Fertilizer trial Norpalm

In Ghana, little to no fertilizer is applied in oil palm plantations and small holder farms leading to depletion of soil fertility and low productivity. Development of improved fertilizer recommendations is therefore essential for sustainable oil palm production intensification in Ghana. In Southeast Asia for example, fertilizer trials have given planters useful information on the site-specific estimates of fertilizer requirements for oil palm based on leaf nutrient values from analysis. This information however, is currently lacking for West African oil palm production systems.
IPNI therefore established a 4-factorial fertilizer trial in 2014 in collaboration with Norpalm Ghana Ltd. and K+S Kali GmbH Kassel to determine the optimal Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium-Magnesium (N-P-K-Mg) fertilizer combination which will result in the highest yield (t ha^-1) and the most profitable economic return (US$ ha^-1) in a mature oil palm stand. The fertilizer trial trial follows a ‘central composite design’, where N, P, K, and Mg fertilizers are applied at 5 different rates.