Methods for increasing oil palm yield
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to methods of using 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on oil palm before harvest of the oil palm fruit to increase oil production.
1. A method of increasing oil content of oil palm fruit comprising applying an effective amount of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) to oil palm fruit from about three weeks before the fruit is harvested to about a day before the fruit is harvested, wherein the effective amount is from about 0.02 mg to about 20 g of 1-MCP per palm per treatment.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein from about 0.2 mg to about 2 g of 1-MCP per palm is applied per treatment.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein from about 2 mg to about 0.2 g of 1-MCP per palm is applied per treatment.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the 1-MCP is applied to the fruit 1 to 8 times.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the 1-MCP is applied to the fruit 2 to 6 times.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the 1-MCP is applied to the fruit about every 10 to 21 days.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising application of at least one other plant growth regulator to the oil palm.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one plant growth regulator is selected from the group consisting of an auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, gibberellin antagonist, salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, methyl jasmonate, S-abscisic acid and S-abscisic acid analog.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the plant growth regulator is an auxin.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the auxin is 1-naphthyleneacetic acid.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the plant growth regulator is a cytokinin.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the cytokinin is 6-benzyladenine.