1 and the hydroxylic group at 3000-3700 cm-1 . The isolates were able to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) equivalent to 1.4g/L, under PS degradation conditions. Therefore, coupling the biodegradation of PS with PHAproduction could be useful for the valorization of PS waste.

Endophytic Bacteria Induce Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Production in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis).

Thiamine or vitamin B1 is a micronutrient that has a crucial function in all living organisms and involved in several biochemical reactions. Concerning the capability of thiamine in inducing plant health, a study was carried out by applying bacterial endophytes (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia cultures) in four-month-old oil palm seedlings (Elaeis guineensis) via soil drenching technique to evaluate the effect towards thiamine. Spear leaves were sampled day 0 to 14 to analyse the expression of gene coding for the first two enzymes thiamine biosynthesis pathway, THI4 and THIC via qPCR analysis. The gene expression by qPCR showed a significant increase of up to 3-fold while high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis for quantification of thiamine and its derivatives accumulated ~ 20-fold in total thiamine when compared to control seedlings. However, concentration of thiamine metabolites was negatively correlated with the expression of THIC and THI4 gene transcripts suggesting post-transcriptional regulation mediated by an RNA regulatory element, a thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) riboswitch. Our findings demonstrated that the application of bacterial endophytes affected thiamine biosynthesis and enhanced overall thiamine content. This might increase the plant's resistance towards stress and would be useful in oil palm maintenance for maximum yield production.

Elaeis guineensis Jacq.waste-derived as an supercapacitor electrode material with low cost and environmentally friendly

The increasingly rapid development of environmentally friendly porous activated carbon (AC) materials has attracted the attention of researchers. Moreover, the material can be produced from organic waste which is abundantly available. This time, porous active carbon based on green material (palm frond waste) has been successfully prepared and characterized. The application of more efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective, methods and production instrument has been optimized in this research. Integrated pyrolysis with carbonization (N2; 600 °C) and physical activation (H2O; 800 °C) produces activated carbon with a high purity level of up to 80 %. Through reviewing N2 gas absorption, it was confirmed that palm frond AC has a specific surface area of 356 m2 g−1, with a rough morphological structure and very rich surface nanopores. Furthermore, XRD characterization confirmed the purity of carbon through good amorphorosity properties with the presence of two wide peaks at diffraction angles of 22-24° and 42-44°. These findings show that the development and innovation of activated carbon production that is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective from palm frond waste is capable of producing active carbon with extraordinary physical characteristics. This palm tree AC has high potential for developing applications such as as an absorption material in air purifiers and water purifiers. Apart from that, these extraordinary characteristics also make palm frond AC suitable for use as electrode material in components of energy storage devices, supercapacitors with specific capacitance 86 F g−1.

Soil Fertilization with Palm Oil Mill Effluent Has a Short-Term Effect on the Bacterial Diversity of an Amazonian Agricultural Land Area.

Palm oil derived from the fruits of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. has global economic importance and is largely produced in tropical regions. The palm oil production process leads to a highly polluting waste called palm oil mill effluent (POME). A strategy commonly used by producers to overcome environmental issues and to improve soil fertility is the reuse of POME as a fertilizer due to the chemical and biological characteristics of the effluent. In this research, three groups were analyzed: soil without POME application (control group) and soil samples after 4 and 9 days of POME application. An environmental DNA metabarcoding approach was used. eDNA was extracted, and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced in the Illumina MiSeq platform. The abundance of Proteobacteria (48.1%) and Firmicutes (9.0%) was higher in fertilized soil, while Bacteroidetes (20.3%) and Verrucomicrobia (7.8%) were more abundant in control soil. Additionally, the effluent seemed to modify soil characteristics favoring taxa responsible for the mineralization of organic compounds and nitrogen fixation such as species of Gammaproteobacteria class. Our study highlights the influence of POME on soil biological components and contributes to the sustainable production of palm oil in the Amazon.