Many people know about the existence of palm oil. Today it is one of the most used and widespread herbal products in the world. In this article, we will consider some questions regarding this curious exotic plant that provides such a necessary product: what is an oil palm tree, where does it grow, etc.
First of all, I would like to note that the very first description of a tree resembling an oil palm tree was made by a Venetian named Alvise da Cada Mosto back in the 15th century. This scientist was doing research in West Africa.
More than 50 years ago, the fruits of the oil palm made a long journey with slaves across the Atlantic Ocean, after which this oil became so common throughout the world.
There are Solomon Islands (Southwest Pacific), where you can see the endless rows of palm trees from which oil is made.
Oil palm: photo, description
This is a plant of the palm family and one of the species of the oilseed genuspalm trees.
In the wild, it is a huge tree, the height of which can reach from 20 to 30 meters, but in cultivation it often grows from 10 to 15 meters. The main trunk of a palm tree appears only in the 4-6th year of life, and in the shade (under the forest canopy) - only after 15-20 years. A mature tree has a trunk diameter of 25 centimeters.
The root system of a palm tree is quite powerful, but usually does not lie very deep. Mature plants at the base of the trunk have numerous adventitious roots extending to the sides. Some plants have such thick appendages that cover the trunk up to a height of 1 meter.
The leaves of the palm tree are long (up to 7 meters), large and pinnate. In an adult plant in the crown, they can be counted 20-40 pieces. But every year up to 25 leaves die off from a palm tree, again being replaced by new ones. Large brown thorns cover the petioles of the leaves.
Besides all of the above, this amazing oil palm tree is very beautiful and majestic in appearance.
Fruits
This is an ordinary drupe the size of a date. The oval-shaped fruit of the oil palm is covered on top with a fibrous pericarp, inside which is the pulp containing oil. Under this pulp there is a nut covered with a fairly strong shell, inside of which there is a kernel (or seed). The latter mainly consists of endosperm, and the seed germ is small.
Oil palm (fruit photo above) has a huge number of drupes. The mass of each of which is 55-100 g. They are collected in paniculate inflorescences containing a total of 1300 to 2300 fruits.
Characteristics of oils
Palm oil is made from the pulp of the fruit. Its color can vary from dark yellow to dark red, and it is used mainly as a technological lubricant and for the production of soap.
Palm kernel oil is produced from the kernels of palm fruits. By its properties and composition, it is similar to coconut and is often used instead.
Although this oil has a melting point of 27 to 30 degrees Celsius, it is very often hydrogenated, mixed with other liquid vegetable oils, or used alone to produce edible lard in margarine production.
It takes four and a half tons of fruit to produce one ton of palm oil.
Harvesting
Oil palm, as noted above, has a huge number of fruits. With all this, plantation workers harvest the ripened crop in the amount of up to 2 tons (this is from 80 to 100 bunches) by hand daily. It should be noted that one bunch reaches a weight of 25 kg. And each of them contains about two hundred fruits.
Collecting fruits is very difficult and laborious, because they are located approximately at the height of a four-story building. How is this done? Workers attach sharp knives to the end of a retractable pole. With their help, pickers cut fruits from trees and collect them in heaps on the side of the road. Then the bunches go to the processing plant.
Growing places
In countries with a hot climate, oil palm grows. Where is it grown? There is an African palm of this kind (Elaeis guieneensis). Although its homeland is tropical Africa (Nigeria), it grows in Malaysia, Central America and Indonesia.
There are also places where such a palm is grown (species of Elaeis melanococca, Acrocomia and Coco Mbocaya) and in South America (particularly in Paraguay). This plant is cultivated for the production of technical and edible oils.
Yields
Wild oil palm blooms and bears fruit only in the 10-20th year of life, and a specially cultivated plant begins to bear fruit in the third or fourth year after planting.
The maximum yield is reached at the age of 15-18 years, and the total life of this exotic plant is on average 80 to 120 years.
A bit of history
Oil from the fruits of this wonderful useful plant has been made since ancient times. During archaeological excavations, a jar with obvious traces of palm oil was found (African cemeteries dating back to the 3rd millennium BC).
Cultivation of palm trees on an industrial scale began only in the twentieth century. At that time, companies that produced soap and margarine were interested in the oil of its fruits.
Large-scale palm cultivation began in Indonesia in 1911, in Malaysia in 1919. Also, the areas with plantings of these plants in African countries began to expand.
Today, the oil palm is one of the world's leading crops used to produce vegetable oil. According to statistics, more than 9 million tons were produced in 1988, and every year the production became more and more.
Use
The natives themselves usually use the freshest oil obtained from drupes, at that time reminiscent of nut oil in taste. Subsequently, his taste and smell change to not very pleasant.
In general, the oil palm is used quite differently: ropes are made from the fibers of its young leaves, dry leaves are used for weaving mats, curtains, they are also used to make roofs for huts. Baskets are woven from the stems, rather tasty young shoots are used for food (the so-called palm cabbage), wine is made from palm sap.
In England, oil is used to lubricate machines and make candles.
In recent years, palm trees have also been grown in Brazil.
In conclusion - about the features of the use of oil
It is surprising that palm oil, used in metallurgy (lubricants for rolling mills, etc.), is also used in the food industry.
It is used in the production of baking powder additives, ice cream, industrial frying of potatoes (chips).
In addition, it is also used in the production of cosmetics and pharmacological products. And since the early 2000s, palm oil has been quite actively used in the manufacture of biofuels.
