This is a hands-on, practical guide to general and specific practices in oil palm nurseries to produce healthy, vigorous and uniform plants ready for field planting. There are two nursery stages, pre-nursery and main nursery. The pre-nursery receives both germinated seeds and tissue culture produced plantlets (ramets) which are planted in a relatively small area in which shade and humidity can be controlled. Once young plants are established they are transferred to the main nursery, potted-on and grown on to produce field-ready plants.
Good nursery practices, using sustainable approaches where possible, aim to provide high quality planting materials for both commercial production and field trialling. The book covers:
Nursery set up — pre-nursery and main nursery
Fertilizer programmes
Watering
Culling
Weeding
Pests and diseases
Pre-field genotypic screening and selection
Quarantine nurseries
This is an invaluable manual for commercial seed producers, nursery plant producers, commercial plantation companies and plant breeders, as well as researchers in oil palm. It is useful for those starting a career in oil palm production, and as a reference guide for managers and for training purposes.
