PALM AND FIELD MAINTENANCE (PART 1)

INTRODUCTION

Once planted palms and its environment will require regular periodic attention to ensure proper development. Nutrients already available in the soil will have to be supplemented, competition from weeds and pests will hve to be minimised and other features, crtitical to good plant growth and field management must be maintained operational.

PLANNING
It is useful to know in advance what work should be carried out in relations to maintaining optimum plant and field conditions once palm are planted out in the field and the timing of such operations. these can be best summarised under the various headings provided for the detail of costings:

Immatures & Mature

1. Weeding


2. Roads/Bridges/Path


3. Drains


4. Soil/Water Conservation


5. Cencus/Supplying


6. Ablation/Pollination


7. boundaries


8. Pruning


9. Pests/Diseases


10. Manuring

Immature period is defined as the period between planting and harvesting and depending on environmental conditions and terrain, can vary from 26m to 36m. during this time the palm require the best possible care so that they develop quickly and yield high crop early.

Palms are generally considerd to be generating/developnmg rapidly in the field if new fronds are larger than older ones, with the crown slightly elongated. palms appearing flat at the top are considered poorly grown indicating that the new fronds are shorter than tha old ones, other deficiency symptoms appear and will require corrective attention.

Palms are considered mature once they are harvested and genarally do not require the same level of inputs and attention as immature palms. Notwith-standing this, all aspects of plant/field husbandry must be attend to periodically os as indicated to ensure the development and yields are optimised.

As soon as planting is completed in a field, all activities to be undertaken for the remainder of the period during the year should be programmed for subsequent implementation. the same approached will apply when budget programmes for the subsequent years are drawn up as and when necessary, and the followings should provide a satisfactory guide on palm and field maintenanccce until time of replanting

Weeding

0 - 12 months

From the time of planting, clean weeded circles must be maintained at all times, this is to avoid competetion for nutriens, especially from perennial grasses and woodies. At the early stages, 0 - 6 m, circles may be maintained about 1 m diameter, however subsequent rounds must ensure that circles are weeded up to the droop circle of the palms.

Weeding of plam circles, 0 -12 m from field planting should be carried out by hoeing, ensuring that the palm surface roots are not damaged. Spraying of circles at this stage is not advocates as most herbicides available in the market as considered toxic to young palm below 12 m of age in the fields (exception: Grammoxone/Basta). Frequency of weeding should be monthly, agains this will be dependant on weed regeneration in the circles. Concommittant with the weeding of the circles, the inter-rows must be attended to, to ensure all noxious weeds are weeded out. (If cover crop has been planted, this will require intensive attention for the 1st 6 months, frequency of weeding may have to be stepped up to fortnightly rounds to maintain LCC drills weed free.

13 - 14 months

As palms grow bigger they will cast a heavier shade over a large circle and, because of age, maintenance of theses circles may be undertaken with herbicides. Frequency of rounds will depend greatly on the soil type and weather prevalent and the type of herbicides used, and generally alternate monthly circle spraying should suffice, with theses maintained as wide as palms' droop circle. Noxious weeds in the inter-row may be attended to once every quarter, or 4 rounds during the 2nd year.

25 - 48 months

Most palms would have matured at 28 - 32 months, being due for harvesting, however the circlewill still have to be maintained relatively weed free, as apart from reducing weed competition, efficient loost fruit collection is possible.