Potassium (K) is an important macronutrient and plays a vital role in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) growth and productivity; however, its availability is often lacking due to fixation and leaching in tropical soils. Improving potassium use efficiency via genotype selection is a crucial strategy to enhance sustainability in oil palm cultivation. The following study sought to determine the potassium use efficiency in six Dura × Pisifera oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) progenies under four K fertilizer levels (0%, 100%, 75%, and 50% of the recommended dose). The study used a split-plot design to assess the vegetative growth, dry biomass, and K uptake. Nutrient use efficiency indices, viz., agronomic efficiency (AE), recovery efficiency (RE), and internal efficiency (IE), entailed calculations. The results revealed genotypic effects on vegetative traits and potassium use efficiency parameters; however, the interaction effects between oil palm progenies and K doses were nonsignificant. Oil palm progenies P2 and P4 showed leading performance in vegetative growth, biomass production, K uptake, and multiple efficiency indices, indicating their potential as nutrient-efficient palms. Moderate K application (75%) performance emerged to be at par with full dose in some progenies. Early-stage screening proved feasible for identifying K-efficient oil palm genotypes, which offers a practical approach for breeding and nutrient management in sustainable oil palm systems.
Early-stage screening, genotypic variations, growth traits, nutrient uptake, oil palm (E. guineensis), potassium use efficiency
The Dura × Pisifera oil palm (E. guineensis) progenies responded distinctively to various doses of potassium. The progenies P2 and P4 showed leading performance in vegetative growth, biomass production, K uptake, and multiple efficiency indices, indicating their potential as nutrient-efficient palms.