LAND LIMITING FACTORS FOR OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT IN BOLAANG MONGONDOW REGENCY, INDONESIA
Johannes E.X. Rogi1, Johan A. Rombang2 and Josephus I. Kalangi3
1Agronomy Lab. Faculty of Agriculture, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado Indonesia
2Soil Science Lab. Faculty of Agriculture, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado Indonesia
3Agroclimatology Lab. Faculty of Agriculture, Sam Ratulangi University,Manado Indonesia
Chairman of Indonesian Agricultural Economics Association of Palembang
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ABSTRACT
Without land, palm trees would not be economical to commercial cultivation. Climate elements are parts offactors that determine the level of land suitability. Each type of plant needsa certain range of climatic elements in each phase of growth. Climateelements in certain circumstances can be a limiting factor in crop growth stage and aserious problem since they are difficult to control. Therefore, climate elements play important role in improving crop yield and crop quality. The higher the desired yield andquality of a crop, the moresuitable the climate elements should be. Besides climate elements, soil characteristics also play important role in crop yield and quality.In this research, soil physical and chemical characteristics that were measured and observed consist of drainage, texture, depth, clay-cation exchange capacity, base saturation, pH, C-organic content, electrical conductivity, slope gradient, flood risk, and rock outcrops. Based on USDA soil taxonomy,soil types in the study area consist of Typic Endoaquepts, Typic Hapludalfs, Typic Eutrudepts, and Typic Udorthents. Further result also indicated that soil depth was the predominant, serious limiting factor for the development of oil palm plantation. Another serious limiting factor is the slope gradient greater than 40%. Severalminor limiting factors in the study area are drainage, flood risk, and air temperature.
Keywords: Oil palm,land, climate, limiting factors.