**2.1 Palm oil**

Palm oil is retrieved from the mesocarp of the Palm fruit, this oil is regarded as the second most widely produced only surpassed by the soybean oil. The oil palm is a tropical plant characteristic of warmer climates that grows below 500 meters above sea level. "Its origin is located in the Guinea Gulf in West Africa." "Hence its scientific name, Elaeis guineensis Jacq and its popular name: African oil palm" (FEDEPALMA. Consulted: http://www.fedepalma.org/palma.htm).

Colombia is the largest producer of palm oil in Latin America and the fourth in the world. "The extracted oil from the palm contains a relationship 1:1 between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, is also a major source of natural antioxidants as tocopherols, tocotrienols and carotenes"(FEDEPALMA. Consulted: http://www.fedepalma.org/ palma.htm). It has been proven that Palm oil is natural source vitamin E, in the form of tocopherols and tocotrienols. The tocotrienol act as protectors against cells aging, arthrosclerosis, cancer and some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Unrefined palm oil is the richest in beta-carotene natural source; its consumption has proved to be very useful for preventing and treating the deficiency of vitamin A in risk populations.

#### **2.1.1 Characteristics of plant**

The oil palm presents fruit by thousands, spherical, ovoid or elongates, to form compact clusters of between 10 and 40 kilograms of weight. Inside, they kept a single seed, almonds or palmist, to protect with the fart, a woody endocarp, surrounded in turn by a fleshy pulp. Both, pulp and almond oil generously provide. The productive life of the oil palm can be most of fifty years, but from the twentieth or twenty-five the stem reaches a height that hinders the work of harvest and marks the beginning of the renewal in commercial plantations. 25 to 28 °C on average monthly temperatures are favorable, if the minimum average temperature is below 21 °C. Temperatures of 15 °C stop the growth of the seedlings from greenhouse and decrease the performance of adult palms. Between 1,800 and 2,200 mm precipitation is optimal, if it is well distributed in every month. Like the coconut palm, the palm oil is favored by deep, loose and well drained soils. A superficial phreatic level limits the development and nutrition of roots. In general, the physical characteristics good, texture and structure, are preferable to the level of fertility, as it can be corrected with mineral fertilization. The palm oil resists low acidity levels, up to pH 4. Too alkaline soils are harmful. Although you can plant with success on land of hills with slopes above of 20 °, are preferred levels or slightly wavy, with no more than 15 ° gradients.
