Abstract
Oil palm constitutes important components in meeting both domestic and industrial requirement of the Nigerian economy due to its high oil yield per hectare per year. The need for research into soil and nutrient requirements of oil palm was as result of nutrient deficiency symptoms; poor growth and declining yields manifested by the crop in condition of low soil fertility and nutrient imbalance, hence the need for fertilizer application for good yield to be obtained. This study was conducted by reviewing the soil nutrient balance and fertilizer use research conducted at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research and works of other researchers. It also includes studies conducted on the use of locally sourced rock mineral fertilizers. Results of these old fertilizer trials emphasized the need for soil and site specificity in their fertilizer requirements. The studies revealed that one or more of the elements N, P, K, and Mg are usually in high demand for optimum yield. In the light of the aforementioned, the following were recommended; there is need to ensure adequate supply and quality certification of fertilizers used for the various trials; the studies on oil palm response to fertilizers in Nigeria should be extended to the other parts of the country which is perceived to be marginal in terms of soil and climatic conditions for oil palm cultivation; following recent changes in climatic conditions, there is need to re-establish the earlier trials which gave rise to the present fertilizer recommendation for oil palm cultivation.
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Oviasogie, P.O. et al. (2018). A Review of Study on Fertilizer Response by the Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Nigeria. In: Bationo, A., Ngaradoum, D., Youl, S., Lompo, F., Fening, J. (eds) Improving the Profitability, Sustainability and Efficiency of Nutrients Through Site Specific Fertilizer Recommendations in West Africa Agro-Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58789-9_17
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