The Role of Biochar in Increasing Palm Oil Productivity, Among the Use of Superior Seeds and Replanting

Palm oil productivity continues to be pushed to its most optimal point. This is because it is to meet the increasing needs, especially the mandatory B-50 biodiesel program. Of course, efforts to optimize productivity are not easy and instant. Although the key points for its realization have also been mapped, namely by replanting old palm oils, using superior seeds and intensification, the practice also requires the right method or approach and takes time. Replanting old palm oils is still very slow and has many obstacles, while the use of superior seeds has received more attention and continues to be encouraged. The analogy of using superior seeds is like comparing local cattle and superior breeds. So no matter how well the Javanese cow is cared for, its weight will not match that of the Limousin cow. Likewise with palm oil seeds.

Land intensification efforts through optimizing inputs, technology and modern cultivation methods also still need to be developed. Meanwhile, extensification or land expansion should be avoided or slowed down as much as possible, for more details, read here. Biochar can have an important role in this area of ​​intensification. Apart from the application of biochar it will improve soil health, which is an important prerequisite for plants to be able to produce optimally, it is also very environmentally friendly because the raw material for biochar is from renewable sources, namely biomass and increases fertilization efficiency (NUE = Nutrient Use Efficiency). And even the application of biochar is also a climate solution, namely as carbon sequestration. Optimizing productivity can be done by applying biochar plus using superior seeds using modern and environmentally friendly agricultural methods. So basically optimization is a comprehensive and measurable effort.

Indonesia contributes 25% to the world's vegetable oil supply, making it a key actor in the stability of the world's vegetable oil supply. With this position, any changes in production, export policies and Indonesia's domestic dynamics will directly impact prices and international market balance. Indonesia is currently the largest or number one producer of palm oil in the world, but it is not the best or most productive because its productivity is not yet optimal. Compared to neighboring countries, namely Malaysia, it is still inferior and slightly superior to Thailand, even though geographical factors, namely the climate in Indonesia, are much more supportive. Currently, Indonesia's CPO productivity is around 3.3 tons/hectare, while Malaysia's is around 3.8 tons/hectare, while Thailand's is around 3 tons/hectare.

Yield gap, namely the difference or gap between actual production and maximum production potential, is sometimes quite large. Several main factors that trigger yield gaps include non-optimal environmental factors such as drought conditions, to errors in cultivation practices such as errors in land clearing and planting, as well as inaccuracies in diagnosis and fertilizer recommendations. This yield gap must be minimized so that palm oil productivity can be maximized.

Sometimes the role of biochar cannot be found or seen directly in various efforts to increase palm oil productivity, but the application of biochar is very much in line with this goal. For example, the success of an palm oil replanting program depends, among other things, on the quality of seeds, fertilization, plant population and soil health. Soil health and fertilization factors can be closely related to biochar. And related to biofungicides to treat ganoderma fungus disorders, biochar can be used as a carrier formulated with other elements such as humus, amino acids, humates, hormones and so on. And because the only effective way to control the ganoderma fungus is to introduce its natural enemies in the form of biofungicides based on Trichoderma spp and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi into the soil. However, there are still many parties who do not have adequate knowledge regarding the application of biochar.

Apart from boosting production, implementing best management practices is also important to meet sustainability standards amidst increasing pressure from environmental issues. And the application of biochar is very much in line with that point. In fact, regarding low carbon palm oil technology in the application of biochar, it is very relevant to the CECC (Controlled Emission Composting Chamber) and for more details on the application of biochar for composting, read here. Meanwhile, the trend of fertilization in palm oil plantations with the application of slow release fertilizer is also very relevant to biochar, for more details, read here. 

Indonesia's 2026 Palm Oil Replanting Target and Solutions for Utilizing Palm Oil Trunk Waste

Indonesia's stagnant national palm oil productivity requires an immediate solution. If this situation is not addressed promptly, Indonesian palm oil productivity will decline in the future. This is undesirable given the increasing demand for palm oil as a vegetable oil, including its use in biofuel, namely biodiesel. The launch of the B50 biodiesel program demands increased palm oil productivity. However, the question remains: why palm oil? Aren't there other crops that can produce oil with a comparable yield for biodiesel production? Nyamplung is a strong candidate for this; read more details here.

In palm oil, productivity can be increased through the use of superior seeds, replanting, and land intensification. In terms of land area, replanting palm oil plantations, with an ideal target of 5% per year, is very significant. With Indonesia's current 16.8 million hectares of oil palm plantations, that translates to 0.84 million hectares per year. Besides the high costs, the resulting biomass waste, or palm oil trunks, is also substantial. This clearly holds potential for an environmentally friendly bioeconomy-based industry, or circular economy.

With an area of Indonesia's palm oil plantations of around 16.8 million hectares, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550 thousand hectares are owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares belong to people's plantations or small farmers and the rest have not been verified. And based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (2024), recorded 10 provinces in Indonesia with the largest oil palm plantations in sequence, namely Riau province with 3.49 million ha, Central Kalimantan province with 2.03 million ha, North Sumatra province with 2.01 million ha, West Kalimantan province with 1.82 million ha, South Sumatra province with 1.40 million ha, East Kalimantan province with 1.32 million ha, Jambi province with 1.19 million ha, South Kalimantan province with 497.2 thousand ha, Aceh province with 487.5 thousand ha, and West Sumatra province with 379.6 thousand ha. And a total of 26 provinces in Indonesia as centers of palm oil plantations.

The palm oil industry, as one of the national strategic industries, receives significant government support, including the People's Palm Oil Replanting (PSR), which remains a national strategic program, although its realization has not yet reached the target. South Sumatra, as one of the national palm oil plantation centers, also recorded the highest PSR realization. PSR realization in 2025 is approximately 40,000 hectares, or 33% (one-third) of the target of 120,000 ha. This represents a slight increase compared to 2024, which was only 31% of that year's target. Specifically, South Sumatra has replanted approximately 75,000 ha of smallholder palm oil plantations from 2017 to 2025.

The government is targeting a national PSR of 50,000 ha for 2026, a much more realistic figure than in previous years, with South Sumatra province targeting 5,750 ha. However, given Indonesia's oil palm plantation area, the 2024 and 2025 targets of 120,000 ha are very low, especially for 2026, which is only 50,000 ha. Under these conditions, efforts that can be accelerated to increase national palm oil productivity are through the use of superior seeds and land intensification.

Furthermore, ganoderma can lead to the death of palm oil trees. Ganoderma, caused by the fungus Ganoderma boninense, attacks the palm oil's root system, disrupting nutrient and water transport. The process is very slow and is only detected when the infection is severe, resulting in yellowing leaves, drooping crowns, and even plant death. Waste from ganoderma-infected trunks must be removed or destroyed from the plantation to prevent further spread. Like waste from palm oil trunks from replanting, this waste must also be properly managed.

The issue of biomass waste from palm oil trees, which covers thousands of hectares, also presents a challenge. With such a large volume of old palm oil trees, utilizing them to create value-added products is crucial. With such a large volume, biomass processing plants or industries can be established and operate optimally, without worrying about raw material shortages. Products such as pellets, briquettes, and biochar are made from this waste biomass from old palm oil trunks. Old, dead palm oil trunks, often left unattended on land, should be utilized to create these useful, value-added products.

As shown in the diagram above, the potential for utilizing biomass waste, particularly oil palm trunks, is enormous. In the future, industrializing bioeconomics into various products is highly feasible. Palm oil trunk waste should not only pollute the environment and increase costs for palm oil farmers, but instead, it should become a profitable industrial raw material.

OPT Pellets for Biomass Power Plants and BECCS in Japan and Europe (Presentation Version)

One way to maintain or even increase the productivity of palm oil plantations is through replanting , which is absolutely necessary. Old palm oil trees will decline in productivity, becoming uneconomical. Just as palm oil planting is carried out in stages, replanting oil palm plantations is also carried out in stages and periodically.

Most palm oil companies affiliated with GAPKI have been replanting regularly, or annually, on an area of ​​4-5%. GAPKI currently has 731 members, while according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2023, the number of palm oil companies in Indonesia reached 2,446, spread across 26 provinces.

Of Indonesia's approximately 16.8 million hectares of oil palm plantations, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550,000 hectares are owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares are owned by smallholders, and the remainder has not been verified. Specifically for replanting, the government is targeting 180,000 hectares per year for smallholders, but by 2024, only 38,244 hectares had been realized, far short of the target.

With an average hectare of palm oil plantation containing 125 trees, each tree having an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, per hectare yields 50 tons of dry biomass. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this translates to 0.5 million tons of dry biomass, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million tons of dry biomass. Optimistically, Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting, or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million tons of dry biomass per year. Malaysia, with 5% replanting, or 285,000 hectares, would produce 14.25 million tons of dry biomass per year.

To read and access the presentation, please download here. 

OPT Pellets for Biomass Power Plants and BECCS in Japan and Europe

As a tropical region known for biomass heaven, there are numerous sources that can be utilized for biomass pellet production, particularly OPT pellets or oil palm trunk pellets. This potential is certainly in line with global decarbonization efforts to save the earth from climate change and global warming. Indonesia is currently the world's largest palm oil producer, with approximately 17 million hectares of palm oil plantations. Of this area, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550,000 hectares are owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares are owned by smallholders, and the remainder remains unverified. Crude palm oil or CPO productivity has stagnated over the past five years due to the slow pace of replanting, which is around 45 million tons per year. Therefore, replanting, especially for smallholders, must be encouraged.

Most palm oil companies affiliated with GAPKI have conducted replanting periodically or once a year with an area of ​​4-5%. The palm oil companies that are members of GAPKI are 731, while according to BPS 2023 the number of palm oil companies in Indonesia reached 2,446 companies, spread across 26 provinces. Meanwhile, in smallholder palm oil plantations, replanting is very small, namely in 2024 alone with a target of 180,000 hectares (around 3% of smallholder palm oil plantations) but the realization is less than 40,000 hectares (0.7% of smallholder palm oil plantations) and even because it is so far from the target set in 2025 the government's target for replanting smallholder palm oil plantations was reduced to only 120,000 hectares (around 2% of smallholder palm oil plantations).

With an average of 125 trees per hectare of palm oil plantation, each tree yielding an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, this yields 50 tons of dry biomass per hectare. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this translates to 0.5 million tons of dry biomass, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million tons of dry biomass. Optimistically, Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting, or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million tons of dry biomass per year. Malaysia, with 5% replanting, or 285,000 hectares, would produce 14.25 million tons of dry biomass per year.

For a more practical calculation, let's consider the average palm oil company group in Indonesia with five palm oil mills and 50,000 hectares of palm oil plantations. With annual replanting of 5% of the total plantations, 2,500 hectares are replanted annually. This replanting will produce 125,000 tons of dried oil palm trunks. This volume will then be used to produce oil palm trunk pellets, or OPT pellets, assuming 3% loss during the production process. This yields 121,250 tons of OPT pellets per year.

Using a Handymax vessel with a capacity of 25,000 tons per shipment, five shipments are required, or using a Panamax vessel with a capacity of 50,000 tons per shipment requires two shipments plus one Handymax vessel. Alternatively, using a vessel with a capacity of 10,000 tons per shipment requires approximately 12 shipments per year. Shipments with large capacity handymax and panamax vessels are suitable for the European market, while smaller vessels, namely 10,000 tons/shipment, are suitable for the Japanese market.

Japan, with around 290 biomass power plants, should technically be able to move towards BECCS more quickly, but it's just a matter of policy and regulation. Installing CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) units in biomass power plants makes the plant's operation carbon negative, or carbon (dioxide) removal (CDR) or Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR). Furthermore, Europe has a successful example of BECCS implementation, namely the Stockholm Exergi BECCS project. This Stockholm project, based on sustainable biomass fuel, has secured one of the world's largest carbon sequestration agreements with Microsoft.

Furthermore, policy support for biomass power plants with CCS/BECCS or those capable of CDR/GGR is also increasing, as in the UK. This includes the indefinite extension of support for biomass power plants to allow time for plants to transition to BECCS. Modifications and retrofitting of existing power plants will eliminate millions of tons of CO2 annually while still generating electricity from renewable sources. This potential can only be maximized with government support for the transition to BECCS.

Replanting Palm Oil Plantations in Indonesia to Maintain Palm Oil Productivity and Potential Utilization of Oil Palm Trunk Biomass Waste

One way to maintain or even increase the productivity of palm oil plantations is through replanting or rejuvenation, which is absolutely necessary. Old palm oil trees will decline in productivity, making them uneconomical. In keeping with the gradual planting of palm oil trees, replanting palm oil plantations is also carried out in stages and periodically. Furthermore, the use of superior seeds is also necessary, and one way to produce superior oil palm seeds is by using high-quality planting media, such as biochar. For more details, read here.

Palm oil companies generally replant 4-5% of their total land area annually. However, smallholders generally do not replant properly. This is due to the cost of replanting and the 4-5-year waiting period for fruiting to resume. However, because old palm oil trees naturally decline in productivity even with additional fertilizer, replanting is the only solution. Of Indonesia's approximately 16.8 million hectares of palm oil plantations, 9 million hectares are managed by private companies, 550,000 hectares are owned by state-owned enterprises (PTPN), 6.1 million hectares belong to smallholders or smallholders, and the remainder has not been verified. Specifically for replanting, the government is targeting 180,000 hectares per year for smallholders, but by 2024, only 38,244 hectares had been realized, far from the target.

Even in 2025, implementation of the replanting program will remain low, reaching only 11,777 hectares in the first quarter. Based on this reality, the government has finally lowered the annual replanting target from 180,000 hectares to 120,000 hectares. To accelerate the replanting program, the government could provide additional replanting funds to smallholder farmers. This additional funding would ideally come from business profits, specifically from the utilization of palm oil waste. Various biomass-based products are produced from the processing of palm oil waste.

For businesses based on the utilization of oil palm trunks, business readiness factors, both technologically and market-specific, require careful assessment. With an average hectare of palm oil plantations containing 125 trees, each tree having an average dry weight of 0.4 tons, per hectare yields 50 tons of dry biomass. For an area of ​​10,000 hectares, this translates to 0.5 million dry tons, and for an area of ​​100,000 hectares, this translates to 5 million dry tons. Optimistically, Indonesia could achieve 5% replanting, or 820,000 hectares, which would yield 41 million dry tons of biomass per year. Malaysia, with 5% replanting, or 285,000 hectares, would yield 14.25 million dry tons per year.

The issue of biomass waste from palm oil trees, which covers thousands of hectares, also presents a unique challenge. With the vast volume of old palm oil trees, utilizing them to create value-added products is crucial. This vast volume allows biomass processing plants or industries to be established and operate optimally without worrying about raw material shortages. Products such as pellets, briquettes, and biochar are made from this old palm oil trunk biomass waste. Old palm oil trunks, which are often left abandoned on land, should be utilized to create these useful, value-added products.

For a presentation on palm oil replanting, click here.

Biochar for Sustainable Coconut Productivity

Coconut fiber accounts for 30%, or about a third, of the weight of a coconut. This material is generally left in plantations and remains largely unused, potentially polluting the environment. With Indonesian coconut production reaching approximately 2.9 million tons per year, or 15.13 million coconuts per year, the potential for coconut fiber production is enormous, amounting to approximately 1 million wet tons (average moisture content of 60%) or 500,000 dry tons (10%) of moisture.

The volume of coconut husk is largely unaffected by the government's recent policy of exporting whole coconuts, particularly to China, as shown in this video. Many coconut-based industries are struggling to secure raw material supplies, even leading to factory closures. Industries such as dessicated coconut, coconut milk, coconut shell charcoal and charcoal briquettes, and activated carbon are severely impacted by this policy. Selling processed or industrialized coconut products would clearly add greater value and create jobs. Developed countries also export finished or semi-finished goods, not raw materials.

The industrialization of coconut-based products is crucial. Like palm oil, coconut processing products are primarily used for food products. Utilization for energy or biofuel is also very possible, such as for sustainable aviation fuel or SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). Even for palm oil, the use of biofuel is in the form of a mandatory blend of palm oil from CPO (crude palm oil) in biodiesel 40% this year and is being reviewed to be 50% (B50) by 2026, as well as palm oil from PKO (palm kernel oil) for a 3% blend for sustainable aviation fuel or SAF in 2026. The main content of coconut oil is lauric acid, the same as palm kernel oil or PKO. Lauric acid consisting of 12 carbon atoms (C) or MCFA (medium chain fatty acids) is very suitable for the use of sustainable aviation fuel or SAF must have a carbon atom bond or C bond in the range of C10-C15, for more details read here.

 

Coconut productivity continues to decline due to inadequate or slow replanting programs. A similar situation is also experienced by oil palms (for more details, read here), and this presents a unique obstacle. The area of ​​coconut plantations that needs replanting also reaches tens or even hundreds of thousands of hectares. For example, in Riau Province, the target is 43,388 hectares of coconut plantations to be rejuvenated by 2025. In addition to increasing coconut productivity through the use of superior seeds, intensification is also necessary. High coconut productivity and high selling prices are driving this replanting.

Utilizing or producing biochar from coconut fiber is a solution to increase sustainable coconut productivity. Biochar can also significantly support organic coconut plantations. Although coconut trees are generally not fertilized adequately or even not at all, they still bear fruit. Biochar increases fertilizer use efficiency because biochar acts as a slow-release fertilizer agent. Regarding fertilization, coconuts differ significantly from oil palms, which require fertilization for fruiting and are highly dependent on chemical fertilizers. In fact, fertilization is the highest cost component in oil palm plantations. Organic coconut products produce desirable derivative products with high selling prices.

The potential revenue from carbon credits is also very attractive. To obtain carbon credits, or BCR (Biochar Carbon Removal), the biochar application, including the production process, must be verified by a carbon standards agency. Carbon standards agencies such as Puro Earth, Verra, and CSI have developed methodologies that biochar producers must follow to obtain these credits. 

Replanting Palm Oil Plantations and Utilizing Old Palm Oil Trunks Waste (Presentation Version)

Aging plants are one factor in declining palm oil productivity. Palm oil trees begin to decline in productivity after 20 years and need to be replaced after 25 years. Therefore, rejuvenation or replanting must be carried out periodically according to the age of the trees.

Furthermore, the demand for palm oil continues to grow in line with global population growth. For the domestic market, biofuel use takes the form of a mandatory 40% palm oil blend in biodiesel (B40) this year, which is being reviewed to increase to 50% (B50) by 2026, and a 3% blend for jet fuel by 2026. Demand for the international market also continues to grow. The main destinations for Indonesian palm oil are India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Egypt, and South Africa.

Replanting palm oil plantations is crucial because it maintains sustainable palm oil productivity and prevents or reduces deforestation for new lands. The potential volume of old palm oil trunk waste generated is enormous, and there are numerous utilization options, including bioenergy, biocarbon, biomaterials, biofuels, and biochemicals.

To read and access the presentation, please download here. 

Biochar for Sustainable Palm Oil Productivity

The Indonesian government emphasized the importance of sustainable palm oil productivity for food and energy security, as conveyed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, at the opening of ICOPE (International Conference on Palm Oil and Environment) in Sanur, Bali, mid-February 2025. The conference, attended by delegates from various countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, India, the Netherlands, France, Finland, Colombia, and Spain, aims to formulate a sustainable transformation for the palm oil industry. Sustainable palm oil productivity can be increased by land intensification and the use of superior seeds. Even if land expansion is necessary, it must be done without causing deforestation. Meanwhile, for replanting in dry land, it can also be combined with upland rice or corn through intercropping methods.

Biochar is a powerful solution
Palm oil productivity can be increased by improving fertilizer efficiency, or Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE), as part of land intensification. Using the same fertilizer dose with the addition of biochar will increase palm oil productivity by around 20% or more. Fertilizer savings of around 30% with the addition of biochar will keep palm oil productivity relatively stable or at the same level as before. For efforts to increase palm oil productivity while avoiding deforestation, the first option is more appropriate: maintaining the same fertilizer dose as usual, but adding biochar to increase fertilizer efficiency.  

Indonesia's current CPO production reaches approximately 50 million tons/year across 16.4 million hectares, with an average CPO production of 3.55 tons/ha per hectare, or 3.55 million tons per million hectares. If biochar is used and productivity increases by 20%, this means an increase of 10 million tons of CPO per year (a total of 60 million tons of CPO per year), saving approximately 2.8 million hectares of land. The use of biochar will also slow down forest clearing (deforestation) for palm oil plantations.

Besides using biochar to increase palm oil productivity, other benefits from biochar production include the potential for carbon credits (BCR = biochar carbon removal) and the utilization of pyrolysis byproducts for palm oil plantations and palm oil mill operations in CPO production. This method offers several advantages for palm oil companies, such as savings in liquid organic fertilizer and pesticides, and the sale or export of 100% of the palm kernel shells (PKS). In addition to palm oil companies producing their own biochar through pyrolysis, it is also possible to establish separate companies or companies that collaborate with palm oil companies for biochar production under specific agreements.

Global pressure and scrutiny on the palm oil industry to adopt sustainable practices are increasing. Amidst soaring demand for palm oil in both global and domestic markets, increasing palm oil productivity is inevitable. Utilizing biomass waste from palm oil mills and plantations, such as empty fruit bunches (EFB) and trunks (OPT), for biochar production, and using biochar to increase palm oil productivity, is a powerful solution to address these challenges. Even for replanting dryland with upland rice or corn using intercropping methods, the use of biochar will also have a positive and significant impact on these intercrops. 

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. 

EFB Biochar and Fertilizer Savings in Palm Oil Plantations

High palm oil plantation productivity and high oil yield has always been a goal in the palm oil business. The nutrient estimates needed to produce 25 tons of FFB / ha / year were 192 N, 11 P, 209 K, 36 Mg, and 71 Ca in kg / ha / year. With the production of 25 tons of FFB / ha / year palm oil or CPO crude will produce around 6.5 tons (25% of FFB). Analogy in the field of animal husbandry where the feed component holds 75% of production costs or is the highest cost component, as well as fertilizer, especially in palm oil plantations. Fertilizer is the most expensive cost or 60% of total maintenance costs. To achieve this productivity, the calculation practically of the need is more or less as follows: an afdeling with an area of ​​1,000 hectares with 1 hectare consisting of 143 trees, so there are 143,000 trees of palm oil. If the dose per tree is 2.5 kg, then the fertilizer needs are 357,500 kg (357.5 tons), with the price of non-subsidized chemical fertilizers for example Rp 10,000 / kg, the cost incurred is 3,575,000,000 (Rp. 3,575 billion or US$ 238,333). If an area of ​​10,000 hectares means fertilizer needs of Rp. 35.75 billion (US$ 2,383,33), whereas if the oil palm plantation is 20,000 hectares, it will reach Rp. 71.50 billion (US$ 4,766,667). Of course an amount that is not small.

The question is what efforts can be made to reduce fertilizer costs but increase palm productivity. One contradictory thing seems to be because it reduces the supply of fertilizer but expects high productivity. This is where we need to examine and explore the facts that occur in the field. With a tropical climate and high rainfall, it makes large leached fertilizers. A condition, for example in hilly and bumpy areas, when the rain falls, the fertilizer that is washed is very large, even in vain fertilization is done because it is not absorbed by the palm trees as the target. The high level of leaching from the use of fertilizers by rainwater makes only available a small amount of available fertilizer in real terms or a number of analyzes said averaging only 50%. With the available fertilizers there are only a few that are also automatically absorbed by the palm trees. When for example washing (leaching) can be reduced by only 30%, it means that the fertilizer that is still available becomes 70%, so that the fertilizer is absorbed more and more and the productivity of the palm oil fruit also increases.

The initial stage that can be done is the cost of the same fertilizer but the productivity of the palm oil fruit can increase up to for example 30%. Furthermore, if this can be achieved, fertilizer consumption will be reduced for example up to 30% but palm oil productivity can be maintained at that level. This is possible when biochar has become a microbial colony and the quality of the soil increases so that uptake of fertilizer is maximal. Biochar is one of the media that can be used for this. An empty fruit bunch that is widely available in palm oil mills and is generally not utilized as a raw material for biochar production. A palm oil mill with a production capacity of 60 tons / hour FFB will produce EFB 13.2 tons / hour so that if the palm oil mill operates 20 hours / day the EFB produced 264 tons / day. The production of biochar with pyrolysis can also produce liquid smoke which can also be used as fertilizer.

Why can biochar be used to increase palm oil productivity and even reduce fertilizer consumption? This is because biochar with its pores with a surface area of ​​about 200 m2 / gram can hold the fertilizer from washing, maintain moisture and many soil microbes that can live in these pores thus improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Biochar can last up to hundreds of years in the soil so it does not need to be added every year when the amount is sufficient. Biochar implementation can be started from small scale to massive scale. To process empty fruit bunches (EFB)  in the palm oil mill into biochar, a continuous pyrolysis equiment is needed, to be more clearly read here. To monitor the effectiveness of biochar on oil palm plantations today can use internet technology or IoT (Internet of Things) and for more details can be read here and here.