Hello dear beloved community and the lovers of good agricultural practices. Today I wish to share how to select and get an oil palm seedlings ready and how to ensure a safe transportation.
Selection: Selecting healthy oil palm seedlings is crucial for successful transplantation. Avoid unhealthy or undersized seedlings. Choose those free from pests, with a height of about 80cm, using a meter rule. If short on meter rules, consider using an 80cm measured stick, especially if you have multiple workers.
Pruning: Proper pruning is essential for oil palm seedlings. Trim overgrown fronds and remove dried, short fronds at the base using well-cleaned, sharp pruning tools like cutlasses or shears. This not only ensures sunlight reaches lower fronds but also facilitates easier handling for loading and stacking on tractors.
- Irrigation: It is important to water the seedlings adequately before uprooting them to reduce the stress and risk of wilting during transportation. Water the seedlings a day or 2 before you uproot the seedlings to allows it absorb the moisture. Avoid over watering the seedlings to prevent waterlogging and root issues. To avoid problem of over watering, ensure the seedlings recieve one liter of water by keeping a calibration pale within the irrigation site.
- Stacking oil palm seedlings in tractor: This can be done by carefully arranging the pruned seedlings in a way they fit well in the tractors which minimizes the damage during transit. Avoid over stacking the seedlings to prevent them from falling off during transit.
Ensure safe transportation: When transporting the seedlings, avoid sudden stops, sharp bends, or speeding on a bumpy road, as it may potentially dislodge or damage the loaded seedlings.
Post-Transport Care: Once the seedlings reaches their planting site, make sure they are planted immediately. If there is delay in the planting operations, then make sure they are placed in a shaded area and water them to keep the roots from drying out.
By following these steps, you will ensure that the pruned Oil Palm seedlings are properly prepared for safe and efficient transportation while maintaining their health for successful planting.
Thank you for taking your time to read and I wish you success as you practice a safe and healthy oil palm seedlings.
