Germination and growth
The natural germination is given at the end of spring and during summer. The small plants grow slowly during the first months, giving priority to root growth.
In the first year the plantlets grow up to 50cm in height. During this period the first feather leaf appears. This is the ideal time for transplanting to the field, which should be done in autumn and spring to avoid hot and cold periods and minimize post transplantation stress.
In this stage the plant is quite susceptible to the competitiveness of weeds. If weeds are not controlled properly, the growth can be delayed and even kill the plantlets. It is recommended to grow plantlets for 6 to 12 month in a nursery to reduce the effort of weed control in a plantation. Additionally, the plantation will yield about one year earlier.
After transplantation the growth is more notable and becomes faster in the warmer months of the year. The plants grow a meter or more per year. In the fourth year the first blossom begins, followed by the first fruitification in the fifth year. The growth becomes slower after the sixth year, at the same time the size and the productivity of the fruit bunches are increasing.
Selection of Propagation material
Acrocomia Solutions is executing a plan to select material of superior quality for future cultivations of Acrocomia, based on scientifically formulated methodologies and strictly controlled execution, in collaboration with its partners.
Currently we are working on the identification and collection of material from mother plants with the characteristics of high annual productivity, size and superior composition of fruits. (Click on pictures to enlarge)
With this and other related investigations of all aspects of agriculture and the processing of fruits, Acrocomia Solutions and its partners hope to offer to their clients the most advanced knowledge and experience available.
Crop Managment
Soil type and preparation
Acrocomia grows on most soil except soils with water-logging or low permeability. It tolerates relatively acidic soils (pH5) and moderately saline ones, but it shows its best results with a pH of between 5.5 and 7.
The large variety in soils that the species can prosper in and the production results show that Acrocomia is very productive in medium and highly fertile conditions; however, it also bears fruit in very poor soils. The decision to cultivate in these conditions depends on a detailed technical and economic analysis.
Soil preparation is similar to other tree crops, i.e. leveling and ground clearing. For technical reasons (harvesting) flat areas should be preferred but Acrocomia can also provide good protection against soil erosion. Also, the maintenance of cover crops is important in order to minimize their interference with the growth of the palms.
Plant density
The robustness and the minimal occupancy of the soil at ground level of the adult palms, permits much flexibility in a plantation of Acrocomia.
The recommended density depends on several factors. In general Acrocomia can be grown mono-culturally or with additional land use such as grazing or annual crops between the rows.
In a mono-cultural plantation, a density of 400 to 600 palms per hectare is recommended while in multiple use systems the density depends on the specific project requirements. It is also recommended to grow a cover crop in the first years to improve weed control and reduce soil erosion. Even in a mono cultural plantation, it is possible to utilize the lines between the trees with the likes of grass and green manures and other things that adapt to this medium.
Crop Care
The most important period in the field is the first year. Good management of the plantation during this period is vital to assure a fast and good development of the palms.
In a dry period after transplantation, irrigation can be necessary. Adult palms are relatively drought resistance. However, in areas with less than 900 mm precipitation, irrigation should be considered to assure sufficient yields.
Weed control after transplantation is critical. It can be conducted mechanically, but damage of the plantlets must be avoided. Cover crops or other crops between the rows during the first years help to control weeds and soil erosion. However shading of the plantlets by large crops should be avoided.
Another important factor is to avoid access by farm animals to the young plantations. They can eagerly consume the leaves and notably slow the growth of the small plants. This is only necessary until the plants reach a sufficient height.
It is not recommended to prune the dry leaves, but rather pick them up and use them as organic fertilizer. There ought to be special care taken with the spines of the leafs.
With larger palms, only dry leafs and dry empty panicles should be removed. The material should be used as fertilizer.
Pests and Diseases
At this point, there are no pests or diseases known, which kill Acrocomia or completely prevent fruit production. However a number of pests and diseases can reduce productivity.
The most important pests are insects, which are common to the majority of the tropical and subtropical palms, although their incidence in populations of Acrocomia is not important. Compared to others and based on pilot cultivations it can be noted that Acrocomia shows a low incidence of pests and in practice there are no reports that it has been necessary to take actions for their control. Knowledge about the specific impact on Acrocomia is still very limited.
Ranked by importance the following pests shall be mentioned: Brassolis sophrorae a worm which defoliates the palm, Rhinostomus barbirostris and Rhynchophorus palmarum - they are common to a lot of American palms. Furthermore, Bruco (Pachymerus nucleorum) attacks seeds but no impact on productivity is known.
Fortunately, for all pests listed above, biological and chemical control methods are available.
Finally, a fungi (Cercospora) can be found on the lower side of the leafs. Based on the current knowledge there is only little or no impact on productivity and hence any control measure is not recommended.
Production and harvesting
Fructification starts in the 4th or 5th year depending on variety and plant material. It stabilizes in the 6 year. Due to its high productivity, harvesting is already economically feasible in the first year. The duration of harvest lasts between 3 and 6 months, depending on the number of bunches. Harvest starts in November and can last until April.
Traditional harvesting is conducted manually by collecting the fruits on the ground using rakes and other specially developed tools. Fruits are spread around the trunk in a diameter of about 2 m. They can be collected easily if the crops on the soil are maintained relatively low during the time of harvest.
The fruits can remain on the ground for about a week before decomposition of the pulp starts. During decomposition the share of free fatty acids increases which limits the use of the oil. However, the use for biodiesel is not impacted.
Manual harvesting could be assisted by several harvester devices, so, one person could harvest up to 2 ton of fresh fruits daily. Since the number of fruits on the ground depends on individual maturity which doesn't occur homogeneously, performance can vary to a large extent. The largest number of fruits can usually be found in summer.
Harvesting can be improved by mechanical harvesters. Economic criteria decide on feasibility. In plantation, mechanical collecting is always recommended. As opposed to oil palms, complete bunches must not be cut off the tree since fruits mature unequally and significant losses of yield and oil would be the consequence.
Experience exists of fully producing palms of more than 50 years of age. There are reports of palms older than 70, still in full production.
Expected Yield
The yield per hectare consists of plant density, number of bunches per tree, number of fruits per bunch. The yield is impacted by climate, soil quality and crop management, including fertilization.
Yields of 110 kg fresh fruits and 14 bunches per tree have been observed with wild growing species, without agricultural assistance and in medium quality soils. However, for planning purposes it is recommended to calculate with lower yields. Based on the current knowledge 22 ton. fruits/ha or about 45 kg per tree are realistic.