Study of paraquat dichloride residue in oil palm

Abstract

Paraquat dichloride is a non-selective contact herbicide commonly used in oil palm plantations. It causes the leaves to wilt quickly, dehydrate, and eventually die. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of paraquat residues in oil palm fruits. The study has conducted from November 2019 to February 2020. Fruit samples were collected from oil palm plantations in three provinces (North Sumatra, Jambi, and West Kalimantan). Paraquat is applied two times per year with a high volume spraying dose of one liter per hectare. The last application of paraquat dichloride was 30 days before harvest in North Sumatra and Jambi, and 14 days in West Kalimantan. The samples were taken randomly from five trees aged eight years (TM-8), then mixed for analysis. The result showed that paraquat residue content was undetected at the analytical detection limit of 0.0151 ppm. It means that the paraquat residue was below the detection level or that there was no residue in the oil palm fruits. As a result, the application of paraquat to control the weeds around the plantation leaves no residue in oil palm fruits.