The perspective of oil palm production in swampland as a result of soil properties diversity: Review of survey results in Kalimantan and Sumatra

Abstract

Currently, oil palm plantation has expanded into marginal lands, including swamp agroecosystems. Rapid development of oil palm plantation is due to increasing demand for raw materials of bioenergy. Utilization of swamplands for oil palm development is hindered by unfavorable physical, chemical, and soil fertility properties and vital environmental issues. However, many research demonstrate the potential and appropriate agronomic suitability for oil palm cultivation. This paper presents findings on surveys conducted on Kalimantan and Sumatra swamps. Land evaluation from six swampland sites showed that at the average, 36% of swamplands were categorized as moderately suitable (S2). Meanwhile, 37% of those were marginally suitable (S3), with the rest was not suitable (N). The evaluation indicated severe issues associated with unsuitable class (N), including shallow (<50 cm) pyrite, thick layer (>3 m) of peat and high level of inundation (>2 m) with a prolonged (3-6 months) overflow. In addition to these, acidity, peat maturity and nutrient status also serve as the limiting factors. Actual oil palm productivity in swamps remains low due to suboptimal cultivation technology and land and environmental management. It is, therefore, necessary to increase entrepreneurs and farmers' capacity to improve management and cultivation systems. Land selection for site development should respect the following requirements: Pyrite depth >100 cm, peat thickness >3 m with sapric maturity level, mixed peat and mineral soils, soil pH ranging from 5.0 to 6.0 and base saturation around 30%.