Oil Palm Plot

The oil palm plot is a resource for research into this crop of critical importance for global food production, the economies of tropical countries, profitability of corporations and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. There are no commercial oil palm plantations in Australia and this is the only experimental plot, apart from a small collection of trees in the Northern Territory. The plot therefore provides a unique resource to complement the research we carry out overseas, particularly in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It consists of 54 commercial hybrid (Elaeis guineensis Dura x pisifera) trees of the same elite family, sourced from Dami and planted in 2020. The trees are spaced at 9 m and are not irrigated. The plot will be used for studies of hydrology, soil condition, carbon cycling, nutrient cycling, plant physiology and insect ecology, by academic staff and students.