Field Notes
The silent yield killer: soil compaction from h...
Harvesting machinery compacts oil palm soils, reducing root growth and nutrient uptake. This article quantifies the yield cost and outlines a cover-crop-led biological recovery programme.
Where does your phosphorus fertiliser actually ...
Phosphorus applied to Malaysian acid soils binds rapidly to iron and aluminium oxides, making it unavailable to crops. Humic acid competes for these sorption sites, releasing fixed phosphate back into...
The underground network your oil palm cannot li...
Oil palm roots have no root hairs and are naturally dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for phosphorus access. High-input management suppresses AMF populations, undermining this free biological service.
Can Malaysian oil palm estates actually bank ca...
Malaysian oil palm soils carry below-potential carbon stocks. This article explains how the 4 per mille framework applies to plantation management and what inputs actually build stable carbon.
Why your oil palm fronds are turning orange (an...
Orange frond discolouration in oil palm is caused by magnesium deficiency aggravated by excess potassium and sandy soils. Learn diagnosis and corrective fertiliser programmes for Malaysian estates.
Mango drop, cracking, and short shelf life usua...
Mango drop, fruit cracking, and poor shelf life are commonly caused by calcium and boron deficiency at critical growth stages. This article covers what each nutrient does, the combined application...