InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — Another strategic initiative has been undertaken by palm oil stakeholders to strengthen national plantation productivity. Since early 2025, an exploration of oil palm pollinating insects has been conducted in Tanzania, a country with agro-climatic characteristics similar to Indonesia.

“The exploration was carried out across five regions, three districts, and five sampling sites, covering areas with annual rainfall ranging from low levels to over 2,000 millimeters, and elevations from lowlands to more than 1,700 meters above sea level,” said Agus Eko Prasetyo, a researcher at the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (PPKS), in a statement to InfoSAWIT. The study was conducted over a three-month period, from 5 January to 3 April 2025.

The exploration results revealed remarkable diversity among natural oil palm pollinators. Morphological analysis identified seven species of Elaeidobius beetles, three of which were dominant: E. subvittatus, E. bilineatus, and E. plagiatus. Other identified species included E. kamerunicus, E. singularis, E. spatulifer, and E. piliventris. Notably, E. subvittatus was recorded as the smallest species, while E. kamerunicus—the species commonly known in Indonesia—was the largest.

“The average fruit set resulting from natural pollination at the exploration sites exceeded 73 percent, indicating very high pollination effectiveness in Tanzania,” Agus explained. Elaeidobius spp. activity was observed throughout the day, particularly on male flowers during anthesis and on receptive female flowers in the morning and late afternoon. (T2)

For more details, read InfoSAWIT Magazine, November 2025 edition.