AFRICAN
OIL PALM
INTRODUCTION
Elaeis guineensis is a species of
palm commonly just called oil palm
but also sometimes African oil
palm or macaw-fat. The first
Western person to describe it and
bring back seeds was the French
naturalist Michel Adanson.
BOTANY
The African oil palm, scientifically known as Elaeis
guineensis, is a tall palm tree that belongs to the
monocotyledon class. It has a single, upright trunk and a
crown of feathery leaves. This palm, native to the
western and central regions of Africa, produces separate
male and female flowers, and is a vital source of palm oil.
MORPHOLOGY
The African oil palm, scientifically known as Elaeis
guineensis, is a tall palm tree that belongs to the
monocotyledon class. It has a single, upright trunk and a
crown of feathery leaves. This palm, native to the
western and central regions of Africa, produces separate
male and female flowers, and is a vital source of palm oil.
MORPHOLOGY
A tall palm with a
single, smooth trunk
topped by a crown of
large, feathery leaves
(up to 5 meters long).
MORPHOLOGY
Reproduction:
Monoecious, with
separate male and
female flowers on the
same plant. Wind and
insects (including
specialized weevils) aid
pollination.
MORPHOLOGY
Fruit: Ovoid-oblong
drupes grouped in
large bunches,
containing an oily
mesocarp and a kernel-
containing endocarp.
Oil Production: Two
types of oil: palm oil
(from the mesocarp) and
palm kernel oil (from the
kernel), used in cooking,
food processing, and
various products.
MORPHOLOGY
Bud: A single bud at the crown base
produces new leaves and flowers.
Leaf Arrangement: Mature leaves are
spirally arranged, with leaflets in
pairs on either side of the central
axis.
Petiole: Broad petioles (leaf stalks)
have spiny edges and clasp the stem at
their base.
• Male Inflorescence:
Characterized by dense,
cylindric spikes, 7-12 cm
long and about 1 cm in
diameter.
• Female Inflorescence:
Dense and branched, 20-
30 cm long, with flowers
densely arranged.
TENERA
- A hybrid created by crossing the
Dura (thick-shelled) and Pisifera
(shell-less) varieties.
- Characterized by a thicker
mesocarp and a thinner shell,
leading to a higher yield of palm
oil.
DURA
The Dura variety of the African oil palm is
the original, wild type found in West and
Central Africa. It is characterized by a
thick shell surrounding the kernel and a
thin mesocarp, the fleshy part of the fruit
that contains the palm oil. This means
that Dura palms produce a relatively small
amount of palm oil compared to other
varieties
PISIFERA
The Pisifera variety of African oil palm is
characterized by its lack of a shell around
the kernel. While it possesses a thick
mesocarp (the fleshy part containing oil),
its poor female fertility results in low
yields, making it unsuitable for
commercial oil production.
- While Tenera is the
dominant variety, other
types exist based on fruit
color:
Nigrescens: Black or
brownish-red fruit.
Virescens: Green or orange
fruit.
Albescens: Pulp lacking
carotenoids (pigments).
FACTS & BENEFITS
High Yield: Oil palm
boasts the highest oil
yield per hectare.
Versatile Oil: Palm
oil's uses span food,
cosmetics, soaps, and
biofuel
FACTS & BENEFITS
Nutritional Benefits:
Red palm oil, in
particular, is rich in
vitamins A and E,
including
tocotrienols, and is a
source of
antioxidants.
PROPAGATION METHOD
African oil palm is mainly
propagated by seed (requiring
extraction, pre-heating, and
soaking), or via tissue culture
(somatic embryogenesis), which
offers mass propagation but faces
germination and variation
challenges.
COMMON
PEST
Defoliators:
Caterpillars cause
leaf damage,
reducing yield.
Leaf/Fruit Scrapers:
Pests scrape leaves and
fruit, impacting yield
and quality.
Borers:
Borers damage stems
and trunks,
weakening the palm.
Sap Feeders:
Sap-feeding insects
weaken the plant
and affect its
growth.
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
CHEMICAL CONTROL
Lambda- cyhalothrin
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
TRUNK INJECTION
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
BIOLOGICAL.CONTROL
Natural Predators
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Parasitoids
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
CULTUTAL PRACTICES
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
INTEGRATED PEST
MANAGEMENT
(IPM)
