A review on the potential of empty fruit bunch (EFB) compost as growing medium for oil palm seedling production

• Published in: Food Research
• Main Author: Zakri N.A.; Adam S.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Rynnye Lyan Resources 2021
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85133898663&doi=10.26656%2ffr.2017.5%28S4%29.003&partnerID=40&md5=33c45919177069c0bfe0b4a8a3a0745b

The oil palm industry is among the important sectors in Malaysia. The productions of palm oil keep increasing year by year due to high demand from other countries, generating an abundance of wastes from the field and the mill. These wastes may significantly affect the environment. Composting is one of the methods to reduce the volume of waste. The compost material is widely used especially in agriculture activities due to its properties which have been enhanced during the composting process. Empty fruit bunch (EFB) compost mostly returns to the soil as mulch to conserve soil moisture and acts as organic fertilizer since it contains high nutrients needed by the plant. Currently, the depletion of fertile soil leads to less availability of growing medium, especially in the nursery. The properties of the growing medium are important to ensure better root development of seedlings and subsequently affect the overall plant growth. Therefore, numerous studies have been conducted to identify the suitable growing medium as a substitute for topsoil which is currently limited to raising seedlings in the nursery. This review examines the current methods of composting EFB and provides summarized research information on the effect of EFB compost on oil palm seedling growth. The oil palm wastes that are properly managed could produce value-added by-products and promotes sustainable agriculture practices. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Rynnye Lyan Resources.