Exploring the Potential of Oil Palm (Elaeisguineensis), Spoilage, Before and During Harvest, in Nigeria

This research work, was carried out, to explore the potential of oil palm, spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria. 3,600 open questionnaires were distributed to the 4 Local Governments, namely: (Ife East, Ife South, Ife Central and Ife North), local government areas in, Nigeria. Out of which 900 was used for farmers, in each local government. A total of 36 locations, were sampled in all the four local governments, out of which 100 questionnaires were used in each location. It was gathered that above 70% of the farmers supported, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria, while less than 30% of the people could not even understand whether there was any needy, to explore the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria, or not. The results from the questionnaires when using Pearson one-tailed correlation coefficient, however revealed that there was no significant difference from all the farmers visited and sampled, (p < 0.05) table 5. This shows a strong positive correlation, which implying that, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria, was strongly influenced and enhanced farmer’s support, and had therefore, made this research work to become a reality, (p < 0.05) table 5. The reasons may be due to the fact that in Nigeria, every part of palm oil is not only useful economically, for domestic purposes; the kernel cake gotten from kernel, when processed, can be used as a feed, for dairy cattle because of its high-protein content. It can also be used as a clearing agent, in baked goods, cosmetics, confectionery, shampoo, toothpaste, and washing detergents etc. Pie Chart was used to depict the summary data of each of the local government areas sampled.


Introduction
The oil palm tree belongs to the family of "Arecaceae" and genus "Elaeis". It has a botanical name of Elaeisguineensis, [1]. Oil palm is a perennial crop which grows in abundance in tropical areas; it bears a fruit known as palm fruit, which is the fleshy parts of the fruits covering the kennel. It has numerous benefits, as almost all the parts can be used in various applications, but its cultivation takes quite a lot of hard-work, dedication, and resources. Oil palms grow well in tropical areas like Nigeria, with so many oil palm plantations, but can still grow where there is an abundance of heat and rainfall. The oil palm is one of the highest oil (palm oil) yielding crops among the all perennial crops. Oil palm tree produces edible palm oil as well as palm kennel-oil. This oil palm is considered as golden palm, due its high yielding capacity. Every part of palm oil is useful economically, and for domestic purposes. The palm fruit, contains oil, which is processed when ripe into palm oil (edible vegetable oil), and the chaff (the palm fruit flesh), used to sustain fire; the kennel, is also processed into palm kernel oil, which is also addible and can be used for different applications, like: in making of soap, especially, bar soaps used in washing locally in Nigeria and some African countries. The kernel cake gotten from kernel. When processed, it is used as a feed, for dairy cattle because of its high-protein content. The kernel cake can also be used to generate electricity by burning it in boiler. Processing oil palm fruits for edible oil had been practiced in African for thousands of years, and the oil produced highly coloured and flavoured Also it is an essential ingredient in most of the traditional West African cuisine, [2]. The traditional process is very simple, but tedious and inefficient. Mature palms oil are in single streamed, and grow to 20 m tall. The leaves are primate, and reach between 3-5m long. In Nigeria, it is cultivated in the South East Zone, and the Niger Delta areas. Oil palm products have numerous uses. It can be used as a clearing agent, in baked goods, cosmetics, confectionery, shampoo, toothpaste, and washing detergents. Oil palm generally can be used for different applications and is highly lucrative. Oil palm is a humid tropical crop and thrives best in the areas where temperature ranges from 22°C to 24°C (minimum) and 20°C to 33°C (maximum). Oil palms requires at least 5 to 6 hours of bright sunshine per day and 80% of humidity for optimum growth. This crop requires annual evenly distributed rainfall of 2500 to 4000 mm or 150 to 150 mm monthly, [3]. Generally, oil palms can be growth on wide range of soils. However, they thrives best in welldrained deep loamy moist and alluvial soil rich in organic matter. These trees require at least 1 meter of soil depth. Farmers should avoid highly saline, highly alkaline, coastal sandy and water stagnation soil. In Nigeria, the major oil palm producing states include: Enugu, Imo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Delta, AkwaIbom, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, Oyo, Abia, Edo, Osun, and Ogun State. Oil palm cultivation is originally from West Africa, which is located in a tropical areas, but currently grown throughout Africa, Asia, North America, and South America. Currently, Nigeria palm oil production accounts for7% of total global output, [4]. It was generally agreed that the oil palm originated in the tropical rain forest region of West Africa. The main belt run through the southern latitudes of Cameroon, Cote'ivore, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierraleone, Togo and into the equatorial region of Angola and the Congo. After planting the oil palm, it takes 2 to 4 years before it grows to maturity, which literally means that, one may have to wait for that long, without gaining anything in reward. Irrespective of one time, and resources, which range from clearing of farmland, paying labourers, purchasing of fertilizers, seedling and more, but it is very rewarding at the end. The growing point of the adult oil palm produces 20 to 25 leaves, because, If there are many leaves, there will be many flowers. And if there are many flowers, there will be many clusters of fruit. The oil palm grows well and produces a lot in regions where it is very hot, where the sun is very strong, and where it rains a great deal. FLOWERING AND ABLATION: Oil palm trees start flowering in 14 to 18months, after planting the crop. Oil palm tree produces both male and female flowers separately on the same palm tree. The process of removing male and female flowers in early stages of oil plantation is called ABLATION. Ablation is required in oil palm cultivation for development of stem girth, vigour and string root stem. Flowers should be removed manually or with recommended tools as soon as inflorescences appear on the oil palm tree. This process can be extended up2 or 3 years, depending on the tree vigour and growth. POLLINATION: The oil palm is a highly cross-pollinated crop, in which the insects and wind assist pollination. However, wind pollination is not sufficient and the insects like (Elaeidobilis Kamrunicus), assists in good fruit set and effective pollination, [5]. This weevil should be released after two and half years of planting and in case of low vigour and girth plantation, releasing the weevils after three years is advisable. Harvesting needs much care, because, only those fruit clusters which are cut at the right moment yield a lot of good quantity oil. A cluster is ripe for harvesting when the fruits begin to turn red, and when 5 or 6 fruits drop to the ground. The clusters of the oil palm consists of spikelet's. The spikelet's contain the fruit. Before getting the oil out of the fruit, the fruit must be separated from the spikelet's. The fruits of the oil palm consist of the following parts: PULP: the pulp is yellow; when the pulp is crushed, it yields palm oil. SEED: Inside the shell of the seed, is the kernel; when the kernel is crushed, it yields palm kernel oil. The kernel also contains the germ. Tools such as clausal, machetes, and sickle are used for the harvest, depending on the age of the plant. The major PEST OF OIL PALM includes: Rhinoceros beetle, Red palm weevil, mealy bug, nettle caterpillar, aphids, and termites etc. Others pest include: soil nematodes (e.g. Aphelenchusavenae, Helicotylenchus, spp., Meloidogyne spp.), which damage roots; and rodents, which can eat seedlings andfruits. OIL PALM DIESES includes: Blasts, Freckle (cercosporaelaeidis), Anthracnose, seedling Bright (curvulariaeragrostidis), Yellow Patch and Vascular Wilt (Fusariumoxysporum), Basal Trunk Rot; Crown disease and fruit Rot (marasmiuspalmivorus). Spear (bud) Rot, is caused by the bacterium Erwinia spp., which has been devastating in central Africa, [6].

Material and Methods
The responses of the people in different locations of the four local government areas can be seen from the decision table as below:

Oil Palm (Elaeisguineensis) Points Ticked by 70%, of the Farmers
The below are the points ticked by the majority of the people (above 70% table 1), from the questionnaires who understood and supported, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria:

Oil Palm (Elaeisguineensis) Importance
[a]. Palm oil is used for preventing vitamin A deficiency [b]. Palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel, which is also known as palm oil methyl Ester. [

Study Area
The study has been conducted in Nigeria. It is located in the West of Africa on the Gulf of guinea and has a total of 923,768

Results and Discussion
Questionnaires were distributed to 4 Local government areas that is, (Ife East, Ife South, Ife Central and Ife North). The results from the questionnaires however revealed that, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before andduring harvest, in Nigeria, are manifold: There was no significant difference on the people in all the local government areas visited, (p<0.01). with 30.1% respectively, could not even know whether to explore the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria, or not.  different locations as (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, Hand I)    Frequency Table  Tables (7, 8 , 9, and 10). The frequency Tables for (Ife East, Ife South, Ife Central andIfe North).

Recommendations
1. Workshop at different intervals should be organized to farmers, so as to educate them in the uses of current farmer's equipments, to increase their oil palm output production and eradicate plantain spoilage. 2. Nigerian Government should encourage oil palm plantation, by given funds/loans to prospective investors 3. Government should provide electricity in rural areas for Farmers to enable them to stay longer in their farm for maximum increase in their oil palm harvest Production. 4. Federal government should support the farmers by given enough assistance in terms of seedlings subsidy, so as to booth their production 5. Government should organized Agricultural extension services to farmers by providing and bringing agricultural equipments closer to them, so as to reduce the cost of oil palm harvest to the buyers. 6. For high Productivity and ultimate high investment, the Federal Government of Nigeria should encouraged oil palm farmers to make research and seek expert opinion and advice for the latest productivity techniques to maximize profit. 7. Government should erect large storage facilities at intervals for oil palm farmers, to avoid losses and spoilage. 8. Some of the rural areas roads in, Nigeria, are bad.
Government should provide good motor-able roads to farmers in oil palm areas with high concentration of oil palm farm.

Conclusion
The following conclusions are made based on the findings of this study. Since, oil palm products, can not only be used as a clearing agent, in baked goods, cosmetics, confectionery, shampoo, toothpaste, and washing detergents; the kennel derived from oil palm, when processed, into palm kernel oil, which is also addible, can be used for different applications, like: in making of soap, especially, bar soaps used in washing locally in Nigeria and some African countries. The kernel cake gotten from kernel, when processed also, is used as a feed, for dairy cattle because of its high-protein content; while the kernel cake, can also be used to generate electricity by burning it in boiler, etc.; the results of this study provide the empirical evidence that, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria, had enhanced people's achievement in our society and in Nigeria at large. The society, therefore should use, exploring the potential of oil palm (elaeisguineensis), spoilage, before and during harvest, in Nigeria's techniques, to argument peoples' and farmers' maximal output in businesses, in order to attain minimum goal needed for everybody in the society in general, Nigeria and Diaspora, at large.