Family
name: Palmate
Oil palm is a native of West
Africa. It is mainly produced in Edo, cross river, Delta, Ogun,Oyo, Osun, Ondo,
Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo etc.
Botanical
name: (Eleazis
guinensis)
VARIETIES
1. Dura: It has a thin mesocarp,
thick endocarp with large kernel
2. Tenera: It has thick mesocarp,
thin endocarp and a medium sized kernel
3. Pisifera: it has thick
mesocarp, endocarp and small kernel
SOIL
AND CLIMATE REQUIREMENT
Soil: Oil palm requires deep loamy
soil that is rich in humus and plant nutrient. This soil must be slightly
acidic with PH 4.5 – 6.0.
Climate:
Oil palm requires temperature about 270c-
320c and rainfall of about 150cm – 400cm and must be evenly
distributed.
LAND
PREPARATION
The land preparation is clear,
plough and harrow to make it ready for planting.
METHOD
OF PROPAGATION
Oil palm is mainly propagated sexually i.e. by seed, only
seeds are raised into seedlings.
Transplanting is carried out 9
months after planting in the nursery. There are two methods:-
1. Ball of earth
2. Naked root
Planting
Date:
Transplanting of oil palm begins at the beginning of raining seasons i.e. from
March-may/June.
CULTURAL
PRACTICES
1. Mulching
2. Watering
3. Pruning
4. Planting of leguminous crops
5. Control of pest and diseases
Weeding:
Weeding is done mechanically or manual. It can
also be done chemically by using spray.
MATURITY
Oil palm may start to bear
fruit 2-4 years after plating especially the new varieties and there are some
that can take 3-7 years depending on the varieties.
HARVESTING
Oil palm can be harvested as
soon as the fruit is ripe. It is done by using cutlass, axe and sickle.
PROCESSING
OF PALM OIL
This must be done with minimum
delay, processing involve the following steps.
1. Removal
of the fruits from the bunch:
The removal is known as striping.
2. Sterilization: This is the boiling of the
fruits so as to make for easy extraction. It also helps to kill microorganism
and pathogens that may be present. It also helps to step a chising of the
enzyme lipid whose activity when allowed to contribute result in more formation
of free fatty acid (F.F.A). Sterilization can be done in drum.
3. Milling: This is the pounding of the
fruits and the purpose is to separate the mescocrap from the shell.
4. Separation: This is the removal of kernel
from the pounded mass or mesocarp
5.
Extraction: The pounded mass is loaded
into the press for oil extraction. If it is too dry add water to the mass.
There are various types of press which include:
A. Hydraulic press
B.Centrifugal press
6. Clarification: The extracted oil is separated
from water by boiling. frying is done after clarification so as to explore or
dry out the water present
7. Classification:
Soft
oil: It has
low free fatty acids
Hard
oil: it has
high free fatty acid
Special
oil: It has no
trace of free fatty acid
The amount of FFA in any class
of oil depends on:
Method of processing
Harvesting/processing
8. Carotene:
This is responsible for the yellow
colourization of oil. This carotene are not present in groundnut therefore
types of carotene present in oil
a. Alpha carotene
b. Beta carotene
c. Gamma carotene
9. Use of Oil Palm
a. Palm
kernel: Two
main products are obtained from palm kernel. They are Palm Kernel oil and Palm
Kernel Cake.
b. Palm
wine: Contains
yeast
c. Palm
frond: For
making shed
d. Bunch
refuse: Soap
making fuel
It can be used as food for
making margarine
It is used in shell industries
lubricant
Palm kernel oil (PKO)
ESSENTIAL
PRECAUTIONS IN PROCESSING
a. Don’t wound the fruit during
harvesting, during transporting into the mill.
b. Fruit must be harvested
immediately they are ripe
c. There should be minimum
interval between ripping and harvesting
d. The processing method must
ensure that material remain a high temperature to be inactive. They are
inactivated at 600c
e. Processed oil must be stored in
clean, dry and sterilized containers.
Diseases
and pests
1. Brown
germ disease:
This is the most common diseases of oil palm
Symptom: Brown spots appear and spread
on tissues of the plants, the affected tissue become sliming and get rot fast.
2.
Anthrocrose: The disease is caused by
Symptom: Black rectrotic:- condition of the leaves. It is usually in the nursery
and pre-nursery disease.
All
the fungi causing diseases are always weakly parasite are:
Control:
Adequate
sanitation
Pests
1. Rodent
2. Grasshopper
3. Cricket
4. Termites
5.
Abbles
6. Man
FIBRE
CROPS
Fibre crops are second
important to food crops. They form an integral part of national economy.
Fibre crops include, jute, cotton, sisal, kenaf, cotton and flex. There are two major categories of fibres which are:-
Fibre crops include, jute, cotton, sisal, kenaf, cotton and flex. There are two major categories of fibres which are:-
1. Natural fibre
2. Synthetic fibre
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