iPALMS “identifying Practicable functional biomarkers to Monitor nutritional requirements in oil palm agroSystem” project is devoted to the elaboration of a K-Bio-Index which will permit a better potassium fertilizer use by planters. This bio indicator will be completed by a K-Profiles-Library and a data base “iPALMS DATA”.
Oil palm is a typical case of a tree-crop that has a strong impact on local biodiversity and landscape via deforesting but the global demand in palm oil is still increasing, including by oil companies looking for resources other than petroleum. Since 2000, oil palm cultivation has generated considerable controversy, as the >20 million ha of plantations linked with burning, a high carbon footprint, environmental pollution from the palm oil industry. The effects of palm oil on human health have also been critiqued, with palm oil used in various fast foods and iconic products like donuts and Nutella. Despite these concerns, the high continuous fruit production (of >35 t FFB/ha) and high oil yield (>28% of extraction rate) of oil palm make it a cheap and high-quality resource for increasing global demand for edible oil. Recently, oil palm agronomists have focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from plantations by modifying fertilizer use (decreasing the quantity, choice of some fertilizer type) especially the addition of potassium (KCl : until 300 kg/ha/year) that is commonly used to increase fruit production. A considerable effort should now be devoted to reconcile oil palm cropping and nutrient fertilization in order to reduce inputs and the carbon footprint, and increase sustainability.
The present project aims to set up a biomonitoring technology based on functional genomics (metabolomics, proteomics) to control potassium (K) fertilization in oil palm. Despite its very high oil-production yield, this species is highly K-demanding, with tissue K content often exceeding nitrogen content. In most agricultural oil palm practices, K fertilization follows standard protocols, in which potash addition is uniform and exceeds tree needs, leading to considerable losses in the environment. Such losses are further detrimental to other agricultural systems and water-tables nearby, potentially causing hypocalcaemia in cattle and humans. Here, we will use metabolomics to explore the functional linkage between K conditions and oil palm metabolic efficiency and identify biomarkers than could be implemented to better define K fertilization strategies.
the iPALMS aims to provide a tool kit for K monitoring in addition to classical foliar diagnosis by :
The creation of a Bio-K-Index
The set up of a K-Profile-Library (machine learning for testing leaf samples)
The construction of the iPALMS DATA (database for ranking reference profiles)
The elaboration of the www.iPALMS.com website (to permit externals to access the bioindicator and the updates)
Related to the iPALMS Diagnosis Network “IDN” (network affiliation to use iPALMS)
