PALM OIL
taxonomy
Division : Embryophyta Siphonagama
Class: Angiosperms
Order: Monocotyledons
Family : Arecaceae (formerly called Palmae)
Subfamily: Cocoideae
Genus: Elaeis
Species: Elaeis guineensis Jacq
Morphology
Root
The oil palm is a monocotyledonous plant that has no main root. The radicles (roots) in the seedlings continue to grow downward for six months at a time and their roots reach 15 meters in length.
Stem
Oil palm plants generally have unbranched stems. In early growth after the seedling stage, the formation of stems occurs and widens without elongation of the internodes (segments). The growing point of the oil palm stem is at the top of the stem, immersed in the leaf crown, is cabbage-shaped and delicious to eat.
Leaf
Oil palm plants have leaves (fronds) that resemble bird or chicken feathers. Two rows of very sharp, hard spines form at the base of the leaf sheath on both sides. The infant leaves (leaflets) are arranged in two rows up to the leaf apex. In the middle of each leaf child a stick is formed as a leaf bone.
Flowers and Fruits
Oil palm plants that are three years old have started to mature and begin to produce male or female flowers. Male flowers are oval in shape, while female flowers are slightly round.
Seed
Each type of oil palm has a different seed size and weight. African dura seeds are 2-3 cm long and weigh an average of 4 grams, so in 1 kg there are 250 seeds. Dura deli seeds weigh 13 grams per seed and African tenera seeds weigh an average of 2 grams per seed.
Scatter
Oil palm is distributed in 26 provinces in Indonesia. Riau province has the largest area of oil palm plantations with 2.89 million hectares in 2021 or 19.16% of the total area of oil palm plantations in this country.
Habitats
The oil palm can grow in various types of soil. The characteristics of good soil for oil palm are loose, well aerated and drained, rich in humus and not having a rock layer. Oil palm plants are suitable for cultivation at a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Rainfall below 1250 mm/year is already a growth limit, because a water deficit can occur, but if rainfall exceeds 2500 mm/year it will affect the pollination process so the possibility of abortion of male and female flowers is higher. A good altitude for planting oil palm is between 0 and 500 m above sea level with a slope of 0 to 3%. The planting medium commonly used by oil palm plantations is subsoil soil, because the dry soil in Indonesia is dominated by subsoil soil that has developed further, so seedling growth is not optimal.
Benefit
Coconut fiber and husk
Coconut fiber and husks are waste by-products after the extracted part of the oil palm fruit is converted into crude palm oil, also known as crude palm oil (CPO). Several benefits of palm oil, namely, counteracting the effects of free radicals, strengthening the body's immunity, maintaining brain health, preventing and overcoming vitamin A deficiency, improving heart health
EMPTY BED
Empty fruit bunches can be used as compost and organic fertilizer, especially because they contain elements of potassium (K), which is very important for the growth of oil palms.
Fronds and leaves
Palm fronds and leaves are also not spared from a myriad of benefits. The parts that are often considered insignificant and end up as waste are usually piled up around the trees or even burned. In fact, the study found that oil palm leaves and fronds have great potential to be used as composting material.
Tree
One of the innovations of oil palm processing is the basic material for furniture. Replanted logs can be used as laminated boards or sandwich laminated timber (SLL) for flooring, wall panels, packaging, furniture, etc.
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