Feeding the Palm: A Review of Oil Palm Nutrition

After more than a century of cultivation and more than 80 years since the first field experiments on fertilizer use, there seems to be sufficient knowledge of oil palm mineral nutrition to support a productive and profitable industry. Still, changing conditions, especially in view of the allotment of new cultivation areas, newly developed genetic material, social and technological developments and consequential management changes, climatic changes, and so on, we summarize here the accessible information on mineral nutrition in mature Tenera oil palm generated over the past 50 years. We attempt to provide information that is both scientifically sound and practically relevant in order to bridge the gap between fundamental research and plantation management. Our scope covers an overview of oil palm development and adverse conditions, with a specific focus on plant nutrition. We shed light on the current understanding of yield potential and the origin of yield gaps and discuss the role nutrition plays in improved oil palm performance, including current systems to assess appropriate nutritional status. This leads to surveying information on nutrient deficiency effects and to an analysis of the applicability of and existing knowledge gaps in the 4R nutrient stewardship concept. We end with a comprehensive analysis regarding knowledge gaps and research opportunities and give a brief outlook into potential future research pathways.