Oil palm trees in experimental field at West African Institute for Oil Palm Research, near Adamo Village, Nigeria

Original title reads, "Experimental plant laboratory at West African Institute for Oil Palm Research (WAIFOR) near Benin, Nigeria. WAIFOR operates the main station near Benin, a sub-station in Calabar Province near Abak, three selection areas, and conducts experiments at five agricultural stations and eight farmers plantations and school plots. In summary, the aim of WAIFOR is to carry out research which will show how a better quality product can be obtained with maximum efficiency. This field contains palms which are, in the language of scientists, 'progeny of crosses between good thick-shelled (dura) palms and sterile (pisifera) palms using the latter as male (pollen) parent. Crosses of this type are expected to give exclusively thin-shelled (tenera) palms in the progeny.' The trees in this field were planted from 1945 to 1947." [Elisofon field notes, August 1959-December 1959]

This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.