The Effect Of Palm Oil Mill Effluent On The Performance Of Several Palm OIL (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Varieties In Torgamba Plantation

Abstract

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a by-product of palm oil processing that contains nutrients and organic matter, offering potential to improve crop productivity when applied through a Land Application (LA) system. This study analyzed the performance of two oil palm varieties on the LA area of Torgamba Estate and compared their production characteristics. A comparative quantitative (ex post facto) approach was applied to Afdeling VI production records up to June 2026, using bunch weight (kg/bunch), number of bunches (bunches/palm), and productivity (kg/ha) as parameters, analyzed with an independent-samples t-test at the 5% significance level. Variety A (planted 2009) showed higher average bunch weight (19.89 kg/bunch) than Variety B (17.80 kg/bunch), whereas Variety B (planted 2007) was superior in bunches per palm (5.17 vs 4.46) and productivity (12,913 vs 11,651 kg/ha). All three differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results suggest that variety selection on LA areas should be aligned with production targets, while noting that the difference in planting year between varieties also influences the outcome.