Oil Palm Training Program

IPNI Southeast Asia Program has been developing the learning platform for 4R Nutrient Stewardship in Oil Palm. We developed this course to explain the concept of 4R Nutrient Stewardship, and to outline the principles that define the four “rights” in the context of a successful oil palm operation. It is intended to adapt and integrate those fundamental principles into a comprehensive method of nutrient management that meets the criteria of sustainability within an oil palm production system.

Currently the course contains two modules with sub topics. Module 1 includes two sections: 1) 4R Principles and Methods in Oil Palm-What is 4R; Soil, Plant and Fertilizer Sampling; Plant Growth Measurements; Zero Fertilizer Plots; and Field Audits) and 2) Applied 4R Nutrition in Oil Palm (Right Source, Rate, Time, Place, and Key Performance Indicators in Nursery, Replant, Immature, and Mature oil palm). Module 2 includes the Concepts, Processes and Protocols for High Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) Yields of oil palm (Yield Gaps and their Measurements; Performance Benchmarking Plantation Intelligence; Estate Scale Experimentation in Commercial Operations; and Best Management Practice (BMP) Process and Protocols).

In 2017, for the first time, a course jointly organized by IPNI and IJM Plantations Berhad was offered at IJM’s Estates in Sabah, Malaysia. IJM is a leading Malaysian plantation company, and its top-class facilities, experienced staff and supportive senior management made this course a success. The course was conducted over three and a half days, at full capacity with 34 participants from the oil palm industry and supporting sectors representing various oil palm producing countries. The participants came from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. A second course was given later in the year at the plantation of Wilmar International in Kalimantan, Indonesia, with another 25 participants.