Land preparation.

Abstract

Abstract Previous land use determines the operations needed in preparing land for trialling. Trialling in primary and secondary forest is not a sustainable nor an environmentally friendly practice and should not be carried out. In sustainable oil palm production, previous land should normally be a previous plantation crop (e.g. rubber, coconut or oil palm). The procedures for the felling of two of these plantation crops, clearing the land and preparing the trial site ready for planting, are given as examples here. These procedures need to be carefully timed and coordinated with nursery plant production and season (oil palm is normally planted in the rainy season). They are also regulated by the need for and involvement of eco-friendly practices - for example, 'zero burning, zero smoke', in clearing the land area. Heavy specialised equipment is used throughout and operators and field work must observe standard operating procedures.