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Interacción entre el Riego y La Fertilización en Palma Aceitera
Oil Palm Irrigation and Fertilizer Interaction
 Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) production has been increasing in Ecuador in response to the demand of vegetable oils for human and industrial consumption. Currently, the planted area comprises 113,000 hectares with an expected expansion of 10,000 hectares per year over the next five years. A vast area of oil palm region is prone to soil water deficits.
An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of irrigation and improved mineral nutrition on oil palm growth and yield. Harvesting commenced in 1993. The experiment showed a significant positive interaction between the effects of irrigation and fertilizer application on bunch weight, particularly as the palms grew older. Bunch weight was increased under balanced fertilizer application in both the irrigated and rainfed treatments, but bunch weight was 7 to 10 kilograms (kg) larger in the irrigated compared with the rainfed treatments. Due mainly to the increase in bunch weight, cumulative yield was 26 to 33 t/ha (tonnes/hectare) larger under irrigation compared with rainfed conditions, and the cumulative yield increase was largest when all six nutrients were applied together as presented in the figure.
Complete scientific articles in English and Spanish can be found in the following documents.........
 
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