Checking the quality of your leaf analysis data

Introduction

Fertilizer costs (materials, application) represent more than 80% of variable costs in a plantation. To achieve the maximum economic yield, it is therefore important that the recommended application rates for each fertilizer in every planted field is as close as possible to the site's nutrient requirement.

As a guide for the preparation of fertilizer recommendations, most oil palm plantations rely on leaf analysis, in combination with field assessments and an analysis of historical trends in leaf nutrient status, nutrient inputs, and yield.

Considering the cost of mineral fertilizer inputs, however, agronomists should take the precaution of making crosschecks on the laboratory to confirm that the variabilities within a single batch or between different batches is indeed due to differences in palm nutrient status, and not due to errors in laboratory analysis. It is only possible to carry out crosschecks if dried and ground leaf samples have been submitted to the laboratory for analysis. We recommend that each estate of >100,000 ha purchase a leaf grinder so that this can be carried out.

Procedure

First, using normal sampling procedures, collect sufficient Frond #17 leaflets from healthy palms to produce 10 kg of dried, ground leaf material. This sample then becomes the standard estate sample (SES) and should be thoroughly mixed and stored in an airtight glass container in a refrigerator. Ten samples from the SES should be submitted to a reputable laboratory to determine reference values for all future standard analyses.

Whenever leaf samples are submitted to the laboratory for analysis, include ten SES as a crosscheck. These SES samples should be indistinguishable, in terms of labelling, from the normal samples. When the results are available from the laboratory, enter the results from the SES samples in a spreadsheet and check for variability (Table 1).

Table 1. Mean, standard deviation, and cofidence intervals for a batch of 10 standard estate samples (SES).

Thus, if the leaf analysis result for a particular block was 2.3 %N, based on the SES analysis the true value lies between 2.3 +/- 0.06, or 2.24–2.36. If the critical N% level is 2.36 we must conclude that Block 23 is not deficient.
Similarly, if the leaf analysis result for a particular block was 1.3 %K, based on the SES analysis the true value lies between 0.9 +/- 0.042 or 0.858-0.942. If the critical K% level is 0.95 we may conclude confidently that Block 23 is deficient.
In the above example, the variability for the test samples is rather small.

PALMS AND MAINTENANCE

1. Once planted, palms and its environment will require regular periodic attention to ensure proper development of the cultivar. For purposes of administration and accounting, the maintenance of palms and fields are treated in two stages, immature and mature.


2. Immature is defined as the period between planting and harvesting and can vary from 26m - 36m and during this time will require a high level care and attention available.


3. Palms are considered mature once they are harvested and all aspects of field/plant husbandry must be attended to periodically or as indicated to ensure continued satisfactory developemnt and optimum yields.


4. It is useful to know in advance what work shoul be carried out and the timing of such operations to ensure that the palms and its environments receive the required attention. These can be summarised as follows;-
   

The foregoing covers almost all operations generally necessary to maintain palms/fields in agriculturally acceptable condition and should ensure optimum growth and yield throughout the life span of cultivar.

(Detail discussion will be given later).

PENUAIAN

Tujuan

1. Penuaian ialah proses mengambil buah matang (Buah Tandan Segar) untuk mengekalkan kualiti minyak sawit dan kernel. BTS perlu dihantar ke kilang dalam masa 24 jam untuk mengurangkan peningkatan ‘Free Fatty Acid’ yang mana akan mengurangkan kualiti minyak yang akan diperah.
2. Pokok kelapa sawit akan mengeluarkan hasil yang maksimum apabila menjangkau usia 8 tahun penuaian sehingga usia 12 tahun. Walaubagaimanapun, pengeluaran buah akan menurun bila mana memasuki usia 14 tahun penuaian.
   

Peralatan

a. Pokok kelapa sawit muda (tinggi pokok kurang 4 meter)

• Pahat (4 – 5 inci lebar) disambung pada batang paip besi.
• Batu pengasah.
  

b. Pokok tinggi melebihi 4 meter

• Sabit penuai.
• Batu pengasah.
  

Kaedah kerja

• Sebelum kerja-kerja penuaian dimulakan, jalan, lorong tuaian dan ‘task’ mestilah disediakan. Bulatan keliling pokok mestilah bersih untuk memudahkan proses mengutip biji lerai. Disamping itu, pokok-pokok merayap seperti kekacang penutup bumi perlu dibersihkan daripada pokok.
• Bagi penuaian menggunakan pahat (pokok berumar kurang 7 tahun), 2 pelepah dibawah tandan perlu ditinggalkan untuk mengekalkan bilangan 48 pelepah/pokok. Penuai perlu ‘mencuri’ buah daripada pelepah. Ini penting untuk mengekalkan Indek Keluasan Daun (LAI)
• Bagi penuaian menggunakan sabit (pokok berumur lebih daripada 7 tahun), penuai mestilah membuat pemangkasan menuai Buah Tandan Segar.
  

Persediaan sebelum menuai

a. Mengkasi

• Mengkasi ialah proses membuang bunga jantan dan betina dimana bertujuan untuk menggalakkan tumbesaran pokok dan mengagihkan nutrien yang diperlukan untuk proses pembesaran bunga tandan.
• Mengkasi dilakukan sebaik sahaja pokok kelapa sawit mengeluarkan bunga sebanyak 3 pusingan selang 45 hari.
  
  

Kos/Upah

Bagi keluasan ladang seluas 250ha yang belum dikasi, seramai 4 orang pekerja digunakan untuk membuat pengkasian dan dibayar secara borong.

Rm 8/ha/pusingan.

RM8 x 249ha = RM1992 (untuk orang)

KOS SEORANG PEKERJA

RM1992 ÷ 4 orang = RM498

RM498 seorang/pusingan



b. Persiapan ladang.

I. Bulatan keliling pokok.

• Meracun bulatan dilakukan sebanyak 4 pusingan setahun untuk memudahkan kerja mengutip biji lerai.
  

II. Lorong menuai

• Lorong menuai perlu di racun 2 – 3 bulan sebelum mula menuai.
  

III. Task

• Setiap task mengandungi 200 – 250 pokok dan dikira 2 – 3 bulan sebelum mula menuai. Sempadan task ditanda dengan cat merah pada pokok.

IV. Jambatan/titi

• Ini penting dikawasan berpaya atau berair. Ia penting untuk mengeluarkan Buah Tandan Segar ke platform buah.
  

V. Platform buah

• Platform buah ialah tempat dimana buah dilonggok oleh penuai sebelum diangkat kedalam traktor mini oleh ‘loader’
  

VI. Jalan

• Apabila pokok mula mengeluarkan bunga, semua jalan-jalan utama dan jalan subsidiari perlu diselenggara untuk menampung berat buah yang diangkut oleh traktor dan traktor mini.
  

VII. Peralatan

• Pahat
• Sabit
• Kereta sorong
• Guni baja (untuk isi biji lerai)
• Batu pengasah
• Besi ‘loader’

Sistem Kerja Penuaian

Diantaranya ialah mengamalkan sistem “fix task” dimana setiap blok di bahagikan kepada beberapa ‘task’. Penuai diundi untuk memilih ‘task’. Bilangan penuai untuk satu-satu blok bergantung kepada keluasan sesuatu blok.

Pengiraan tenaga kerja yang diperlukan

Jumlah luas kawasan matang _______________________________________________________
Luas kawasan yang dituai sehari x jarak pusingan yang diperlukan

• Penuai akan menuai BTS di ‘task’ masing-masing seperti yang telah dipersetujui semasa memilih undi dan mengutip biji lerai pada masa yang sama. BTS yang telah dituai akan dikumpulkan di platform buah menggunakan kereta sorong yang dibekalkan oleh pihak ladang. BTS tersebut akan di angkut kedalam traktor mini oleh ‘loader’ dan dikumpulkan kedalam traktor yang diletakkan di jalan utama.
• Ini bertujuan untuk mengelakkan daripada traktor masuk kedalam jalan subsidari dan ini boleh menyebabkan kerosakan jalan tersebut

Gaji Loader

• Setiap traktor mini dinaiki oleh 2 orang. Mereka dibayar mengikut jumlah tan metrik BTS yang diangkut kedalam traktor.
• RM5/tan metrik
  

Gaji Penuai

• Gaji penuai dibayar bergantung kepada jumlah tandan yang dituai dan harga tandan. Harga tandan bergantung kepada usia pokok.
  
  Jumlah tandan x harga setandan
  
  Usia pokok Harga setandan
  Kurang 3 tahun RM0.19
  Kurang 5 tahun RM0.20
  Lebih 5 tahun RM0.21
  
  
• Setiap penuai mempunyai nombor masing-masing dan ditulis pada tandan bersama jumlah tandan yang dituai
• ‘Loader’ akan merekod jumlah tandan yang dituai oleh penuai dan menghantar kepad penyelia blok. Penyelia akan merekod kedalam borang penuaian untuk mengira jumlah gaji seseorang penuai.
  

Tahap Buah Masak

• Buah Tandan Segar (BTS) boleh dikira masak apabila buah bertukar warna daripada warna gelap kepada warna oren kemerah-merahan atau terdapat sekurang-kurangnya sebiji biji lerai daripada soket tandan.
• Pada peringkat ini, BTS sudah boleh dituai kerana buah berada pada tahap masak yang optimum dan kadar perahan minyak akan tinggi. Walaubagaimanapun, tahap kemasakan buah bergantung kepada sesebuah syarikat.

Jarak Pusingan

• Apabila terdapat biji lerai dipangkal pokok, itu menandakan masa menuai sudah tiba. Jarak pusingan ialah:

1) Musim Puncak/buah banyak (sekitar bulan 8 – 1)

Pusingan 1 Pusingan 2 Pusingan 3
Haribulan 1 _______Haribulan 10 ______Haribulan 20

Haribulan 30

2) Musim Buah Kurang

Pusingan 1 Pusingan 2
Haribulan 1 __________Haribulan 15

Haribulan 30

• Jarak pusingan menuai adalah penting dalam menentukan keuntungan sesebuah ladang. Jadual diatas adalah contoh jarak pusingan menui. Oleh sebab itu, jarak pusingan hendaklah dititikberatkan.
• Ladang hendaklah mengamalkan jarak pusingan minimum10 hari dan maksimum 15 hari. 10 hari adalah jarak normal, tetapi tidak boleh melebihi 15 hari kerana buah untuk pusingan seterusnya akan menjadi terlalu masak dan akan menyebabkan berlakunya biji lerai yang berlebihan. Dengan bertambahnya bilangan biji lerai akan meningkatkan kos.
  
  Harga seguni biji lerai
  
  RM2/guni baja

SOIL

CLEARING METHOD (FROM RUBBER)

Objective

To clear the old rubber stand from the land for replanting with oil palm

Policy

To fell the old stand by chain-saw rather than to uproot by buldozer. Uprooting should only considered under special circumtances.

Introduction

The contract for felling, clearing and burning is normally given to a reliable experience contractor. The old stand is either fell by chainsaw or uprooted by buldozer fitted with a front-mounted tree dozer. Burning is carried out 8 to 10 weeks after felling.

In areas close to a big town, a brick kiln, a charcoal kiln or where there is a ready demand for rubber wood, it is possible to carry out felling, clearing and burning at no cost or even at a profit to the estate.

Under such a circumstances, the contractor is allowed to take away the rubber timber. Any rubber timber, whici is not taken away, is burned.

Depending upon the demand for rubber wood, on top of free felling, clearing and burning, the contractor has even paid up to RM5,000/ha. to the estate.

Recommendation

A. Contract

When an area is due for replanting, a suitable felling contractor should be engaged as early as possible.

In drawing up agreement, the following clauses should also be included:-

1. details of felling, clearing and burning procedure.
2. commencement and completion dates.
3. agreed rate for felling, clearing and burning.
4. agreed rate (if any) for rubber wood.
5. compensation to the state for any damages.
6. compliance with the Workmen's Compensation Enactment and the Employeee's
Social and Secutiry Act,1969 against injuries and accidents.
7. penalties.

B. Felling

Two common methods of clearing are:-
1. Felling and stacking by chain-saw.
2. uprooting and stacking by bulldozer.

Since there is little root disease risk for oil palm from rubber stumps if the trees are throughly poisoned well in advance of felling, it is preferable to adopt the method of felling and stacking by chain-saw. The trees should be felled as close to the ground as possible.

The disadvantage of uprooting by bulldozer are:-
1. high cost
2. soil erosion on hilly terrain.
3. soil compaction.
4. damage to existing drains.

Labour/machinery requirements for both methods of clearing are estimated as follows:-

a. Chain-saw method

1. If the rubber timber is to be sold, felling and cutting will require about 13 chain-saw operators per hectare and stacking/burning about 15 man-days per hectare.
2. If the rubber timber is not to be sold, felling will require about 1.25 chain-saw operator per hectare and burning (including stacking and reburning) about 37 mandays per hectare.

b. Uprooting method by bulldozer

1. a D6 bulldozer will be able to uproot about 2 ha. per day.
2. a D6 bulldozer will be able to stack 4 ha per daya
3. a D6 bulldozer and 4 workers will be able to burn about 3 ha. per day.

Under this method of clearing, it will be very difficult to burn the uprooted stumps if the timber has been sold.

C. Burning

Burning of the felled trees is recommended. The advantages of burning are:-

1. easy supervision and maintenance due to better access.
2. cheaper cost of upkeep.
3. easier establishment of legume cover crops.
4. easier lallang control.
5. lesser rat manace.

The advantages of no burning are mainly prevention of soil erosion and subsequent maintenance of soil fertility. However from practical point of view, the advantages of burning far outweigh the advantangs of leaving the felled trees unburned.

Burning is carried out 8 to 10 weeks after felling. A clean fire belt is essential when a boundary is adjacent to an area already under cultivation before burning is carried out. The district office, fire brigade and private properties adjacent to the area to be burned should be notified.

D. Sale Of Rubber Wood

If there is already demand and if the return from sales is attractive, arrangements should be made to sell the rubber wood. Any timber or branches, which are not taken away, should be stacked and burned.

However apart from the attractive return, there is no other advantage from selling the rubber wood.

The disadvantages of selling the rubber wood are:-

1. Soil compaction
2. damage to roads
3. on hilly terrain, soil erosion occurs along lorry tracts.
4. felling work usually slows down when the demand for rubber wood is poor.

5. Time Of Felling

A usual programme will be to fell n Dicember/February, burn in Feb/mac well in advance of wet season and leave plenty of times for lining, platforing, holing, sowing legume cover crops, etc. before planting in July/Oct (according to local planting season). However, felling will have to commence earlier if terracing is intended or if replanting covers a large acreage.

6. Poisoning

A sodium arsenate is not available now in the market, 2,4 5T is used for poisoning. 2,4 5T is diluted with 19 parts of diesoline and painted/or sparayed on to the basal 0.4 meter (15 inches) of trunk. 5 liters of the diluted solution will treat about 27 moderately grown trees. No removal of bark is required. It is much better to pre-poison the trees 2 to 3 months before felling to prevent the stump left in the ground, following chain-saw felling, from shooting, to hasten the decay of the stumps and to reduce the development of root disease and the serious potential hazard from rhinoceros beetle.

The cut surface of the stumps should be preferably be treated with creosote to prevent invasion by spores of the root disease fungi. Treatment with creosote should follow the felling operation as closely as possible.

LINING

1. Spacing Of Oil Palms On Undulating/Hilly/Steep Terrain

Palms are spaced out along terraces to achieve an optimum and even stand for a given area which will remain economically productive throughout its life. If palms are spaces closely, crop may be high during its early years, however it will decline when individual palms begins to compete each other for available space and light. It is therefore vital that palms planted on terraces are spaced out in relation to the distance between terraces to achieve uniform density within any given slope.

This is achieved by adopting a modification of the violle lining method.

The violle lining method basically onvolves varying the distance between planting points along the rows in inverse proportion to the distance between terraces. This means that when the distance between terraces is widened, the distance between planting points is proportionately narrowed or conversely, when the distance between terraces is narrowed the distance between planting points is proportionately widened.

In methamatical terms, the violle lining method employs the following formula:

Lining measurements are made along the slope (not horizontally as this is impractical on hilly terrain), thereby resulting in an increase in actual density in proportion to the increase in slope.

This when lining for a density of 55 palms per acre, the planting density will automatically increase with the degree of slopes as indicated in Table 1.




















SHOULD a density of 50palams per acre are required, adjacent terraces should be no closer than 26 feet and no further apart than 31 feet. In the case of a density of 60 palms per acre, adjacent terraces should be no closer than 23 feet and no further apart than 28 feet.


2. Lining for 55 palms per acre


For lining of plating points two measuring lines (preferably PVC insulated cable) are required.
Line A is 58 ft long and is cloured and marked off with metal tags as shown in the diagram below:

Line B is 65 ft long and is marked with colored metal tags shown in the diagram below. It will be used for demarcating two planting points at a stretch along treaaces.

Line A is threaded through metal rings fixed to the shoulders of a wooden T while one end of Line B is affixed to the top center of the tee as shown in Figure 4 below:

The first (top) contour terrace is initially lined using a tap measure and ordinary lining pegs placed 30 ft apart and 2 1/2 - 3 ft from the back of the terrace.

Next a planting point is established on the second terrace mid-way below the first two planting points on the first terrace. This estab;lishes a measure of triangulation, which however, may not continue far due to the greater radius of a lower terrace.

A man than stands at this initial planting point on the second terrace and holds the shaft of wooden T, in the general direction of the second terrace.

Line B is held taut in a straight line to the shaft of the T.

Line A which passes through the top of wooden T is held with one end at the back of the first terrace while the other end is pulled down to the back of the third terrace. This will provide a measure of the distance across two terraces.

Line A must be held perpendicular to Line B. The lining technique is diagrammatically shown in Figure below:

The colored portion of Line A that corresponds with the back of third terrace determines the planting distance between palms on the terrace being lined and pegs are therefore placed at the two corresponding coloured tags on line B.

For example, if the distance between from the beck of the first terrace to the back of the third terrace falls within 56 - 58 ft (green portion of Line A), then the two planting points along the second terrace will be pegged at 27.8 ft (green tag) and 56.6 ft (green tag) as indicated by Line B.

This procedure is repeated along the terrace and subsequent terraces, each time commencing from the last marked planting point.

3. Lining For Densities of 50/60 palms per acre

The same procedure described above should be applied when lining for other planting densities. Measuring line A and B should be marked as shown below:

50 palms per acre

PANDUAN UNTUK MENGAWAL HAKISAN

Kerja-kerja membangunkan tanah bercerun untuk pertanian boleh dibahagikan kepada tiga peringkat. Peringkat pertama ialah mengenai pembukaan kawasan, peringkat kedua ialah mengenai pembinaan struktur pemuliharaan tanah dan yang ketiga mengenai amalan agronomi yang sesuai untuk mengawal hakisan.

(i) Pembukaan Kawasan

Kerja-kerja pembukaan tanah melibatkan kerja menebang pokok, memotong kayu, mencabut tunggul, membaris/ melonggok kayu, membakar kayu dan membersihkan kawasan. Semasa menjalankan aktiviti ini beberapa peraturan di bawah hendaklah diikuti:

• Bagi kawasan yang luas, kerja pembukaan tanah hendaklah dijadualkan berperingkat-peringkat bagi mengelakkan pendedahan tanah terlalu lama kepada proses hakisan.
• Pembukaan tanah lebih sesuai dilakukan pada musim kering.
• Penebangan bersih hanya perlu dilakukan bagi tanaman biasa seperti sayur-sayuran, buah-buahan, getah dan kelapa sawit. Sekiranya tidak perlu menebang bersih, seperti untuk sistem tanaman agro-forestry, penebangan pokok secara selektif adalah digalakkan. Pokok yang ditinggalkan akan membantu melindungi tanah daripada hakisan.
• Tunggul-tunggul kayu hanya perlu dicabut jika sistem penanaman memerlukan. Bagi tanaman jangka panjang seperti durian, getah dan kelapa sawit, tunggul-tunggul kayu tidak menghalang kerja operaso ladang dan ia dapat membantu menakan hakisan.
• Pembakaran sisa kayu hanya dilakukan apabila perlu sahaja. Sisa kayu yang dilonggok atau dibaris membantu menahan hakisan.
• Pokok-pokok asal di tepi sungai dan taliair utama hendaklah dibiarkan bagi menahan tebing daripada terhakis (river buffer zone)

Petunjuk:
1. Pembukaan berperingkat
2. Penebangan bersih
3. Penebangan secara selektif
4. (a) Menebang secara manual
(b) Menebang menggunakan jentera berat
(c) Menebang secara manual dan dengan jentera
5. Membuat zon penampan tebing sungai, di mana perlu
6. Pembukaan pada musim kering bagi kawasan luas
7. Mencabut tunggul
8. Membakar sisa kayu, jika perlu

Sumber - Bengkel MARDI - DOA 1993

Syor-syor di atas hendaklah dilaksanakan bersama-sama syor membina struktur pemuliharaan tanah dan syor amalan agronomi seperti dalam Jadual b dan c.

Panduan yang lebih terperinci mengenai cara pembukaan kawasan bagi jenis-jenis tanaman berikut mengikut cerun tanah diberi dalam Jadual a. Panduan aktiviti dalam Jadual a tersebut hendaklah digunakan bersama dengan panduan dalam Jadual b dan c.

(ii) Membina Struktur Pemuliharaan Tanah

Struktur-struktur pemuliharaan tanah boleh mengawal hakisan dengan berkesan. Sistem perparitan dan struktur yang dibina dapat menyalirkan air dengan selamat. Kebanyakan struktur dibina dengan menggali tanah dan menggunakan bahan asli yang mudah didapati seperti tanah, batu dan kayu. Struktur-struktur yang disenaraikan di bawah adalah sesuai dibina dalam ladang-ladang pertanian.

1. Parit dan laluan air bagi menyalir air hujan yang berlebihan. Dinding parit hendaklah ditanam dengan rumput.
2. Perangkap kelodak (silt/pits)
3. Pentas untuk tapak pokok/tanaman
4. Teres-teres bagi menyekat larian air
5. Empangan kecil bagi menampan had laju air parit
6. Pembentungan di bawah jalan (culvert)
7. Gabion atau dinding konkrit pada cerun yang sangat curam

Panduan yang lebih terperinci mengenai keperluan membina struktur pemuliharaan tanah bagi jenis-jenis tanaman mengikut cerun tanah diberi dalam Jadual b.

(iii) Amalan Agronomi Untuk Mengawal Hakisan

Banyak amalan agronomi bukan sahaja meningkatkan kesuburan tanah dan menambahkan hasil, tetapi turut juga memulihara tanah daripada ketandusan dan mengawal hakisan. Berikut ialah amalan agronomi yang dapat mengawal hakisan dengan berkesan.

1. Menanam penutup bumi seperti kekacang
2. Membuat sungkupan bagi menutup permukaan tanah
3. Menanam rumput di tebing-tebing
4. Mengamalkan tanaman padat boleh melindungi permukaan tanah
5. Membajak secara minimum supaya tidak banyak tanah yang terhakis
6. Menanam mengikut kontor dapat menahan hakisan
7. Menanam tanaman selingan antara tanaman jangka pendek dengan tanaman jangka panjang

Panduan yang lebih terperinci mengenai amalan agronomi untuk mengawal hakisan bagi jenis-jenis tanaman mengikut cerun tanah diberi dalam Jadual c.

Contoh-contoh struktur Permuliharaan Tanah yang disyorkan:

Petunjuk:

1. Teras/bangku
2. Pentas lereng / pentas tapak
3. Pentas lebar
4. Perparitan dan saliran
5. Perangkap kelodak
6. Parit lereng
7. Teres dusun
8. Empangan penampan
9. Pembentungan
10. Benteng konkrit atau gabion

Sumber - Bengkel MARDI-DOA 1993

Jadual c: Syor-syor amalan agronomi untuk mengawal hakisan bagi jenis tanaman dan cerun

Petunjuk:

1. Tanaman penutup bumi
2. Tanaman mengikut kontor
3. Sungkupan
4. Pembajakan secara minimum
5. Tanaman padat
6. Tanaman pusingan
7. Tanaman selingan
8. Tanaman berjalur
9. Tanaman rumput
10. Penampan angin

* di mana sesuai

Sumber - Bengkel MARDI-DOA 1993

Kesimpulan

Kawasan tanah bercerun merupakan sumber untuk pembangunan pertanian yang penting. Pada masa akan datang tanah yang semakim curam semakin banyak diterokai untuk pertanian. Selain daripada peningkatan kos, masalah hakisan, ketandusan tanah dan pencemaran anak-anak sungai akan menjadi lebih ketara. Oleh itu, diharap panduan ini berguna dan dapat dipraktiskan oleh perancang dan pelaksana projek-projek bagi mengurangkan hakisan tanah