Plantation Crops

Ablation in oil palm

• It refers to the removal of young male and female inflorescences and bunches during the first three years of oil palm growth.
• (Ablation = Removal / Surgical removal of any part of the body). Other terms used for ablation operation are

    Dis budding, 
    Debudding, 
    Deflowering
• Frequency of ablation : Ablation should be done at monthly intervals by cutting with the help of narrow bladed chisel.

Purposes of ablation
Uneconomic processing by collection of few bunches in the initial years of bearing,
Left over bunches may rot and lead to outbreak of diseases and pests.
Divert ion of nutrients for palm growth from theses bunches and inflorescences. --- Results in to uniform palm stand.

Period of ablation
14 to 26 months after planting. Ablation can be commenced after about14 months of field planting and continued till 26 months when about 70 per cent of palms are producing inflorescences ( at an interval of 4 to 5 months = ?)