Study on the Effect of Various Types of Fertiliser on the Production of Oil Palm Root Cutting

In the context of Indonesia, the cultivation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is extremely significant and the application of diverse fertiliser variants can affect crop yield through the implementation of root-cutting methods.The modification of root morphology is also a strategy to address the issue of suboptimal nutrient uptake and soil physical properties exert a significant influence on the development.Therefore, this study used a nested plot design as the main plot, comprising plants aged 7, 12, and 16 years.The subplots were demarcated by fertiliser types, including control (no fertilisation), single fertiliser K (2.25 kg KCl/tree), palm frond litter (65 kg/tree), and empty fruit bunches (65 kg/tree).Furthermore, the treatment was replicated 4 times, resulting in a total of 48 experimental units.The results showed that plants aged 7 years exhibited the most robust growth compared to 12 and 16 years, across all fertiliser types, as indicated by stem circumference, stem diameter, and NDVI values.Regarding the primary, secondary, and tertiary optimal root distribution, 7 year old plants responded to K fertiliser.However, tertiary distribution did not significantly differ from 12 year-old plants when K fertiliser was applied.The nutrient levels in 7 year old and 12 year old plants varied in terms of pH, organic carbon (C-organic), and potassium (K).