Total land bank of United Plantations is 59,432 Ha. Total Planted area under oil palm is 43,335 Ha of which Malaysia has 34,237 Ha and Indonesia approximately 9,098 Ha.

In Malaysia the total peat area is 3,248.43 Ha and in Indonesia it is 862.83 Ha, i.e. total peat area is approximately 4,111.26 Ha equal to approximately 9.5% of our total oil palm planted area.

The Group has committed to no new development on peatland regardless of depth since 2010.

Moisture Conservation on Fragile Soils

Water management is particularly important on the acid sulphate and peat soils. These soils are fragile and if over drained, they will rapidly deteriorate. On the acid sulphate soils, the water level should be maintained up to the jarosite layer, submerging the pyrite (FeS2) and preventing it from oxidizing to sulphuric acid, which can cause a steep drop in the pH.

Water level monitoring pole in peat area

Weirs for Moisture Conservation

To conserve moisture during these periods, a series of weirs are constructed across the collection drains to hold back water and raise the water-table to within 50-75 cm from the surface.

The weirs are made of wood, concrete or they can simply be sandbags. The concrete structures are either built on site or they are precast and placed into position.
To regulate the height of the water table, wooden planks are slotted into the desired level. Except for periodic flushing of acidic water during the rainy seasons, the blocks are maintained at the predetermined level at all times.

The density of weirs varies with the soil type, slope, rainfall and cropping system. On the average, one weir is provided for every 40 to 60 hectares or every 600-1000 m along the collection drain.

Assisted by the water gates at the discharge ends of the main drains, the weirs are very effective in minimizing the adverse effects of the moisture stress.

For a detailed overview of Standard Operating Procedure on peat soils management in United Plantations Berhad, please click here.

Wooden weirs are important tools to regulate the height of water tables in the fields.