Palm wine and fruit yield responses of oil palm (Elaeis guinensis) trees to pruning frequency and season in the rain forest ecology of southern Nigeria

Abstract

Experiments were carried out between 2014 and 2017 at Iwuru oil palm plantation, Biase Cross River State Nigeria, to evaluate the effect of pruning of oil palms on yield. The experiments were laid out in a 2 3 factorial consisting of the following factors: Intensity of pruning, time of pruning and frequency of pruning. The plots were somewhat irregular in size but mostly of 20 palms. The three treatments were applied to each of nine randomized blocks. The results showed that severe pruning of palms significantly (P<0.05; P<0.01) reduced yields of oil palms such that yield values obtained from severe pruning were lower than all other values under similar experimental conditions. The differences between treatment A and B in terms of leaf pruning were not statistically significant, indicating that there was no benefit from the regular removal of dead leaves as compared with the control (no pruning except during harvest). The two best treatments were those which involved the minimum of pruning, although annual clearing was better than no pruning. The treatments affected number and size of branches. These results also showed that for Southern Nigeria Conditions, at least any pruning up to a bunch or inflorescence is likely to reduce the subsequent yields even if the leaf is one that has to be removed at the time of harvesting to gain access to the ripe bunch. These results are discussed in light of effect of pruning on oil palm in Southern Nigeria.