Annual Research Report 2012 PNG Oil Palm Research Association Inc. Dami Research Station, P.O. Box 97, Kimbe, West New Britain Province 621, Papua New Guinea Tel +675 9854009 • Fax +675 9854040 • [email protected] 2012 Annual Research Report PNG Oil Palm Research Association INC © Copyright PNG OPRA 2013 2012 Annual Research Report Content CONTENTS Page CONTENTS a List of Tables d List of Figures g List of Plates j REPORT BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH I 1. AGRONOMY SECTION 1-1 Overview 1-1 Hargy Oil palm Limited 1-4 Summary 1-4 Trial 205: EFB x P x Mg x N Fertiliser Trial on Volcanic soils, Hargy 1-6 Trial 211: Systematic N Fertiliser Trial on Volcanic soils, Navo Estate 1-13 Trial 212: Systematic N Fertiliser Trial on Volcanic soils, Hargy Estate 1-18 Trial 214: Phosphorous (TSP) Fertiliser Placement Trial on Volcanic soils, Hargy Plantation 1-23 Trial 216: N x P x K Trial on Volcanic soils at Barema Plantation 1-28 Trial 217: N x P x K trial on Volcanic soils at Navo Estate, 1-31 Trial 220: N x P x K x Mg trial on Volcanic soils at Alaba Estate, 1-33 Smallholder Hargy Oil Palm Bialla 1-34 Overview 1-34 NEW BRITAIN PALM OIL LTD, WEST NEW BRITAIN 1-35 Trial 139: Palm Spacing Trial, Kumbango 1-35 NBPOL, Kula Group, Milne Bay Estates 1-40 Trial 517: New K placement trial at Maiwara Estate 1-40 Trial 516: New NxK trial at Maiwara Estate 1-42 Trial 513: Spacing and Thinning Trial, Padipadi 1-44 Trial 331 Spacing and Thinning Trial, Ambogo Estate, Higaturu Oil Palm 1-47 NBPOL, Kula Group, Popondetta 1-50 Trial 334: Nitrogen x Phosphorus Trial (Mature Phase) on Volcanic Ash Soils, Sangara Estate 1-50 Trial 335. Nitrogen x TSP Trial (Immature Phase) on Outwash Plains Soils, Ambogo Estate 1-54 Small Holder Research 1-62 Trial 218: Smallholder oil palm/food crop intercropping demo block, Kabaiya LSS (AIGS funded) 1-62 Trial 219: i) Smallholder Leaf Sampling, (RSPO 4.2, 4.3, 8.1) 1-66 Smallholder block selection and sampling 1-66 T219: ii) Smallholder Block Assessments 1-70 Smallholder Research Report in 2012, Oro Oil Palm Project 1-73 Trial 336: SMALL holder Leaf Sampling 1-74 Smallholder Block Assessments 1-75 Trial 337: Smallholder oil palm/food crop intercropping demo block, Sangara and Biru in Oro Province (AIGS funded) 1-79 Trial 520: Milne Bay Smallholder fertiliser/BMP demonstration blocks 1-88 Trial 256: New Ireland Smallholder fertiliser/BMP demonstration blocks 1-89 Trial 257: New Ireland Oil palm smallholder food security demonstration blocks 1-93 Trial 150: Smallholder fertiliser application/BMP demonstration blocks (WNBP) 1-94 Trial 151: Smallholder oil palm/food crop intercropping demo block, Buvusi, Hoskins Project 1-105 Project report: ‘Sustainable Management of soil and Water resources under Oil palm in Papua New Guinea’ ACIAR 2009-2013 1-111 Field Monitoring and experiment 1-111 a 2012 Annual Research Report PNG Oil Palm Research Association INC Cross objectives activities: “allometrics” 1-112 Cross objective activities : “scan” experiment 1-112 Cross objective activities : ‘replant’ experiment 1-113 Cross objective experiment activities: ‘FOPEC’ experiment 1-113 Objective 1: To determine by indicator soil health 1-114 Objective 2: To develop indicators of nutrient balances 1-114 Objective 3: To develop indicators of carbon sequestration 1-117 Objective 4: To develop indicators of aquatic ecosystem health 1-117 Potential anthropogenic chemical inputs 1-122 Objective 5: to develop a crop system model 1-124 Objective 6: Implementation 1-128 Assessing nitrogen fixation by Calopogonium caeruleum, Pueraria phaseoloides and Mucuna pruriens using the xylem ureide technique under oil palm in West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea 1-130 COLLABORATION ON THE USE OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS 1-134 Introduction 1-134 Summary 1-135 2. ENTOMOLOGY SECTION 2-1 Summary 2-1 General operational work 2-1 Projects 2-1 Operational Research 2-2 Introduction 2-2 General issues 2-2 Oil palm pest reports 2-4 Pest Infestation Reports in 2012 2-7 Pest Damage Levels, Management Recommendations and Targeted Trunk Injection (TTI) in 2012 2-10 Other pest reports 2-15 Lepidoptera 2-15 Hemiptera 2-16 Coleoptera (rhinoceros beetles, weevils, white grubs) 2-16 Rodents and other Vertebrates 2-18 Weeds 2-18 Data base of the fauna on oil palm 2-19 Endnote reference database (reprints and abstracts) 2-19 Pest infestation database (PID) 2-19 Methamidophos usage database (MUD) 2-19 Seed production unit (SPU) pest monitoring traps 2-19 Applied research 2-20 Evaluation of alternative insecticides to methamidophos (Monitor®) for the control of sexavae and stick insects (ME, RD, EK) 2-20 Pheromone trapping of Oryctes rhinoceros L. (Rhinoceros beetle) in New Ireland Province (ME, EK, RD) 2-22 Psychidae (Bagworm) monitoring in Northern (Oro) Province (ME, SN) 2-26 Sexavae (S. decoratus and S. defoliaria): Fecundity, Survival and Embryonic Development 2-29 Regular OPIC Sexavae Egg Sampling and Dissection Programmes for Monitoring: Siki and Buvussi Divisions of the Hoskins Project, WNB 2-34 Biological Control Agents Rearing and Releases 2-35 Field Monitoring of Pollinating Weevil (Elaeidobius kamerunicus) 2-38 Arthropod Survey Program for Stream Health Monitoring (Smallholder Agricultural Development Project- SADP Project 2-40 Publications 2-46 b 2012 Annual Research Report Content Training, Field days and radio broadcasts 2-47 Student training 2-48 IPM working group meeting with hargy oil palms 2-49 International conferencesS 2-49 Donor funded project reports 2-49 Visitors to entomology section (Dami Head office) in 2012 2-50 Reference cited 2-51 3. PLANT PATHOLOGY SECTION 3-1 Epidemiology and control of Basal stem rot 3-1 Introduction 3-1 Monitoring the effects of disease on production in selected blocks 3-8 Yield studies on ganoderma-infected palms 3-9 Biological control of Ganoderma with Trichoderma spp. 3-9 Screening for Ganoderma resistance sucesptibility 3-9 Bogia coconut syndrome 3-11 Testing of coconut and insect samples 3-11 BCS vector study- ACIAR funded 3-11 Publication, conferences and travel 3-11 Travel 3-11 OTHER ACTIVITIES 3-12 Project administration 3-12 Disease reports 3-12 Training 3-12 Acknowledgements 3-13 4. SOCIO-ECONOMICS SECTION 4-1 Introduction 4-1 Commercial sector/smallholder partnerships for improving incomes in the oil palm and cocoa industries in Papua New Guinea. ACIAR Project ASEM/2006/127 (in collaboration with Curtin University) 4-1 SADP Smallholder Engagement Strategy (in collaboration with Curtin University) 4-2 Mobile Card Awareness 4-9 Improving food security and marketing opportunities for women in smallholder cash crop production. Agricultural Innovative Grant Scheme (AIGS Project #9120) 4-10 Smallholder production database. 4-11 Bialla plantation worker study 4-11 Collaboration with OPIC 4-12 Mainstreaming of Cross Cutting Issues: HIV & AIDS into PNGOPRA Programmes 4- 12 Community Activities 4-13 World Food Day 4-13 References 4-14 5. ROUND TABLE FOR SUSTAINABLE OIL PALM RSPO 5-1 c 2012 Annual Research Report PNG Oil Palm Research Association INC LIST OF TABLES Table 1. FFB production (MT) 2012 and comparison with 2011 production ............................................I Table 2. Planted Area of Oil palmin Production (ha) – December 2012 ...................................................I Table 3. PNGOPRA Members Voting Rights in 2013. ........................................................................... II Table 4. HargyOil Palms Ltd: Synopsis of 2012 PNGOPRA trial results and recommendations. ........ 1-5 Table 5. Apparent adequate tissue nutrient levels: ................................................................................ 1-5 Table 6. Trial 205 background information. .......................................................................................... 1-6 Table 7. Fertilizer and EFB treatments applied in Trial 205 in 2012 .................................................... 1-7 Table 8. Treatment effects (main) on yield and its parameters in 2012 and 2010-2012. ....................... 1-9 Table 9. Tissue nutrient concentration for Trial 205 in 2012 .............................................................. 1-10 Table 10. Effect (p values) of treatments on vegetative growth parameters in 2012. .......................... 1-11 Table 11. Effect of AN and TSP on number of green fronds .............................................................. 1-11 Table 12. Trial 211 background information. ...................................................................................... 1-13 Table 13. Nitrogen treatments and rates .............................................................................................. 1-14 Table 14. Main effects of treatments on FFB yield (t/ha), Bunch number (b/palm and b/ha) and SBW (kg/bunch) by N rate for 2012 and 2010-2012. ................................................................................... 1-15 Table 15. Effects (p values) of treatments on frond 17 nutrient concentrations in 2012. .................... 1-16 Table 16 Leaflet N (% dm) over time................................................................................................... 1-16 Table 17. Main effects of N treatments on vegetative growth parameters in 2012. ............................ 1-17 Table 18. Trial 212 background information. ...................................................................................... 1-18 Table 19. Nitrogen treatments and rates. ............................................................................................