FAO Economic and Social Development Series-----the oil palm

better farming series 24
FAO Economic and Social Development Series No. 3/24
the oil palm
OUTLINE OF COURSE
Published by arrangement with the
Institut africain pour le développement économique et social
B.P. 8008, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Reprinted 1977, 1983, 1990
P-69
ISBN 92-5-100625-3
BETTER FARMING SERIES
The titles published in this series are designed as hand-books for intermediate-level agricultural education and training courses. They may be purchased as a set or individually.
The plant: the living plant; the root The plant: the stem; the buds; the leaves The plant: the flower The soil: how the soil is made up The soil: how to conserve the soil The soil: how to improve the soil Crop farming Animal husbandry: feeding and care of animals Animal husbandry: animal diseases; how animals reproduce The farm business survey Cattle breeding Sheep and goat breeding Keeping chickens Farming with animal power Cereals Roots and tubers Groundnuts Bananas Market gardening Upland rice Wet paddy or swamp rice Cocoa Coffee The oil palm The rubber tree The modern farm business Freshwater fish farming: how to begin Water: where water comes from Better freshwater fish farming: the pond Better freshwater fish farming: the fish Biogas: what it is; how it is made; how to use it Biogas 2: building a better biogas unit Farming snails 1: learning about snails; building a pen; food and shelter plants Farming snails 2: choosing snails; care and harvesting; further improvement Better freshwater fish farming: further improvement Raising rabbits 1: learning about rabbits; building the pens; choosing rabbits Raising rabbits 2: feeding rabbits; raising baby rabbits; further improvement Better freshwater fish farming: raising fish in pens and cages
PREFACE
This manual is a translation and adaptation of “Le palmier à huile,” published by the Agri-Service-Afrique of the Institut africain pour le développement économiaue et social (INADES), and forms part of a series. Grateful acknowledgement is made to the publishers for making available this text, which it is hoped will find widespread use at the intermediate level of agricultural education and training in English-speaking countries.
It should be noted that the original texts were prepared for an African environment and this is naturally reflected in the English version. However, it is expected that many of the manuals of the series — a list of which will be found on the inside front cover — will also be of value for training in many other parts of the world. Adaptations can be made to the text where necessary owing to different climatic and ecological conditions.
Applications for permission to issue this manual in other languages are welcomed. Such applications should be addressed to: Director, Publications Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
The cover illustrations were prepared by Asun Balzola.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome 1977
© French edition, Institut africain pour
le développement économique et social (INADES) 1967
© English edition, FAO 1970
Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.
This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.
•  Modern oil palm cultivation
Before starting think things over carefully
Life of the oil palm
The fruits of the oil palm yield oil
Why cultivate oil palms?
Where to cultivate oil palms
•  The oil palm nursery
How to make a nursery
Layout of paths and nursery beds
Putting up shelters
•  The plantation
Preparing the site
Pegging the planting pattern
Planting out the oil palm seedlings
Putting wire netting around seedlings
•  Looking after the plantation
How much fertilizer to apply
Protect against insects
•  Harvesting
•  Suggested question paper