Response of Different Oil Palm Varieties Under Nutrient Management Strategies at Post-nursery Stage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38211/joarps.2026.07.338Keywords:
Elaeis guineensis, Integrated nutrient management, Poultry manure, Macronutrients, Seedling developmentAbstract
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is one of the most important crops for global palm oil production. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of integrated nutrient management (INM) practices on growth, physiological traits, and nutrient contents and uptake at the post-nursery stage. The study was carried out over a period of eight (8) months All data were analyzed using Statistix 8.1 software. A two-factor factorial ANOVA was used to test effects of treatment, variety, and treatment × variety interaction. The experiment comprised six nutrient management treatments using combinations of inorganic fertilizers (NPKMg) and poultry manure (PM) applied to three oil palm varieties, namely Deli × Lame, Deli × Lame #C, and Deli × Lame #S. The results showed that integrated nutrient management significantly affected all growth, physiological, and nutrient uptake parameters studied. Among the treatments, the application of 75% NPKMg + 25% poultry manure produced superior performance in terms of plant height (86.8 cm), number of leaves (11.3 plant⁻¹), stem diameter (14.2 cm), number of fronds per palm (6.6), and chlorophyll content (63.8) compared with the recommended dose of NPKMg alone or sole poultry manure application. Similarly, leaf area (134.2 cm²) and total dry matter accumulation (101.7 g plant⁻¹) were highest under the 75% NPKMg + 25% PM treatment. Among the tested varieties, Deli × Lame performed significantly better than the other varieties in most growth and physiological attributes. Leaf N and K concentrations as well as N and K uptake were highest under 75% NPKMg + 25% PM. Leaf P was highest under 25% NPKMg + 75% PM, while leaf Mg increased with higher PM proportion and peaked at 100% PM, reflecting the higher Mg content of organic manure and its gradual release pattern. It is concluded that the integration of 25% poultry manure with 75% inorganic fertilizer represents the most effective nutrient management practice for improving the growth and nutrient uptake of the oil palm variety Deli × Lame at the post-nursery stage. Field validation of the 75% NPKMg + 25% PM dose on mature Deli × Lame palms under coastal Sindh saline conditions is needed to assess long-term yield, soil health, and economic viability.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Allah Wadhayo Gandahi, Haseebullah Gadani, Muhammad Saleem Sarki, Hafeezullah Babar , Tanweer Fatah Abro
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