The oil palm, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis, is a monocotyledonous plant of the Arecaceae family, native to the tropical regions of West Africa. It is a crop of great economic importance due to the production of palm oil, one of the most widely used vegetable oils worldwide. According to the report of some researchers in Venezuela it was introduced to Venezuela in the 1950s, the crop was promoted as an alternative to diversify the country's agricultural production and take advantage of the favorable climate of some Venezuelan regions. Since then, it has grown in importance as a cash crop in the country.
The palm tree is a monoecious plant that is to say that they have female and male flowers that are produced independently, on the same plant, in addition to this, it can also be said that it is an allogamous plant which means that its pollination is crossed from one plant to another by the wind or by certain organisms present in the agroecosystem. The following are the botanical characteristics of the plant, as indicated by Ruiz, 1981:
- Stem: It has a single, erect and unbranched thallus, which can reach considerable heights, although in commercial plantations it is usually kept at a lower height to facilitate harvesting.
- Leaves: Large, pinnate (they have numerous foliolos) and compound, arranged in a spiral at the top of the stem. They are dark green and have a vital function in photosynthesis.
Roots: Fibrous and superficial, they spread horizontally in search of nutrients and water, they are concentrated in the first 50 cm of the soil.
Inflorescences: large and branched, they develop in the axil of the leaves. They can be male or female, and in some varieties, both can be present on the same plant.
- Fruits: They are red or black drupes, grouped in clusters, each fruit contains a seed, from which palm oil is extracted. If a cross-section of the fruit is made, several parts can be observed such as the exocarp which is the outer part of the fruit, you can also observe the mesocarp or the pulp of the fruit which can be yellowish orange and very oily, finally you can see the endocarp that would come to be cuesco of the seed or nut.
Among other characteristics it can be mentioned that the oil palm is a long-lived plant, being able to reach 100 years in natural conditions, however, in commercial plantations it is usually renewed every 25-30 years.The cultivation of oil palm requires tropical and subtropical climatic conditions, with high temperatures and abundant rainfall. The production of palm oil involves several stages, from the harvesting of the fruits to the extraction and refining of the oil.
Dear readers, the state of Zulia, and in particular the southern region of the Lake where we are, presents several favorable agroecological conditions for the cultivation of oil palm for this reason it is a potentially productive area for the cultivation of oil palm, as long as good agronomic management practices are implemented. The harvest begins approximately between 36 and 48 months after the planting in the field of the plantation, it consists of the manual cutting of the bunches, the collection and hauling of these by mules, from the internal part of the plantation to the roads and the subsequent transfer of the same to the reception center or fruit center, for the extraction process.
| Bibliographic references |
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- Ruiz, R. (1981). The African oil palm. Issues of agricultural orientation. Bogota, Colombia.
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