Productivity of the Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Malaysia

SUMMARY Crop Growth Rate, Leaf Area Index, Net Assimilation Rate and Harvest Index were estimated for oil palms in nine age groups growing on coastal alluvial soils in Malaysia. The mean Crop Growth Rate of mature palms was 29·83 t./ha./yr, with a Leaf Area Index of 3·61, and Net Assimilation Rate was 0·16 gm./dm. 2 /wk. Photosynthetic efficiency was about 2·2 per cent. Oil constituted about 17 per cent of total dry matter production. Possibilities for improving the yield of oil are briefly discussed.