Authors: Sukarman, Akhmad Rizalli Saidy, Gusti Rusmayadi, Dewi Erika Adriani, Septa Primananda, Suwardi, Rozita Jailani, Wai L. K., Cindy Diah Ayu Fitriana, Muhdan Syarovy, Iput Pradiko, Nuzul Hijri Darlan
Original publication: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2025 · DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1463/1/012004
Palm oil flowers are not just reproductive organs that emerge and then wither. The journey from flower primordia to mature fruit bunches takes almost three years, and during this long period, oil palm plants are highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate stress such as prolonged drought, uneven rainfall distribution, and rising temperatures can disrupt the critical phases of flower development, ultimately suppressing fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production. The question is, how significant is the impact of climate stress on different soil types?
This study answers this question by observing the development of oil palm flowers in three dominant soil types in Indonesian oil palm plantations: Ultisols, Inceptisols, and Spodosols, all located in Central Kalimantan. During the observation period, climate parameters such as rainfall, number of rainy days, and average temperature were recorded and correlated with the phases of flower development, including flower primordia initiation, sexual differentiation, formation of male and female flowers, and infestation by pollinating weevils (Elaeidobius kamerunicus).
The results show that climate stress, particularly prolonged water deficit, significantly affects the ratio of female to male flowers. In Spodosols with low water-holding capacity, the impact of climate stress on female flower development is much more severe than in Inceptisols. At the same time, the population of pollinating weevils also decreased drastically during the dry period, meaning that the percentage of flowers that were successfully pollinated became lower. The chain effect is clear: fewer fruits are formed, resulting in lower FFB production per hectare.
The implications of this study are quite strategic. First, the selection of soil types for oil palm planting cannot be done uniformly, soils with low water-holding capacity require more intensive climate mitigation strategies, such as additional irrigation or mulching. Second, microclimate monitoring should become part of daily operational management, not just supplementary data for annual reports. Third, understanding the critical phases of flower development enables farmers to anticipate vulnerable periods and take timely interventions, such as pre-drought fertilization or irrigation adjustments during seasonal transitions.
What’s interesting, this study also found that the timing of climate stress is just as important as its intensity. Stress that occurs during the initiation phase of flower primordia (around 24-30 months before harvest) has a greater impact on the number of female flowers formed compared to stress that occurs at a later stage. This finding becomes a crucial basis for developing an early warning system based on climate that can help farmers make anticipatory decisions, rather than just reactive ones.
References:
Sukarman, et al. (2025). Climate Stress Affects the Important Phases of Oil Palm Flower Development on Various Soil Types. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1463(1), 012004. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1463/1/012004