Oil palm cultivation has been expanding rapidly to meet the growing demand for vegetable oils. However, this expansion has come at a high environmental cost, with the industry linked to deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

In a bid to reduce the environmental impact of oil palm cultivation, researchers from the University of Göttingen and the University of Hohenheim in Germany, together with partners in Colombia, conducted a field experiment to test a new nutrient management system that uses less fertilizer and no herbicides.

The team compared the yields and environmental impacts of oil palms grown with the new management system to those grown with conventional practices. The results, published in the journal Nature Plants, showed that oil palms grown with the new system could produce the same yield as conventionally fertilized palms, but with a 35% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer and no herbicide use.

The new management system also had a number of other benefits, including:

- Reduced soil erosion

- Improved water quality

- Increased biodiversity in the surrounding ecosystem

The researchers say that their findings could help to reduce the environmental impact of oil palm cultivation and make the industry more sustainable.

Key points:

* A new nutrient management system for oil palms can reduce fertilizer use by 35% and eliminate the need for herbicides, without reducing yields.

* The new system also has a number of other benefits, including reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and increased biodiversity.

* The findings could help to reduce the environmental impact of oil palm cultivation and make the industry more sustainable.