The plant canopy temperature provides a measure of the plant response to its environment and has been recognized as a sensitive indicator of plant water status (Jackson et al., 1981; Idso, 1982). The relationships between canopy temperature, air temperature and transpiration depend on atmospheric conditions (vapour pressure deficit, air temperature and wind velocity), the soil […]

Termite infestation in oil palm, especially in peat soil, has become a serious problem due to rapid expansion of the industry. Termites were first been reported as an occasional pest on mineral soils. Later, they were documented as a major pest to oil palm on peat (Zulkefli et al., 2000). Many termite species inhabit peat […]

With the current labour shortage, to reduce the rounds of fertilizer application, subsoil placement (burying) has attracted much interest, especially in remote areas and on undulating terrain. This is mainly due to the belief that burying the fertilizer is as effective as broadcasting it with reduced run-off losses. Foster and Goh (1975) recommended that fertilizers […]

With the current labour shortage in the Malaysian plantation sector, the time spent on collection of loose fruits can have serious repercussions on productivity in the oil palm industry. In fact, as a result of labour shortage, one of the areas most neglected in harvesting is loose fruit collection (Hoong and Donough, 1998) which has […]

Vegetative propagation of the oil palm by tissue culture was first described in the 1970s. Since then, the commercial advantage of tissue culture materials over seedlings has been well established. The initial problems or setbacks associated with oil palm tissue culture (for example, flowering abnormalities) have also been minimized by adopting low phytohormone protocols and […]