Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Oil Palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq.

Abstract

The edible oil of Elaeis guineensis Jacq., oil palm, is crucial in filling the demand gap and meet the growing need for edible oil worldwide. Although all precautions have been taken to minimize the introduction of pest populations along with seed sprouts from importing countries, some pests are still found to invade crops and cause production losses. Most of these populations have been found to come from other Arecaceae palms such as coconut, palmyrah and betel nut that may be commonly found around oil palm fields. It has been estimated that the above pests reduced oil palm yield by 20–30%, persisted for several years after attack, depending on cultivation methods, and returned to previous yield levels within a few years of attack. The minor pests of coconut, palmyrah, and maize, psychid and slug caterpillar were discovered to be very invasive on oil palm, resulting in output losses of up to 50%. The presence of favorable conditions such as low temperature and high humidity within oil palm plantations may possibly be the reason for migration. The production losses caused by these migratory pests affect the sustainability of the produce and thus agriculture, so it is important to apply the good management practices.