Mature Oil Palm Research Articles

Weed Community Changes Due To Herbicide Treatment In Mature Oil Palm Plantations

Stenochlaena palustris, commonly known as pakisan weed, poses significant challenges in oil palm plantations due to its highly invasive nature, which can lead to reduced agricultural productivity. Management of this weed is critical, as effective control measures can inhibit its dominance and promote the proliferation of alternative weed species, thereby enhancing biodiversity within the ecosystem. This study aimed to 1) assess the effectiveness of the herbicide ammonium glufosinate, in combination with an adjuvant, for controlling S. palustris in oil palm plantations, and 2) investigate the subsequent alterations in the weed community structure following herbicide application. We employed a randomised group design (RAK), incorporating the herbicide with added adjuvants. Results showed a clear change from S. palustris to Asystasia sp. as the dominant species. Treatments K and H had the most Asystasia sp., while treatment L had the least. Furthermore, we clearly compared treatments L, K, and S to the control treatment, emphasizing the emergence of diverse species within the treatment plots. However, low levels of diversity and evenness suggest a stressed weed community, indicating that the herbicide application can disrupt existing ecological balances. This study emphasizes the importance of assessing herbicide impacts not only on targeted weed species but also on broader community dynamics, revealing a significant research gap in understanding the long-term ecological consequences of herbicide use in oil palm plantations.

Relationship analysis between Ganoderma boninense-derived Basal Stem Rot disease severity with multiple leaf physiology parameters in mature oil palm tree responses toward water use efficiency (WUE)

Relationship analysis between Ganoderma boninense-derived Basal Stem Rot disease severity with multiple leaf physiology parameters in mature oil palm tree responses toward water use efficiency (WUE)

Resilience underground: Understanding earthworm biomass responses to land use changes in the tropics

Soil biodiversity, like terrestrial biodiversity, is currently under threat by changes in land use. Intensively managed farming activities with agrochemicals have degraded both soil biodiversity and health. However, little is known about how these changes in land use affect the distribution of earthworm biomass in Southeast Asia. We conducted earthworm sampling across multiple habitats, including lowland forests, exotic monoculture plantations (e.g., oil palm and rubber tree), and agroforestry orchards. To survey earthworm populations, we excavated the top 30 cm of soil at 18 sites encompassing 399 plots distributed across natural and human-modified ecosystems in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia. We found that earthworm abundance was negatively related to increasing soil compaction, leaf litter weight, soil pH, and undergrowth height, whereas it was positively associated with increasing undergrowth and canopy cover. Our findings demonstrated that agroforestry orchards, rubber tree plantations, and mature oil palm plantations had higher earthworm abundance than those in logged lowland forests. Earthworm abundance in unlogged lowland forests and young oil palm plantations, on the other hand, was lower than in logged lowland forests. Overall earthworm weight was greater in rubber tree plantations, agroforestry orchards, mature oil palm plantations, and unlogged lowland forests than those in logged lowland forests, while young oil palm plantations exhibited lower earthworm weight than logged lowland forests. Our data indicate that increases in soil compaction and leaf litter weight were associated with decreased earthworm weight. These results demonstrate the importance of site-level habitat management for maintaining healthy earthworm populations and soil biodiversity.

Evaluation of the Effect of Soil Water Conditions on the Development and Water Requirements of Adult Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in the Northern Region of Colombia

Sustainable water management is a key approach for enhancing the productivity of oil palm trees while addressing the impacts of climate change and variability. Determining the water needs of a crop is crucial for the appropriate application of water. This research was carried out in two plantations in Agustín Codazzi, Colombia, using a completely randomized design. This study involved examining the impacts of five different water conditions (50, 150, 300, 450, and 600 L per day) on the growth and yields of mature oil palm trees (aged 10–17 years), and their water consumption was calculated using the water balance method. The results indicated that the crop was negatively affected by daily water applications of 300, 150, and 50 L per day, showing statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) when compared to the 450 and 600 L per day treatments, particularly in terms of leaf emergence, leaf area index, and yield (tons per hectare). The 50 L per day treatment resulted in the most substantial decrease in yield (around 26%), primarily attributed to a reduction in the number of bunches. The most favorable crop responses were observed with water applications of 450 and 600 L per day, aligning with the crop’s potential evapotranspiration values (ranging between 5.4 and 5.7 mm per day) and yielding crop coefficients of 0.88 and 0.9, respectively. Notably, these values varied between dry and rainy seasons, peaking between December and March.

Combining spaceborne lidar from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation with local knowledge for monitoring fragmented tropical landscapes: A case study in the forest-agriculture interface of Ucayali, Peru.

Improving our ability to monitor fragmented tropical ecosystems is a critical step in supporting the stewardship of these complex landscapes. We investigated the structural characteristics of vegetation classes in Ucayali, Peru, employing a co-production approach. The vegetation classes included three agricultural classes (mature oil palm, monocrop cacao, and agroforestry cacao plantations) and three forest regeneration classes (mature lowland forest, secondary lowland forest, and young lowland vegetation regrowth). We combined local knowledge with spaceborne lidar from NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation mission to classify vegetation and characterize the horizontal and vertical structure of each vegetation class. Mature lowland forest had consistently higher mean canopy height and lower canopy height variance than secondary lowland forest (μ = 29.40 m, sd = 6.89 m vs. μ = 20.82 m, sd = 9.15 m, respectively). The lower variance of mature forest could be attributed to the range of forest development ages in the secondary forest patches. However, secondary forests exhibited a similar vertical profile to mature forests, with each cumulative energy percentile increasing at similar rates. We also observed similar mean and standard deviations in relative height ratios (RH50/RH95) for mature forest, secondary forest, and oil palm even when removing the negative values from the relative height ratios and interpolating from above-ground returns only (mean RH50/RH95 of 0.58, 0.54, and 0.53 for mature forest, secondary forest, and oil palm, respectively) (p < .0001). This pattern differed from our original expectations based on local knowledge and existing tropical forest succession studies, pointing to opportunities for future work. Our findings suggest that lidar-based relative height metrics can complement local information and other remote sensing approaches that rely on optical imagery, which are limited by extensive cloud cover in the tropics. We show that characterizing ecosystem structure with a co-production approach can support addressing both the technical and social challenges of monitoring and managing fragmented tropical landscapes.

Effect of the number of blades in palm oil chopping machine

A single hectare of oil palms may yield 10 tons of fronds annually, with young oil palms producing 40–56 fronds and mature oil palms producing 40–48 fronds. One kind of solid debris that comes from making palm oil is called palm oil fronds. A method is required to lessen palm frond waste because substantial volumes of it will still need to degrade. Waste palm fronds are reduced in size and broken down more quickly with the assistance of a chopping machine. But for slicing palm frond trash, the frond machines that are now in use are not the best. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether adding more blades to a chopping machine's cutting knife can enhance the chopping process. Two designs with 19 and 26 blades were manufactured and tested for the research, and the results were compared with the cutting knife design from the prior study, which had 24 blades. According to the test results, adding additional blades to the cutting knife will improve the machine's effective capacity by 14.22% and decrease the size of waste palm fronds and leaves, allowing the machine to operate more efficiently. In addition, reducing the size of palm fronds with more knives can make them easier to break down

COMPARISON OF ABUNDANCE OF RODENTS IN IMMATURE AND MATURE OIL PALM PLANTATIONS IN LAHAD DATU, SABAH

Regardless of palm age, rodents have been the main concern for oil palm planters. The present study examined the abundance of rodents in immature (1-3-year-old) and mature (18-20-year-old) oil palm plantations (FGVAS Sahabat 17) in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Over a period of 30 months, 150 cage traps were set in a 300-palm area for four consecutive nights each month for immature and mature palms, respectively. During the study, four rodent species, Callosciurus notatus, Rattus exulans, Rattus rattus diardii, and Maxomys whiteheadi were captured. In immature oil palm, R. exulans (53.59%) was the highest number recorded, and R. r. diardii (88.56%) was the highest number in mature oil palm. The total number of rats varied between immature and mature oil palms [t (54) = 7.392, p = 0.0001]. The ratio of the number of rodents captured in immature and mature oil palms was 4:1. There was a significant difference in the abundance of rats in immature and mature oil palms between the wet (U = 25.50, p = &lt; 0.0003) and dry seasons (U = 12.50, p = &lt; 0.001). This study identified the abundance of rodent species in immature and mature oil palm plantations as a baseline for rodent pest management. Keywords: Oil palm, rodent species, wet season, dry season, Lahad Datu.

Improvement of Soil Chemical Properties in Mature Oil Palm Plantations by Pruning and Immersing of Weeds as Cover Crops

Improvement of Soil Chemical Properties in Mature Oil Palm Plantations by Pruning and Immersing of Weeds as Cover Crops

Rat composition and population in mature oil palm adjacent to paddy field

Rat is one of the main pests in an oil palm plantation, impacted at various types and stages of oil palm growth. Ungkaya estate has a historical & endemic infestation of rats, especially in several fields adjacent to paddy fields. This study aimed to find out the seasonal migration of rats from paddy fields to oil palm fields in Ungkaya Estate. Five plots were used for trapping, identifying rat species, monitoring of rat population, rat damage intensity, and rat habitat preference at each stage of the paddy season. Trapped rats were identified as Rattus tiomanicus (56.91%), Rattus argentiventer (36.17%), and Rattus tanezumi (6.91%). The intensity of rat damage to the palm was high during the vegetative phase of paddy season and the full moon phase. The regression analysis results showed that the number of trapped rats has a positive relationship to rat damage intensity for the vegetative and harvesting stage at full moon. The number of trapped R. argentiventer at vegetative stage was higher than the generative & harvesting phase of the paddy season. Moreover, there were rat footprints observed on the riverside leading to the oil palm field. The results of all observation parameters concluded that there was seasonal migration of rats between the oil palm fields and the paddy fields in Ungkaya estate. The information is pivotal in drawing up suitable mitigation measures to control and minimize rat damage to the oil palm.

Factors regulating lignocellulolytic microbes, their degrading enzymes, and heterotrophic respiration in oil palm cultivated peatlands

Even though their role in mediating tropical peat decomposition and GHG emissions had been widely recognized, information concerning lignocellulolytic microbes, their degrading enzyme ability, and interconnection with soil physicochemical properties and peat heterotrophic respiration on mature oil palm plantation/OPP block level were rudimentary. This study evaluated the effect of sampling depth (0-30, 30-60, and 60-90 cm), OPP management zone (fertilization circle/FTC, frond stack/FRS, and harvesting path/HVP), and peat physicochemical properties on the lignocellulolytic bacteria and fungi, their degrading enzymes activities and peat heterotrophic respiration/Rh using principal component analysis/PCA, multiple linear regression/MLR, and generalized linear mixed effect models/GLMM. This study found that the soil microbiological and physicochemical properties varied widely. Dominant lignocellulolytic bacterial population and their cellulase enzyme activity were higher than fungi, regardless of sampling depth and management zone. PCA and GLMM analyses showed the significant importance of sampling depth and management zone in governing lignocellulolytic microbial population, their enzyme activities, and Rh. Microbial population and cellulase activity were also remarkably affected by the interaction of all studied factors. Peat chemical properties (pH and total Mn) controlled the natural variance of lignocellulolytic microbes and their enzymes, whereas total K regulate Rh. This study suggested that the research on microbiological-related GHG mitigation in OPP should be focused on managing the fungal population and cellulase enzyme activity at the peat surface (0-30 cm) and fertilization circle.

KERAGAAN TANAMAN KELAPA SAWIT MENGHASILKAN PADA LAHAN BEKAS TAMBANG BATUBARA

The research was on ex-coal mining land located in Kintap District, Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan Province, and the oil palm plantation located in Kelumpang Selatan District, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan Province. The increase in palm oil production in Indonesia is followed by increasing in the area of oil palm plantations every year. Arable land is limited, and a ban on opening new land for oil palm plantations affects oil palm companies to utilize existing marginal land for oil palm plantations. The research aims to find out and compare the growth and production of mature oil palm trees planted on ex-coal mining land and original mineral land. The study was conducted from March to April 2023 and used agronomic methods by determining sample blocks and collecting primary and secondary data. That data was obtainable by measuring trees in 2 ex-coal mining blocks and original mineral blocks. Each block consists of 30 sample trees. The data obtained were then analyzed using the t-test at a significance level of 5%. The results showed the stem circumference, number of fronds, and length of fronds on ex-coal mining land were significantly different from the original mineral land, and stem height, number of leaves, petiole width, petiole thickness, and production on ex-coal mining land didn’t show significant differences from the original mineral land.

Mapping Oil Palm Plantations Using WorldView-2 Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning Algorithms

Currently, remote sensing has been used extensively in the agriculture industry for oil palm monitoring due to their large plantation area. Oil palm monitoring can be done by performing land cover classification using various classification methods and machine learning algorithms. This study was conducted to perform oil palm mapping using WorldView-2 satellite imagery and classify land cover features using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF) and Linear Support Vector Classifier (LSVC). A total of 58609 sampling points were classified into six classes which are water, built-up, bare soil, forest, mature oil palm (≥9 years) and young oil palm (3-8 years). The training and testing samples were split using 3-fold cross-validation. 67% of the total sampling points were used for training samples whereas the other 33% were used for testing samples. The methods used to validate the data in this study is by using spectral reflectance and Google Earth Pro. Accuracy assessment was conducted after obtaining the classification output such as Overall Accuracy (OA), Kappa Accuracy (KA), Precision, Recall and F1-score. As a result, the oil palm mapping using RF has a higher accuracy than LSVC which is 72.49% for OA and 62.98% for KA. The p-value obtained from the McNemar’s test conducted in this study is 0.683 (>0.05) which concludes that the predictive performance of the two models are equal.

Wind regimes above and below a dense oil palm canopy: Detection of decoupling and its implications on CO2 flux estimates

In tall vegetation canopies, calm weather conditions may result in the formation of an isolated below-canopy air layer. Especially during night, below-canopy carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes may be concealed from above-canopy eddy covariance (EC) measurements, masking the magnitude of CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Particular attention to this “nighttime problem” needs to be paid in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantations, which can form a dense top canopy and which are grown in tropical regions where wind speeds are often low. Here, we investigated EC-based NEE measurements, wind and micrometeorological patterns, and LiDAR-derived terrain and canopy structure in a mature commercial oil palm plantation in the tropical lowlands of Jambi province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Over 3 years, we assessed the strength of turbulent and thermal mixing and tested five different methods to determine decoupling: (i) single-level (above-canopy) and (ii) two-level (above- and below-canopy) friction velocity (u*), (iii) above- and below-canopy standard deviation of the vertical wind (σw), (iv) bulk Richardson number (Rib), and (v) vertical turbulence intensity (ITurb). Our results show that decoupling is a common phenomenon in this plantation, with the two-level filters of σw and u* being most sensitive in its determination, showing ∼93% nocturnal decoupling. Decoupling is driven by the oil palm canopy structure, which develops a marked blocking layer at ∼10 m above the ground, high frequency of calm weather conditions, inverse temperature gradients and a terrain slope of 3° which was enough to create a thermally-induced drainage flow. Filtering NEE data, especially the two-level filters of σw and u*, challenged estimations of the plantation's CO2 balance due to high uncertainties in nocturnal respiration rates which could not be reduced by adding storage components to the measured fluxes highlighting the importance of additional below-canopy CO2 flux measurements, especially in such a weak-wind and dense-canopy tropical environment.

Transcriptomic responses of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) stem to waterlogging at plantation in relation to precipitation seasonality.

Global warming-induced climate change causes significant agricultural problems by increasing the incidence of drought and flooding events. Waterlogging is an inevitable consequence of these changes but its effects on oil palms have received little attention and are poorly understood. Recent waterlogging studies have focused on oil palm seedlings, with particular emphasis on phenology. However, the transcriptomic waterlogging response of mature oil palms remains elusive in real environments. We therefore investigated transcriptomic changes over time in adult oil palms at plantations over a two-year period with pronounced seasonal variation in precipitation. A significant transcriptional waterlogging response was observed in the oil palm stem core but not in leaf samples when gene expression was correlated with cumulative precipitation over two-day periods. Pathways and processes upregulated or enriched in the stem core response included hypoxia, ethylene signaling, and carbon metabolism. Post-waterlogging recovery in oil palms was found to be associated with responses to heat stress and carotenoid biosynthesis. Nineteen transcription factors (TFs) potentially involved in the waterlogging response of mature oil palms were also identified. These data provide new insights into the transcriptomic responses of planted oil palms to waterlogging and offer valuable guidance on the sensitivity of oil palm plantations to future climate changes.

Soil fertility evaluation and land-use effects on soil properties, carbon and nitrogen sequestration in the rainforest of Nigeria

This study investigates changes in soil properties, specifically soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), associated with different land use systems derived from forests in the rainforest zone of Nigeria. The land use systems examined include mature oil palm plantation (OP), bush fallow or secondary forest (BF), alley cropping with multi-purpose trees (AC), and continuous cassava cropping with and without fertilizer (FC and UC). Converting forests to cultivated land led to a decrease in SOC and TN content and storage across all soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-40 cm). In the top 0-10 cm depth, the average decrease in SOC and TN storage was 63% and 62%, respectively, while for 0-40 cm, the decrease was 48% and 46%, respectively, for all land use systems derived from forests. Furthermore, the study reveals that even after 5, 10, and 30 years of secondary forest regrowth (BF), alley cropping (AC), and oil palm plantation (OP), respectively, the fertility levels were not restored to those observed in the primary forest. These findings underscore the capacity of forest soils to conserve and enhance soil SOM (soil organic matter), which in turn plays an essential role in SOC sequestration, TN storage, and soil nutrient conservation.

Potassium and magnesium uptake and fertiliser use efficiency by oil palm at contrasting sites in Sumatra, Indonesia

The accuracy of fertiliser recommendations can be improved by knowledge of use efficiency of applied nutrients. The aim of this work was to determine the efficiency with which mature oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) recovers and uses fertiliser K and Mg under different environmental conditions in Sumatra, Indonesia. The work was carried out in seven factorial fertiliser trials (NPKMg) at sites with contrasting soils, slope and rainfall (1500–3500 mm annual average). We recorded the palms’ fresh fruit bunch yield (weekly), vegetative growth and nutrient content (annually), and soil properties (once during the study) over three years. Nutrient content of the above-ground palm components was calculated by multiplying concentration by biomass. Palm responses to K and Mg application were analysed at non-limiting values of the other nutrients. Fresh fruit bunch yield was significantly increased by application of K in five of the seven sites (by 4.8–11.9 t ha−1) and by Mg in two of the seven sites (by 7.2–12.3 t ha−1). Application of these fertilisers also significantly increased growth and nutrient content in most situations. Nutrient use efficiency declined with increasing yield and nutrient uptake. In the five sites with most positive yield responses to K, agronomic efficiency of K and Mg differed between sites due to differences in recovery efficiency. Recovery efficiency was correlated positively to soil K, Mg and silt content and rainfall, and negatively to slope and soil moisture deficit. In contrast, physiological efficiency of K and Mg use was similar across sites, despite differences in palm age and planting density. It thus appeared that physiological efficiency was determined by genotype and that variation in agronomic efficiency was mostly a result of differences in recovery efficiency.

High-resolution global mature and young oil palm plantation subclass maps for 2020

ABSTRACT Accurate high-resolution maps of oil palm plantations underpin effective management of environmental and socio-economic impacts at global, regional, and national levels. However, young industrial and highly irregular small-holder plantations are mostly unmapped and not included in official FAO statistics. This issue is addressed here by discriminating global oil palm plantation in 2020 into four subclasses: Industrial Mature Oil Palm (IMOP); Industrial Young Oil Palm (IYOP); Smallholder Mature Oil Palm (SMOP); and Smallholder Young Oil Palm (SYOP). Data, resolved to 4.77 m, from Planet & NICFI, Sentinel-1/2, were combined with other layers using the image-oriented classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm which performed best in classification tests. Results show that SMOP dominates distributional extent, but it was also the most accurately mapped subclass typically found at 500–1000 m altitude. IMOP had the most extensive altitude range of 500–1300 m, while IYOP and SYOP were found at similar altitudes of 500–800 m and 500–900 m respectively. Recent developments in South East Asia show oil palm plantations expanding into new areas with a slope of 24 degrees. Results provide data to support Sustainable Development Goal by assisting future oil palm-related development planning and monitoring in the world's major oil palm-growing countries.

Estimating oil-palm Si storage, Si return to soils, and Si losses through harvest in smallholder oil-palm plantations of Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract. Most plant-available Si in strongly desilicated soils is provided through litter decomposition and subsequent phytolith dissolution. The importance of silicon (Si) cycling in tropical soil–plant systems raised the question of whether oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) cultivation alters Si cycling. As oil palms are considered Si hyper-accumulators, we hypothesized that much Si is stored in the above-ground biomass of oil palms with time. Furthermore, the system might lose considerable amounts of Si every year through fruit-bunch harvest. To test these hypotheses, we analysed Si concentrations in fruit-bunch stalks, fruit pulp and kernels, leaflets, rachises, and frond bases of mature oil palms on eight smallholder oil-palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. We estimated Si storage in the total above-ground biomass of oil palms, Si return to soils through decomposing pruned palm fronds, and Si losses from the system through harvest. Leaflets of oil-palm fronds had a mean Si concentration of &gt; 1 wt %. All other analysed plant parts had &lt; 0.5 wt % Si. According to our estimates, a single palm tree stored about 4–5 kg Si in its total above-ground biomass. A smallholder oil-palm plantation stored at least 550 kg Si ha−1 in the palm trees' above-ground biomass. Pruned palm fronds returned 111–131 kg of Si ha−1 to topsoils each year. Fruit-bunch harvest corresponded to an annual Si export of 32–72 kg Si ha−1 in 2015 and 2018. Greater Si losses (of at least 550 kg Si ha−1) would occur from the system if oil-palm stems were removed from plantations prior to replanting. Therefore, it is advisable to leave oil-palm stems on the plantations, e.g. by distributing chipped stem parts across the plantation at the end of a plantation cycle (∼ 25 years).

Oil Palm Plantation and Plant Species Diversity in Kolaka District, Indonesia

Knowledge of the types of plant species in the world continues to progress even though there are still many plant species whose types and benefits are not yet known. These plant species concentrate in an area both in residential areas, pastures, agricultural land, and plantation land. The research aims to identify plant species in mature oil palm plantation areas in Kolaka Regency by selecting Watubangga and Tanggetada subdistricts as survey locations and has been carried out from January to August 2022 by dividing the mature oil palm area into 3 villages in each subdistrict as research samples. The results of the survey and identification were analyzed using the summed dominance ratio formula to determine the level of dominance of plant species in controlling growth facilities. The findings of plant species in mature oil palm plantation areas in Watubangga Subdistrict, Polenga Village (highest-Cyperus rotundus L. 3.0738%, lowest-Solanum torvum Sw. 1.8637%), Kastura Village (highest-Brachiaria miliformis 4.1470%, lowest-Euphorbia hirta L 1.5057%), Kukutio Village (highest-Pennisetum purpureum Schumach 3.8447%, lowest-Chromolaena odorata (L.) King. 1.6317%). Tanggetada Subdistrict, Pundaipa Village (highest-Asystasia coromandeliana Ness 3.8541%, lowest-Cyrtococcum acrescens 1.4968%), Tinggo Village (highest-Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. 4.9256%, lowest-Chromolaena odorata (L.) King 1.6079%), Oneeha Village (highest-Pennisetum purpureum Schumach, 3.8447%, lowest-Chromolaena odorata (L.) King. 1.6317%). This finding can be concluded that each area of mature oil palm plantations has several different and varied plant species and there are invasive plants that can eliminate native plants such as Chromolaena odorata (L.) King. and Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv.

Mechanical weeding enhances ecosystem multifunctionality and profit in industrial oil palm

Oil palm is the most productive oil crop, but its high productivity is associated with conventional management (that is, high fertilization rates and herbicide application), causing deleterious environmental impacts. Using a 22 factorial experiment, we assessed the effects of conventional vs reduced (equal to nutrients removed by fruit harvest) fertilization rates and herbicide vs mechanical weeding on ecosystem functions, biodiversity and profitability. Analysing across multiple ecosystem functions, mechanical weeding exhibited higher multifunctionality than herbicide treatment, although this effect was concealed when evaluating only for individual functions. Biodiversity was also enhanced, driven by 33% more plant species under mechanical weeding. Compared with conventional management, reduced fertilization and mechanical weeding increased profit by 12% and relative gross margin by 11% due to reductions in material costs, while attaining similar yields. Mechanical weeding with reduced, compensatory fertilization in mature oil palm plantations is a tenable management option for enhancing ecosystem multifunctionality and biodiversity and increasing profit, providing win–win situations.