Biochar for Palm Oil Nurseries Part 2

In 2024, Malaysia reported that replanting their palm oil plantations reached 114,000 hectares, or 2% of the country's total area, compared to the targeted 4% to 5%. Indonesia's replanting rate is estimated to be lower, but because Indonesia's palm oil plantations are much larger, approximately three times Malaysia's, the area is larger. This situation has led to a decline in palm oil production, as palm oil productivity begins to decline after 20 years and requires replacement or replanting after 25 years to maintain productivity. Replanting should be carried out periodically, with an area of approximately 5% of the total palm oil plantation area.

Palm oil rejuvenation (replanting) requires palm oil seedlings. If estimated current replanting of palm oil plantations in Indonesia is 300,000 hectares per year (or 1.8% of Indonesia's oil palm plantation area), then with an average oil palm plantation population of 125 trees per hectare, the need for palm oil seedlings reaches 37,500,000. And with 114,000 hectares in Malaysia, the need for palm oil seedlings will reach 14,250,000 seedlings. Producing quality palm oil trees, in addition to selecting superior varieties, also includes seedling production in palm oil nurseries. Biochar can be used effectively in palm oil nurseries, as it helps improve seedling growth and health.

Biochar, made from biomass, functions as a soil amendment, improving soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability, while also providing a favorable environment for the growth of soil microorganisms. Biochar can be mixed directly into the growing medium during nursery cultivation, with the dosage adjusted to the type of growing medium and the plant's needs. Numerous studies have shown that applying biochar to palm oil nurseries can improve seedling growth, including plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and root dry weight. By utilizing biochar, palm oil nurseries can become more efficient, productive, and environmentally friendly.

And because the planting medium for palm oil seedlings generally uses compost, if the compost is enriched with biochar or the composting process also uses biochar, the compost quality will be even better. The advantages of the composting process using biochar include improving compost quality, accelerating the composting process, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the form of methane (CH4) and nitrogen oxide (N2O), reducing ammonia (NH3) loss, increasing aeration (bulking agent) in composting, and reducing odor. As for the biochar material itself, it will enrich the biochar with various nutrients and the biochar is not damaged or decomposed during the composting process. So by utilizing biochar in composting, we can process organic waste more effectively, produce high-quality organic fertilizer, and contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices.