Oil Palm

Oil Palm

Oil palm is the most efficient oil crop in the world. Palm oil is a multipurpose product. Besides it’s usage in the food-industry, palm oil is used as a component in washing powder, soaps, cosmetic products, candles, colours, lubricants and biofuel. A good and balanced fertilizer approach for oil palm plantation is one of the most important management tools to secure high yield and oil content.

Magnesium has many functions in the metabolism of oil palm: Magnesium is needed in relatively large quantities to maintain photosynthesis, frond development, bunch number and fruit weight. It also plays a role in improving bunch oil content.

Magnesium deficiency is a common problem in light textured soils and in acidic soils, where  top soil has been eroded. Mg-deficiency is expressed as a chlorosis of older leaflets that exhibit a bright orange-yellow colour . For this reason Mg- deficiency has been named sometime as “Orange frond". Early symptoms of Mg- deficiency are olive-green or ochre patches that appear close to the tip of older pinnae, most exposed to sunlight. With increasing severity of the symptom the colour changes to bright yellow, deep yellow and eventually the affected leaves desiccate.

Granulated lime can be used to rectify the soil acidity and calcium –magnesium deficiency.


How MAGRICA works:

Magrica is a granulated lime made from fine mineral powders of 150 micron size. Due to granular form , it gets entangled with the plant roots and stay with soil for longer time. This helps in preventing product washout due to rain. Magrica granules stay with soil in MgO form instead of Mg2+ form . So when the plant needs Mg2+, it releases H+ ions which reacts with MgO to provide Mg2+ for the plants. MgO form of Magrica helps in avoiding product loss due to leaching, compared to other powdered products like hydrated lime , synthetic MgSO4  where substantial loss occurs due to rain and leaching , leaving minimal nutrients for actual plant take up. 

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Magrica recommendation:

1.0 Kg Magrica per palm tree is to be used to correct the soil pH
For faster soil pH correction and peat soil , 1.0 Kg Magrica (Ca) per palm tree is to be used
To correct Magnesium deficiency, 1.0 Kg Magrica(Mg) per palm tree is to be used.
Similar dosage can be applied for coconut and areca tree.
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