With an approximate production of 305,758 hectares of oil palm and more of it, close to 80% being cultivated by private small-scale farmers, research in Ghana shows that value can be added to oil palm production to support food crop.
“Poverty, malnutrition and unemployment are very high in rural Ghana. The oil palm waste left after taking out palm fruits from bunches – is right at their doorstep in large quantities and our research shows the waste could give these people hope for a better future,” says Dr. Oppong Danso.
He further explains that huge amounts of oil palm waste are produced in oil palm plantations in Ghana and that, everyday, about 300 tons of such waste is produced yet, unfortunately wasted away through burning, becoming harmful to the environment.
Oppong says the growing vegetable market in Ghana alongside the declining soil fertility needs to be supported by such organic fertilizers for the benefit of the farmers and better health of the consumers “because there are no harmful chemicals connected to use of palm oil wastes on plants as fertilizers.”
“Throwing just 30kg of the oil palm waste on eggplant fields can increase the yield from 60 tons per hectare to 140 tons per hectare – This was shown at an experiment conducted in the Okumaning village of Eastern Ghana,” confirms Dr. Oppong Danso.
In Uganda however, where palm oil growing is mainly concentrated in the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria Kalangala district, the palm oil wastes at the BIDCO production industry is reportedly ditched up and the rotten substance is later unearthed before being returned to the palm oil gardens as fertilizers.
Henry Lubulwa, a palm oil farmer in Kalangala says, the decanter cake decomposition from the factory is also used by farmers in animal husbandry to produce Black flies larvae which is a protein food for mainly fish, chicken and pigs.
However, according to some studies, the processing and use of decanter cake fertilizer to some degree, exposes the earth to global warming because much as 52% of the ash that is used as fertilizers, research has proven that decanter cake carbonized at 500 degrees Celsius, contains only 4% moisture, and the rest are, 21% of volatile and 23% of fixed carbon which are dangerous gases.
In the book: “Palm Oil Mill Solid Waste Generation and Uses in Rural Area in Benin Republic: Retrospection and Future Outlook,” written by;Tatiana W. Koura, Gustave D. Dagbenonbakin, Valentin M. Kindomihou and Brice A. Sinsin and published: September 6th, 2017, following their research on palm oil mill wastes as fertilizers, in Benin Republic, composting is less practiced and wastes are only left in heaps to decompose at a slower pace.
In Nigeria, however, the same findings show that chemical components of the ash from the palm oil wastes contains appreciable amount of plant nutrients such as calcium (146.15 mg/kg), potassium (139.35 mg/kg), nitrate (97.6 mg/kg), phosphate (47.5 mg/kg), sodium (0.63 mg/kg), magnesium (1.68 mg/kg), and zinc (0.38 mg/kg) and justifying its use as an organic manure.
Another test was made using fresh palm oil solid wastes as fertilizers in palm plantations, a common method used mulching, and it was confirmed to have improved soils nutrients, and avoided the danger of Ganoderma boninense – a fungal plant disease and pests like, Rhinoceros beetles.
However, composting of palm oil mill wastes is considered as the sustainable method of use as fertilizers but this, scientists say, has to be done in a way that doesn’t gravely affect the atmosphere.
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