FERTILISER, HERBICIDE & PESTICIDE USE

Use of fertilisers

Achieving maximum palm fruit yields with minimal cost, GHG emissions and water pollution requires careful management of our inorganic fertiliser inputs.

Fertiliser application is optimised by analysing the nutrient content of systematically selected oil palm frond samples, supplemented by visual inspection of palm canopies and soil sampling. The analysis is conducted by an in-house agronomy team and verified by independent agronomy consultants. The application of inorganic fertiliser increased from 24,721 tonnes (0.70 tonnes/hectare) in 2022 to 28,126 tonnes (0.71 tonnes/hectare) in 2023 principally due to the additional requirement for REA’s development and new planting in PU, as noted above.

REA seeks to optimise the quantity of fertiliser that it applies and supplements inorganic applications with EFB, a waste product from the mills and, as noted above, BOD reduced POME. The application of EFB provides the palms with nutrients and the soil with organic matter which helps to retain moisture, promote beneficial soil biodiversity and fertility. Increasing the organic carbon content of soils in this way also improves their resilience to periods of dry weather which may otherwise initiate stress in the palms.

Use of pesticides

Through routine monitoring and early warning systems by REA’s environment department of conditions within the plantation blocks, REA seeks to identify, and potentially improve, pest management through biological control to reduce the use of chemically based pesticides.

Such integrated pest management systems aim to prevent pest outbreaks by boosting biological control. To optimise natural pest control, REA has planted at regular intervals along roads and on the corners of oil palm sub blocks various plant species, including Cassia cobanesis, Antogonon leptosus, Turnera subulata and Turnera ulmifolia, which are known to attract natural predators of the major leaf eating pests of oil palms, such as bagworms and nettle caterpillars.

When an outbreak does occur, chemical intervention may be necessary, but chemicals are only used to control pests as a last resort. REA has an early warning system in place to ensure that pests are detected and action taken before a problem escalates. The harvesting teams in each division are tasked with monitoring the oil palms for any sign of pest damage. If signs of a pest outbreak are detected, the group’s agronomy team conducts a thorough pest census immediately to identify the species involved, the scale of the outbreak and the treatment required. Wherever possible mechanical or natural means are used to halt a pest outbreak and mitigate damage to the oil palms. Since 2005, REA has only experienced a few minor pest outbreaks, all of which have been successfully controlled by targeted response commensurate with the level of the outbreak.

Where it is necessary to use chemicals to control weeds or pests, precautions are taken to protect the health and safety of employees and the environment. The medical team conducts blood and lung tests twice a year to check for chemical exposure in workers who come into regular contact with pesticides. If workers test positive for pesticide exposure, they are rotated out of spraying and into other roles. In response to growing pressure for palm oil producers to phase out Paraquat due to fears that improper handling of this herbicide may endanger the health of workers, REA ceased to use this chemical in 2013. Instead, a less hazardous glufosinate ammonium-based herbicide called Basta is used.

REA routinely monitors pesticide usage (active ingredients, litres/hectare) to evaluate the effectiveness of the application and to calculate the chemical load on the environment. For the period 2022-2023, the group used pesticides containing the following active ingredients:

  • Acephate
  • Azoksistrobin
  • Dichlorvos
  • Dimehipo
  • Fipronil
  • Lambda sihalotrin 25 g/l
  • Mankozeb 80%
  • Propineb 70%
  • Tebukonazol 25%
  • 2-Sodium Amine
  • 2,4 D Dimetil Amina 865 g/l
  • Ammonium glufosinate
  • Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester
  • Glyphosate isopropylamine 480g/l
  • Glyphosate isopropylamine 490g/l
  • Metsulfuron-methyl
  • Triclopyr
  • Alkyl polyethylene glycol ether
  • Indaziflam
  • Haloxyfop-R-methyl ester

In 2023, the overall average use of pesticides (0.1 litres/hectare) remained similar to 2022. However, there was an increase in the use of herbicides with the active ingredients glyphosate, ammonium glufosinate and triclopyr, and an increase in the use of adjuvants (adhesives). This was due to replanting and new planting, high rainfall at some estates and selective weeding using ammonium glufosinate and triclopyr, necessitating the use of more herbicides.

Compared to 2022, the intensity of pesticide use in 2023 increased by 1% (from 99,169.6 in 2022 to 99,749.2 in 2023). This was due to replanting and new planting of estates, and increased volume of insecticide and fungicide use on the immature plants and nurseries.

Soil health

Work programmes and initiatives are driven by the need to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges presented by climate change. In 2023, the group’s estates and local communities were subjected to the fourth consecutive year of above average rainfall brought about by the dominant La Niña weather pattern, in place since 2020. If, as is projected, rainfall becomes increasingly intense during the wet seasons, infrastructure must be less flood-prone and more weather resistant. This requires investment in road-stoning, drainage and water management. If, as is also predicted, weather conditions become increasingly hot during the dry seasons, water stewardship will become increasingly challenging. The group is exploring several projects aimed at increasing the resilience of the estate soils to both absorb and store increasing amounts of water and nutrients to help buffer the projected increasing weather variability. These projects include collaborative agreements to work with researchers and commercial interests in developing methodologies for increasing the optimisation of mill waste products and other sources of organic matter and nutrients. In terms of improving soil health, the application of Libero organic fertilizer, application of organic matter including EFB and mill effluent, and the planting of ground cover plants will all play an important role in increasing soil fertility and health.