Cover crops
The replant-year cover-crop establishment calendar (Sabah and Sarawak)
The replant year is the single best chance to get a legume cover crop established, because the canopy is open,...
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Discover science-backed research on organic farming, soil health, and sustainable agriculture. Chemiseed's expert articles guide you toward better crops and healthier soil.
Cover crops
Calopogonium caeruleum vs Calopogonium mucunoides: when to choose which
The short answer is that they solve different problems at different stages. Calopogonium mucunoides is the fast, cheap pioneer that...
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Cover crops
The cost stack: cover crop vs herbicide vs manual weeding
Comparing weed control by cover crop, herbicide, or manual weeding is not a single price comparison; it is a cost...
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Cover crops
Stylosanthes guianensis for manganese-toxic acid soils
Stylosanthes guianensis is a tropical forage legume that tolerates the acid, low-fertility soils where many other cover crops struggle, which...
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Cover crops
Designing a cover-crop seed mix for oil palm
A single legume cannot do everything an oil palm block needs across its life. One species establishes fast but fades...
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Cover crops
Rubber tree interrow cover crops in Malaysia: managing Hevea soil health with leguminous ground cover
Rubber smallholders in Malaysia manage 1.1 million hectares of Hevea brasiliensis: much of it on low-fertility acid soils with no...
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Cover crops
Cover crop management during Malaysian dry spells: how to protect your interrow through El Nino conditions
El Nino-driven dry spells increasingly affect Malaysian oil palm regions. Well-managed cover crops provide a biological moisture conservation system that...
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Cover crops
Biological nitrogen fixation in Malaysian oil palm: how legume cover crops reduce synthetic fertiliser dependence
Leguminous cover crops fix 50 to 180 kg of atmospheric nitrogen per hectare per year in Malaysian oil palm: nitrogen...
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Cover crops
Calopogonium caeruleum: the shade-tolerant cover crop that protects Malaysian oil palm soil through canopy closure
Calopogonium caeruleum displays higher overall shade tolerance than 14 other tropical legumes tested in Malaysia. As oil palm canopy closes...
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Cover crops
Pueraria javanica vs Mucuna bracteata: choosing the right cover crop for your Malaysian oil palm block
Mucuna bracteata and Pueraria javanica are the two most widely used leguminous cover crops in Malaysian oil palm. They have...
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Cover crops
Establishing cover crops in immature oil palm: ground cover strategy for the first three years
The first three years after replanting are the most critical window for establishing the ground cover system that will protect...
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Cover crops
Mucuna bracteata vs herbicide: the cost and effectiveness comparison every oil palm planter should know
Research shows Mucuna bracteata suppresses weeds by 97 to 99% in Malaysian oil palm: comparable to herbicide programmes at a...
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Cover crops
Without the right bacteria, your nitrogen-fixing cover crop is just a weed
Biological nitrogen fixation in cover crops requires specific Bradyrhizobium strains matched to the species and soil pH. Without inoculation on...
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Cover crops
Before the first seed hits the soil: how priming transforms cover crop establishment
Poor establishment in the first month is the top reason cover crop programmes fail in Malaysian estates. Seed priming techniques...
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Cover crops
Living mulch vs bare soil: the soil moisture data Malaysian planters need to see
With El Nino events intensifying in Malaysia, cover crop mulch is a low-cost tool for reducing soil evaporation by 20-60%...
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Cover crops
The forgotten legume: why Centrosema pubescens deserves a second look in your young planting
Most Malaysian planters default to Mucuna bracteata or Pueraria javanica but Centrosema pubescens outperforms both under closed canopy conditions. This...
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Cover crops
Why your cover crop failed: 7 common mistakes and how to fix them
Cover crop establishment does not always go to plan. This troubleshooting guide identifies the 7 most common reasons cover crops...
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Cover crops
Multi-species cover crop mixes: why blending PJ, CM, and CC outperforms single-species planting
Single-species cover crop plantings leave gaps in performance. A well-designed multi-species blend of PJ, CM, and CC delivers faster establishment,...
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Cover crops
Cover crop seed buyer's guide for Malaysian plantations
A practical buyer's guide covering species selection, seed quality standards, seeding rates, cost planning, and supplier evaluation for plantation managers...
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Cover crops
Mucuna bracteata in oil palm: a field guide for distributors and estate managers
A practical field guide for distributors and estate managers on establishing and managing Mucuna bracteata in oil palm plantations, with...
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Cover crops
Sugarcane on acidic soil: how combination treatments are changing yields in the Philippines
Philippine sugarcane on acidic Ultisols yields 30–50% below potential. This guide examines how combination treatments — liming, humic acid, and...
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Cover crops
Green manure in rice: the nitrogen hack that isn't fertilizer
Green manure cover crops can supply 40–80 kg N/ha to rice systems, enough to replace half the synthetic urea input....
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Cover crops
Coconut's real problem in dry season: bare soil evaporation
Coconut palms lose more water to bare soil evaporation than to their own transpiration during dry season. This guide shows...
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Cover crops
Fusarium TR4 in banana: a soil and sanitation management overview
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is the most devastating threat to global banana production. This guide examines...
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Cover crops
Durian below pH 5.0: how acidic soil relates to stem canker risk and soil management
Most Malaysian durian orchards sit on soils below pH 5.0, creating ideal conditions for Phytophthora-driven stem canker. This guide examines...
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Cover crops
Building healthier soil for cacao: a biological approach to black pod pressure
Black Pod disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora destroys up to 40% of global cacao production annually. This guide examines how...
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Cover crops
Tapping panel dryness in rubber: a potassium recycling strategy
Tapping Panel Dryness costs Malaysian rubber estates millions in lost latex. This guide examines how potassium recycling through leguminous cover...
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Cover crops
After dry stress, trees rebuild: here is how to help
How trees recover after drought stress and what plantation managers can do with amino acid foliar feeds and soil conditioning...
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Cover crops
Your sandy soil is leaking fertiliser: how humic acid fixes CEC
How sandy soils lose fertiliser through low CEC, and how humic acid from SoilBoost EA increases cation exchange capacity to...
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Cover crops
Phosphorus now becomes root depth later: August durian management
How August phosphorus applications build root depth that determines durian fruit quality months later, with SoilBoost EA timing recommendations.
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Cover crops
Paddy yellowing is not always nitrogen: diagnosing iron deficiency in Malaysian rice
Why yellowing in Malaysian paddy is often iron deficiency rather than nitrogen shortage, and how soil pH and waterlogging create...
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Cover crops
Potassium is the stress nutrient your rubber trees need
How potassium deficiency causes stress susceptibility in rubber trees, affecting latex yield, wind resistance, and disease tolerance on Malaysian estates.
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Cover crops
Replanting oil palm? Fix the soil first: CEC and WHC matter more than you think
Why CEC and water-holding capacity matter more than NPK when replanting oil palm, and how SoilBoost EA restores these soil...
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Cover crops
Your soil test arrived: a 5-minute guide to reading it
A quick guide to reading your soil test results: pH, CEC, organic matter, NPK levels, and what each number means...
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Cover crops
The replanting gap: why rubber estates need soil biology before new trees
Why rubber estates need to rebuild soil biology before replanting new trees, and how cover crops and SoilBoost EA address...
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Cover crops
Beyond NPK: rebuilding soil biology in Malaysian paddy systems
Why NPK alone is not enough for Malaysian paddy soils and how rebuilding soil biology with humic acid and cover...
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Cover crops
Durian fruit drop in July: root zone management for Malaysian orchards
Why durian fruit drop peaks in July and how root zone management with SoilBoost EA and cover crops can reduce...
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Cover crops
How to reduce urea use on oil palm without sacrificing yield
How to reduce urea application on oil palm without sacrificing FFB yield, using cover crop nitrogen fixation and humic acid...
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Cover crops
Pre-monsoon soil preparation: a Malaysian plantation checklist
A pre-monsoon checklist for Malaysian plantation managers covering drainage, soil conditioning, cover crop establishment, and erosion prevention before the wet...
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Cover crops
Best cover crops for tropical climates in Malaysia
Cover crops are widely used in tropical countries, especially in Malaysia, to tackle challenges like soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and...
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Cover crops
The science behind soil health: a beginner's guide
Healthy soil is more than just dirt; it's a living ecosystem crucial for nutritious crops, environmental stability, and sustainable farming....
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Cover crops
How SoilBoost EA improves soil health & crop yields
Tropical farmers face serious challenges like acidic soils, nutrient lock-up, and declining yields issues that fertilizers alone can’t fix. This...
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Cover crops
How humic acid works in agriculture
Curious about how to improve soil health and boost crop yields naturally? Unlock the power of humic acid in agriculture, a powerful...
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Cover crops
The role of leguminous plants: nature’s powerful soil fertility boosters for Malaysian farms
Unlock the power of leguminous cover crops to naturally enrich Malaysian soils, slash fertilizer bills, and boost crop yields. Learn...
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Cover crops
From wilt to wow: why your plants won’t grow
From Wilt to Wow: Discover the top 5 soil problems that stop your plants from growing and learn practical, science-backed...
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Cover crops
From crop loss to crop boss: conquering acidic soil challenges
Acidic soil is a silent yield killer for many Malaysian growers, from small vegetable plots to vast plantations. But low...
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Cover crops
Organic vs chemical fertilizers: research-based guide
Discover what scientific research reveals about organic vs chemical fertilizers and their impact on soil health, crop productivity, and environmental...
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Cover crops
Humic acid soil conditioners for degraded plantation soils
How humic acid soil conditioners like SoilBoost EA restore degraded plantation soils by improving nutrient retention, microbial activity, and water-holding...
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Cover crops
Cover crop establishment guide: from planting to 80% ground cover
Step-by-step field guide for establishing cover crops from initial planting to achieving 80% ground coverage, with troubleshooting tips for common...
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Cover crops
Integrated weed management using leguminous ground cover in oil palm
How leguminous ground cover reduces herbicide dependence and weeding costs in oil palm estates through integrated weed management strategies.
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Soil health
Boron and cover crops: a micronutrient interaction in oil palm
Boron is one of the micronutrients oil palm is most sensitive to, and the soil organic matter that a legume...
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Soil health
Durian and Phytophthora: an integrated soil and drainage approach
Phytophthora is a water-driven disease, and that single fact shapes everything about managing it in durian (Durio zibethinus). The pathogen...
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Soil health
Sugarcane weevil and Cane-Phorus: an IPM approach
Yes, and the trial evidence is striking. In pheromone-based mass trapping for the weevils that attack sugarcane and banana (Metamasius...
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Soil health
Living mulch or irrigation? A dry-season moisture decision
When the dry season squeezes an estate, the choice between a living mulch cover crop and installing irrigation is not...
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Soil health
Soil microbiome testing for estates: what is worth measuring
Soil microbiome testing can tell an estate something useful, but only if you know what question you are asking and...
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Soil health
Biofertilisers in oil palm: what the Malaysian PGPR isolates show
Biofertilisers, products based on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and other beneficial soil microbes, are a genuine tool, and Malaysian...
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Soil health
Cacao black pod: pod-husk compost and shade management
Black pod rot, caused by Phytophthora species, is the most damaging disease of cacao (Theobroma cacao) in the humid tropics,...
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Soil health
An EUDR documentation toolkit for Malaysian exporters
The European Union Deforestation Regulation is, at its core, a documentation and traceability requirement: exporters of covered commodities need to...
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Soil health
SoilBoost EA and cover crops: the pairing logic for Malaysian estates
SoilBoost EA, a humic acid soil amendment, and a legume cover crop do different jobs, and that is exactly why...
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Soil health
Mycorrhizae at the nursery stage: phosphorus and seedling vigour
The strongest, most practical place to use mycorrhizae in oil palm is the nursery, where colonising young roots early can...
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Soil health
Legume green manure before rice: the rotation nitrogen math
A legume green manure crop grown and incorporated before rice can lift the subsequent rice yield by about 15.7 percent,...
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Soil health
Vetiver hedgerows vs cover crops on steep oil palm slopes
On gentle to moderate slopes, leguminous cover crops are usually enough: they blanket the surface, fix nitrogen, and cut erosion...
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Soil health
Oryctes rhinoceros: lure-based management for oil palm
A pheromone lure does not eradicate Oryctes rhinoceros, but used correctly it cuts damage sharply and cheaply. The aggregation pheromone...
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Soil health
Humic acid in tropical acid soils: the meta-analysis in plain English
A 2024 meta-analysis in Agronomy pooled many field trials and found that humic acid application raised crop yield by about...
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Soil health
Potassium deficiency in oil palm: the smallholder yield gap
Potassium is the nutrient oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) removes in the largest quantity, and it is also the one most...
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Soil health
Palm oil mill effluent (POME) as a soil amendment: turning waste into soil health capital
Palm oil mills in Malaysia generate approximately 55 to 67 million tonnes of liquid effluent (POME) annually. Properly treated, POME...
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Soil health
Soil erosion on sloping oil palm land in Malaysia: why cover crops outperform every other control method
Bare soil in oil palm plantations on sloping land loses up to 5.26 tonnes of topsoil per hectare per year...
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Soil health
Oil palm trunk recycling at replanting: why zero-burn is the right agronomic and environmental choice
At replanting, a 25-year-old oil palm stand generates enormous quantities of trunk and frond biomass. Zero-burn practices: chipping and field-returning...
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Soil health
Maximising FFB quality during peak harvest season: nutrition, ripeness, and oil extraction rate
Malaysia's oil palm harvest peaks in August to October. The quality of fresh fruit bunches at this peak: measured by...
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Soil health
Nitrogen volatilisation from urea in oil palm: why up to 42% of applied N disappears into the air
Research shows that 11 to 42% of nitrogen applied as urea in Malaysian oil palm is lost to the atmosphere...
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Soil health
Empty fruit bunch as a soil amendment: closing the nutrient circle in Malaysian oil palm mills
Empty fruit bunches (EFB) from palm oil mills contain 2.4% potassium, 0.9% nitrogen, and substantial organic matter. Applied as mulch,...
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Soil health
Biochar from oil palm biomass: how charcoal improves tropical acid soils and cuts emissions
Biochar made from oil palm waste improves soil pH, increases CEC, reduces nutrient leaching, and can sequester carbon equivalent to...
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Soil health
Liming acid soils in Malaysian oil palm: how dolomite corrects pH, calcium, and magnesium in one application
The average soil pH in Malaysian oil palm estates is 4.3: a level that locks up phosphorus, manganese, and calcium...
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Soil health
Silicon nutrition in oil palm: the overlooked element supporting resilience to Ganoderma, bagworms, and drought
Silicon is not classified as an essential nutrient for oil palm, but the evidence says otherwise. From 53% Ganoderma disease...
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Soil health
Ganoderma basal stem rot in oil palm: how soil biology supports tree resilience
Ganoderma basal stem rot reduces oil palm yields by 50 to 80% and worsens with each replanting cycle. Discover how...
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Soil health
What happens under the frond stack: the nutrient recycling science Malaysian planters are missing
Oil palm frond stacking is universal but rarely managed as a nutrient cycling tool. This article uses decomposition timeline data...
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Soil health
Why your soil organic matter disappears faster in Malaysia than anywhere else
At Malaysian temperatures of 28-32 degrees Celsius, labile organic matter decomposes in under a year. This article explains why stabilised...
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Soil health
Hidden deficiencies in the cacao block: zinc, copper, and the pods you are not getting
Zinc is the most frequently deficient micronutrient in cacao globally. In Malaysian acid soils at pH 4-5, both zinc and...
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Soil health
The nutrient nobody talks about: why sulfur is quietly limiting your rubber yield
Sulfur is essential for latex biosynthesis in rubber trees but almost never monitored in Malaysian fertiliser programmes. On leached sandy...
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Soil health
The invasive weed that feeds your soil: turning water hyacinth into high-value green manure
Malaysia's waterways carry millions of tonnes of water hyacinth. This article shows how composted water hyacinth delivers measurable improvements to...
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Soil health
After the drought: how amino acid foliar sprays help oil palm and rubber recover faster
The two to four weeks after drought or waterlogging stress are critical for yield recovery. Amino acid biostimulants accelerate the...
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Soil health
The micronutrient behind the unopened spear: managing boron in Malaysian oil palm
Boron deficiency in oil palm causes hook leaf and unopened spear syndrome. High Malaysian rainfall leaches soil boron, especially at...
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Soil health
The silent yield killer: soil compaction from harvesting machinery in Malaysian estates
Harvesting machinery compacts oil palm soils, reducing root growth and nutrient uptake. This article quantifies the yield cost and outlines...
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Soil health
Where does your phosphorus fertiliser actually go? The fixation problem in Malaysian soils
Phosphorus applied to Malaysian acid soils binds rapidly to iron and aluminium oxides, making it unavailable to crops. Humic acid...
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Soil health
The underground network your oil palm cannot live without
Oil palm roots have no root hairs and are naturally dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for phosphorus access. High-input management...
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Soil health
Can Malaysian oil palm estates actually bank carbon? What the science says
Malaysian oil palm soils carry below-potential carbon stocks. This article explains how the 4 per mille framework applies to plantation...
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Soil health
Why your oil palm fronds are turning orange (and it is not what you think)
Orange frond discolouration in oil palm is caused by magnesium deficiency aggravated by excess potassium and sandy soils. Learn diagnosis...
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Soil health
Mango drop, cracking, and short shelf life usually come down to two nutrients: calcium and boron.
Mango drop, fruit cracking, and poor shelf life are commonly caused by calcium and boron deficiency at critical growth stages....
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Soil health
Earthworms are among the most productive workers in a tropical plantation soil. Here is what the research says about supporting them.
Earthworms and vermicompost improve soil biology, structure, and yield in tropical cropping systems. This article summarises what the systematic review...
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Soil health
How many palms per hectare is the right number? What the research actually shows.
Planting density affects oil palm yield for the entire stand life. A 14-year trial comparing three densities shows the trade-offs...
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Soil health
Conventional urea loses a large proportion of its nitrogen before rubber trees can use it. Here is the 2024 data on the alternative.
Nitrogen loss from conventional urea in rubber plantations is high due to volatilisation and leaching. The 2024 CCRU research shows...
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Soil health
Pineapple yields vary widely. Site-specific nutrition is how you close the gap.
Pineapple yields vary widely between farms on similar soils. The research points to nutrition management as the primary lever. This...
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Soil health
One third of paddy soils are zinc deficient. The crop suffers. So do the people who eat it.
Zinc deficiency is the most common micronutrient problem in flooded paddy soils. This article covers the scale of the problem...
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Soil health
Sarawak produces 97% of Malaysia's pepper. Most farms are not reaching their yield potential.
Most black pepper farms in Sarawak are not reaching their yield potential. This article covers the nutrient demand profile of...
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Soil health
Potassium chloride is the most common palm fertiliser. Here is when the chloride matters.
KCl is cost-effective for oil palm, but chloride accumulation can affect yield in poorly drained soils. This article explains potassium...
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Soil health
Your fertiliser is not working as hard as it could. Soil pH is usually the reason.
Low soil pH is one of the most common reasons fertilisers underperform in Malaysian agriculture. This guide covers what happens...
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Soil health
The brown spots on your rice leaves are not a disease. They are an iron problem.
Iron toxicity causes bronzing and yield loss in flooded paddy fields. This article explains the soil chemistry behind the problem,...
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Soil health
The RSPO changed its smallholder standard. Here is what actually changed.
RSPO's updated Independent Smallholder standard came into effect in 2024. Here is a plain-language breakdown of what changed, what the...
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Soil health
Indonesia's B40 mandate has pulled 2 million tonnes of palm oil off the market. Here is the math.
Indonesia's B40 biodiesel mandate has tightened global palm oil supply. This article works through the supply math, the age problem...
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Soil health
GHG reporting is now part of MSPO. Here is what it means for your fertiliser programme.
MSPO now requires greenhouse gas emissions reporting. This article explains where palm oil emissions come from, how fertiliser choices affect...
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