Figure 13: Preferred nozzle - Solid stream nozzle Pre- and post-spray censuses are conducted every two weeks until ETL levels drop to less than 5%. A pre census is conducted prior to spraying, and a post census is conducted 14 days after spraying. The percentage of infestation obtained during the 14th day census determines whether the spraying process must be repeated. Result: After two weeks of application, the percentage of new rhino beetle damage was reduced from 20 to 15 (-25%) for T1, 19 to 12 (-37%) and 11 to 8 (-27%) in all treatments (Figure 14). However, the pesticide spraying must continue since the new damage percentage is still above than 5%. Figure 14: The percentage of new damage at 14 days after treatment (DAT)
Discussion: 1. The most important thing for point-to-point spray for rhinoceros beetle control is the accuracy of the spray in the middle of the palm shoot, the place where the beetle bores into the base of the cluster of unopened fronds (spears) of the young oil palms. This means that a mapping process with high accuracy is required. Among the problems encountered is that for young oil palm, sometimes the center position of the tree is not clearly visible in the image, which makes it possible that the marked points are not accurate. 2. These flight parameters are highly dependent on the drone model used. The size of the drone and the capacity of the tank volume greatly affect the spray performed and it can also affect the suitable flight speed and height. The Agras T30 drone is quite large and the turbulence from the propeller is quite strong, this gives a convection that can drift the spray away from the set point. 3. Because of that, there are drones with specialization for rhinoceros beetle control designed with a smaller tank capacity size of 16 liters, this corresponds to the filling required for the battery capacity used which is around 7-10 minutes for each spray mission, depending on the load carried. With the smaller size of the drone, the turbulence noise is also lower. There is also a drone with a pole projected below to maximize the reach and accuracy of the pesticide sprayed in the middle of the oil palm (Figure 15). 4. In this trial spray, the time taken to complete 1 plot (50 trees) is 15 minutes, including the pesticide refill process and battery changes. Meaning 1 ha takes about 40 minutes. Therefore, the estimated productivity for spraying for rhinoceros beetle control using drone spray is 10 ha/day. Figure 15: Drone spray with extended pole Figure 16: Discussion before trial started. Team Geoinformatics & team Crop Protection-Pest management.
Result: Figure 17 shows the percentage of fresh damage caused by rhinoceros beetle attacks until 70 days after treatment (DAT) (4 drone sprays). Drone spraying with cypermethrin (T1) reduced the percentage of fresh damage until the attack level was below the ETL on 42 DAT and the value was decreased until 70 DAT. At T2, there was no decrease in new attacks, whereas the positive control (T3) had an increase in new attacks. This is due to the high occurrence of rhinoceros beetles in the study's border area, which has an indirect effect on the surrounding research plots. Spraying continued after two weeks since T2 and T3 still showed fresh attack percentages greater than 5%. Following the fourth spraying, the percentage of fresh damages was reduced to less than the ETL in all treated plots. As a result, spraying ended at 56 DAT. After 70 days, no fresh damages were reported in plots treated with cypermethrin, while thiamethoxam and lamda cyhalothrin recorded just 1% of fresh damages. Figure 17: The percentage of new damage at 70 days after treatment (DAT) or fourth spraying.
Side study: Study of drone spraying for fertilization in oil palm field. A study of spraying fertilizer using drones with cooperation between Agronomy R&D was carried out on 9-10 May 2023 in Tembangau 6 (6 ha) & Tembangau 8 (7 ha) estates. Study information on Table 7 and activities pictures on Figure 17. Table 7: Flight parameter, spray info and productivity Flight Parameter Value Drone DJI Agras T30 Nozzle Flat fan (green); code 110015 Flight altitude (from palm canopy) 3 meters Flight speed 2.4 m/s Spray route width 3 meters Spray Volume 150 L/ha Flow rate 6.4 L/min Spray Info Foliar fertilizer rate 25 ml/L Spray volume 1 L/ tree For density 148 trees/ha ~ 150L/ha Productivity 1 ha = 45 min 1 day = 6 - 10 ha ~ 6-8 hours working time
Figure 17: Fertilizer drone spraying activities In general, the productivity of spraying using a drone is the same as spraying through a sprayer on a tractor, but the advantage of drones is that spraying can be done on fields with soil surfaces that cannot be entered by tractors, such as soft and watery, as well as terraces that do not have mechanized paths. This fertilizer spraying program will be carried out with the frequency of spraying 3 times a year for a period of approximately 5-7 years.
Side trial: Drone spraying for durian tree On June 1, 2023, a trial was conducted to spray durian trees using water. Suggested spray solution: Fertilizer, for durian buds. Function: strengthen the stalk and form the fruit. Spray method Point to point. 5 L/point. One tree has 3-6 points depending on the size of the canopy. Time taken: 5 L/0.5 min. Drone flight height: 4 m above the canopy Figure 18: Durian buds (left) and drone spraying trial (right) Results and conclusions Observation found that the spray was difficult to reach the target, which is the durian bud, which is at the bottom of the branch. There will be a waste of fertilizer Spraying using a drone can only and should be done from above the tree. Although there are suggestions to spray from the side of the tree with modification of the nozzle and spray direction, it is quite risky, and the drone cannot approach the tree too close due to the radar setting which acts as a safety feature. The state of durian orchards in PPPTR which are mixed with various other trees and the position of the trees which are scattered in a close arrangement, in addition to the structure of the canopy, which is layered, makes it difficult for the spray to reach the desired target. The use of drones may be suitable for spraying foliar fertilizers as an alternative to spreading fertilizers on the ground.
6.0 BUDGET Table 8: Total budget table of aerial spraying program from 2020 until 2023 Year 2020 2021 2022 2023 Capex Items RM Items RM Items RM Items RM Aerial Spraying (drone + kestrel + water sensitive paper) 100,000 Water Sensitive Paper 3,000 Drone multicamera/rtk 30,000 AGRAS DJI T30 Drone sprayer set 70,600 Total 130,000 Total - Total 73,600 Manpo wer 1 Executive (Existing Manpower) 2 Executive (Existing Manpower) 2 Executive (Existing Manpower) 2 Executive (Existing Manpower) 1 Technician / Supervisor (Existing Manpower) 1 Technician / Supervisor (Existing Manpower) 1 Technician / Supervisor (Existing Manpower) 1 Technician / Supervisor (Existing Manpower) Total 2 person Total 3 person Total 3 person Total 3 perso n Opex Mileage - (1 team) 800 Mileage - (1 team) 800 Mileage - (1 team) 800 Mileage - (1 team) 800 Accommodation - 2 Manpower 400 Accommod ation - 3 Manpower Accommodatio n - 3 Manpower Accommod ation - 3 Manpower Allowance - 2 Manpower (80x3x2x2) 960 Allowance - 3 Manpower (80x3x10x 3) 7,200 Allowance - 3 Manpower (80x3x10x3) 7,200 Allowance - 3 Manpower (80x3x10x3 ) 7,20 0 Maintenance Drone Aerial Spray - Maintenanc e Drone Aerial Spray 5,000 Maintenance Drone Aerial Spray 5,000 Maintenanc e Drone Aerial Spray 5,00 0 Total 2,160 Total 13,000 Total 13,000 13,0 00 Total Cost 132,160 13,000 86,600 13,0 00
7.0 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Possible application and services from this project: Aerial spraying services for herbicides/pesticides and fertilizer applications for various crops. Technical Services for paddy, oil palm crop and nursery management. 8.0 TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS TO GROUP/ CLUSTER/ COMPANY/ UNIT OR IMPACT OF THE PROJECT Establish the standard guidelines in managing aerial spraying for various crops Reduce the hazard to human and the environmental pollution effectively. Cost reduction-Reduce labour (Refer below) Aerial Spraying Cost Saving: Table 9 shows the basis rate for cost saving calculation on conventional method and drone DJI Agras T30. Table 10 shows the amount of saving based on hectarage. For knapsack, the cost of RM43/ha is average on blanket mode, but for point to point especially for RB, is higher which is RM57/ha. Table 9: Basis rate for comparison of conventional method and aerial spraying Basis rate Conventional Drone AJI Agras T30 (30L) Coverage Knapsack 1.75 ha/day 15 ha/day 43 RM/ha Drone 100,000 Rm, once Cost Drone pilot 8.33 RM/ha
Table 10: Cost saving comparison based on hectarage Conventional Current Aerial sprayer drone (custom) Drone AJI Agras T30 Hectarage Working days Cost Working days Cost, RM Cost saving, RM Working days Cost, RM Cost saving, RM 1,000 571 43,000 100 72,500 -29,500 67 108,333 -65,333 2,000 1143 86,000 200 85,000 1,000 133 116,667 -30,667 3,000 1714 129,000 300 97,500 31,500 200 125,000 4,000 4,000 2286 172,000 400 110,000 62,000 267 133,333 38,667 5,000 2857 215,000 500 122,500 92,500 333 141,667 73,333 Table 11 shows depreciation value for drone. The value is estimated depreciate by 10 % per year (Source: FGV Finance) Table 11: Depreciation value for drone 9.0 REFERENCES 1. Berner, B., & Chojnacki, J. (2017). Use of drones in crop protection. IX International Scientific Symposium, Farm Machinery and Processes Management in Sustainable Agriculture, Poland. 2. Berner, B., Pachuta, A., & Chojnacki, J. (2018). Estimation of liquid deposition on corn plants sprayed from a drone. In Proceedings of 25th International PhD Students Conference November 7-8 2018, Brno, Czech Republic (pp. 403-407). Mendel University in Brno. 3. Castaldi, F., Pelosi, F., Pascucci, S., & Casa, R. (2017). Assessing the potential of images from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to support herbicide patch spraying in maize. Precision Agriculture, 18(1), 76-94. 4. Chavan, M. S. (2019). Automatic Arial Vehicle Based Pesticides Spraying System for Crops. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE), 8(11). 5. Muazu, A., A. Yahya, W. I.W. Ishak, and S. K. Bejo. 2014. Energy Audit for Sustainable Wetland Paddy Cultivation in Malaysia. Energy Journal 87:182-191. 6. Mukthiyar, S., Kumar, B. V., Varshith, K. and Anandhu, A. (2017). Spraying Pesticides on Weed through Drones. International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology. 6(9). Drone value; RM100,000 Year Value after depreciation (RM) 1 90,000 2 80,000 3 70,000 5 60,000 10 0
7. Pesticides, Australian, and Veterinary Medicines Authority. (2017). Spray Drift Risk Assessment Manual Spray Drift Risk Assessment Manual. 8. Qin, W., Xue, X., Zhang, S., Gu, W., & Wang, B. (2018). Droplet deposition and efficiency of fungicides sprayed with small UAV against wheat powdery mildew. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 11(2), 27-32. 9. Su, A. S. M., Yahya, A., Mazlan, N., & Hamdani, M. S. A. (2018). Evaluation of the Spraying Dispersion and Uniformity Using Drone in Rice Evaluation of the Spraying Dispersion and Uniformity Paper presented at the 2018 MSAE Conference, Serdang, Selangor. 10. Wang, C., He, X., Wang, X., Wang, Z., Wang, S., Li & Wang, Z. (2018). Testing method and distribution characteristics of spatial pesticide spraying deposition quality balance for unmanned aerial vehicle. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 11(2), 18-26. 11. Wang, J., Lan, Y., Wen, S., Hewitt, A. J., Yao, W., & Chen, P. (2020). Meteorological and flight altitude effects on deposition, penetration, and drift in pineapple aerial spraying. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, 15(1), e2382. 12. Wen, S., Zhang, Q., Yin, X., Lan, Y., Zhang, J., & Ge, Y. (2019). Design of plant protection UAV variable spray system based on neural networks. Sensors, 19(5), 1112. 13. Xiao, Q., Xin, F., Lou, Z., Zhou, T., Wang, G., Han, X., & Fu, W. (2019). Effect of aviation spray adjuvants on defoliant droplet deposition and cotton defoliation efficacy sprayed by unmanned aerial vehicles. Agronomy, 9(5), 217. 14. Xiao, Q., Du, R., Yang, L., Han, X., Zhao, S., Zhang, G., Wang & Lan, Y. (2020). Comparison of Droplet Deposition Control Efficacy on Phytophthora capsica and Aphids in the Processing Pepper Field of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Knapsack Sprayer. Agronomy, 10(2), 215. 15. Yao, W., Lan, Y., Wen, S., Zhang, H., Zhang, Y., Wang, J., & Xie, C. (2019). Evaluation of droplet deposition and effect of variable-rate application by a manned helicopter with AG-NAV Guía system. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 12(1), 172-178. Reviewed By: Approved By: Head Of Geoinformatics Head of Precision Agri & Genomics
Establishment of Internet Of Things (IoT) and tracking system at estate Noor Amanina Ghazali , Haryati Abidin , Dr. Lee Yang Ping, Mohd Razman Abdul Latif Abstract This project will focus on Internet of Things (IoT) for tracking the estate activities method that is beneficial for the management of estate operations as well as tracking each estate operational activities. As everyone knows, internet-based technology is still new in the oil palm plantation operations sector. Even so, it is seen to have a great potential to be adapted and seen to be able to improve operational efficiency in the estate. To evaluate this IoT technology for plantation operations, this project will use data logger technology and the Estate Area Remote Sensing (EARS) dashboard platform that has been developed by Tanalink. The system and platform developed by Tanalink uses IoT technology and radio signal as its communication medium, it provides live tracking functions and also a dashboard that can be accessed by its users. This study will evaluate whether the method is efficient, cost-effective and achieve the objective of reducing the gap yield in the estate.
FGV R&D SDN BHD (COMPANY NO. 1012623-V) PROGRESS REPORT Project Title : Establishment of Internet Of Things (IoT) and tracking system at estate Program : NG -09. KI-Estate Operation improvement using Internet of Things (IoT) and drone system Project Leader : Noor Amanina Ghazali Team Members :1. Haryati Abidin 2. Dr. Lee Yang Ping 3. Mohd Razman Abdul Latif Unit : Geoinformatics Unit Presenter : Noor Amanina Ghazali Abstract This project will focus on Internet of Things (IoT) for tracking the estate activities method that is beneficial for the management of estate operations as well as tracking each estate operational activities. As everyone knows, internet-based technology is still new in the oil palm plantation operations sector. Even so, it is seen to have a great potential to be adapted and seen to be able to improve operational efficiency in the estate. To evaluate this IoT technology for plantation operations, this project will use data logger technology and the Estate Area Remote Sensing (EARS) dashboard platform that has been developed by Tanalink. The system and platform developed by Tanalink uses IoT technology and radio signal as its communication medium, it provides live tracking functions and also a dashboard that can be accessed by its users. This study will evaluate whether the method is efficient, cost-effective and achieve the objective of reducing the gap yield in the estate.
1.0 INTRODUCTION The plantation industry has seldom featured in the growing talk on data and cloud technology. In comparison with other industries such as finance, telecommunications and manufacturing, the sector can somewhat be considered a laggard in adopting digital technology. But over the last five years, large Information Technology (IT) companies have started showing interest in developing solutions for the sector. IT and cloud technology will enable them to have better management of information, it covers applications on the operations side, things like digitising the field operations to improve the efficiencies of harvesting and the evacuation processes, and monitor the productivity of field workers of how much crops have been harvested and tracking of the manuring and weeding, as well as administration. With the advancement in Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial revolution 4.0 in agriculture, it offers technological solutions to increase productivity and yield, eliminate or minimize risks, and avoid wastage of resources. Planters need to be empowered with technology-driven solutions such as IoT sensors, drone-based monitoring and artificial intelligence tools for making decision to comprehend the next course of action for higher crop yields and cost reduction. With mobile device functions to help oil palm planters streamline work processes in their plantations, this allows planters to digitally record data of activities in the field and store the data in a cloud-based system, making data retrieval much easier. This would lead to a digital and precision-driven agriculture practises that delivers higher revenue and profit. 2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT Low efficiency in plantation operations often left with resources wastage and low yield. With the poor productivity of field workers, this has left with unattended crops on trees without being harvested. Billion ringgits worth of unharvested fruits were wasted due to unproductive workers (Figure 1). Plantations have always been known to be manually-driven, using a lot of paper. They have adopted technology but in the form of mechanisation. Currently, plantations are using manual counters to count the number of harvested fruits and pen & paper records to track task and field coverage. This leaves them at a disadvantage, as when data is finally collated, it is too late to take action. The efficiency or productivity of field workers especially harvester gang in the oil palm estate cannot be measured easily without embracing IoT technology in the field. Questions such as below are critical to answer to narrow the yield gap: a) Are my workers working in their designated fields? b) Are my harvesters cover the entire given area for FFB harvesting? c) Are my worker’s and vehicle’s movements optimal? d) What is my FFB collection rate? e) Which site, or even palms, are more productive than others? f) Can I optimise my manuring and harvesting processes with the knowledge obtained after answering the questions above?
Figure 1 : Wastage of crops from unattended trees due to low operational efficient in the field. The main issue for plantation owners is the slow flow of information due to their remote locations. This can affect decision making and reduce efficiency. 3.0 GOAL & OBJECTIVE 1. To utilize IoT and tracking technology for tracking of estate daily operations for operational transformation and optimal productivity plan. 2. To evaluate the effectiveness of the IoT technology developed by Tanalink for tracking of harvesting, manuring and FFB transportation. 4.0 METHODOLOGY Tanalink The EARS Platform uses IoT technology, sensors, and proprietary Tanaloxx data loggers to intimately connect planters to their estate. This increases operational transparency and accountability, resulting in reduced crop loss, improved efficiency, and yield. The following diagram shows the various components that will be implemented in this Trial. Figure 2 : Components that will be implemented in the trial The purpose of this technology is as a field asset management platform to assist estate and plantation managers with GNSS tracking devices and LPWAN connectivity. Other that that, it is to monitor daily production in real time with accurate digital fruit or bunch counter & harvesting event in commercial estates or plantations.
Reduce the yield gap: 1. Reduce fruits rotting in the field 2. Optimize harvesting practices to ensure 100% coverage 3. Smarter bin placements can ensure more fruits get to processing plant on time 4. Optimized fertilization reduces operational costs and improves yield Solution Architecture Figure 3 : Tanalink EARS PaaS Architecture Diagram The EARS PaaS consists of: 1. Gateway(s) to set-up a standalone LPWAN wireless network covering the whole estate. 2. A server located at the estate office or in the cloud that collects and processes data from the field. 3. A workstation manned by an estate office staff monitoring and analysing the work taking place in-field at near real-time. 4. Tanaloxxes, a proprietary data loggers distributed to in-field workforce and machines that captures position data every 5 seconds and transmits them back to the server through the gateways. Data loggers that are out of range of a gateway will record their position data to an internal buffer and transmit them through a sync process when they are being charged at the end of the work day. Figure 4 : Oil palm harvesting process flow utilising the Tanaloxx
Figure 5 : Oil palm fertilizing process flow utilising the Tanaloxx For the trial, we will be equipping the 2 harvesting gangs and 1 fertilising gang that covers Stage PM00E 1. Two harvesting gangs consisting of 16 people with each gang having a) Cutter - 4 persons b) Collector - 3 persons c) Operator - 1 person 2. One fertilizing gang consisting of 2 people with each gang having a) Operator - 1 person In this proof-of-concept for evaluation of IoT technology, our field workers only use Tanaloxx IoT trackers in the field to cover the tracking of workers’ movement in the estate while estate workers performing daily activities in the field without installing any networking devices and communication tower. Therefore, no real-time monitoring to minimise the testing costs. We will perform post-data-analytics after collected the movement data at the end of each day and last for 4 months of the data collection period. FGVRD will collaborate further with Tanalink to review plantation performances and come out with better productivity plan with smart AI planning tool that predicts monthly production. This tracking system is also capable to optimize manuring processes to drive cost-efficiency (manuring makes up largest plantation operating cost). This POC project will be evaluated for the effectiveness of IoT implementation and if successful, it will be expanded its use in other estate.
5.0 GANTT CHART Table 1 : Gantt Chart of FGVPM Tembangau 3 in 2022 Q 2021 Q1 2022 Q2 2022 Q3 2022 Q4 2022 TASK JAN FEB MAC APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Project negotiation & proposal for POC Site visit Acceptance of proposed solution by management Agreement & SPK Preparation Installation & Training Utilisation rampup Installation of portable tower (realtime) Data Analysis Transformation Data Evaluation & Comparison Corrective action for utilization of the Tanaloxx and estate operation Subscription extension agreement for 6 months on Tanalink Data evaluation Estate to mill tracking Expansion to the whole estate implementation Completed In progress Yet to start
Table 2 : Gantt chart of FGVPM Tembangau 3 in 2023 Q Q1 2023 Q2 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2023 TASK JAN FEB MAC APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Data Analysis Transformation Data Evaluation & Comparison Corrective action for utilization of the Tanaloxx and estate operation Subscription extension agreement for 12 months on Tanalink Data evaluation Estate to mill tracking Expansion to the whole estate implementation Completed In progress Yet to start The project was officially started and used at the FGVPM Tembangau 3 estate in November 2021 and has been delayed due to covid-19. Starting in Jan 2022, Tanalink has installed portable towers to enable real-time access for estate operations. During the period of POC that has been carried out, can be seen improvements from the estate operations implemented. The management of FGVPM has agreed to extend the subscription period for 6 months to evaluate the improvements that have been and will be made by the estate and also the updates that have been made by Tanalink to the report format and its mobile application. Table 3 : Gantt Chart of FGVAS Kota Gelanggi 5 Q Q3 2022 Q4 2022 Q1 2023 Q2 2023 Q3 2023 TASK JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAC APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP Project negotiation & proposal for KG 05 Site visit Acceptance of proposed solution by management Agreement & SPK Preparation Installation & Training Installation of portable tower (realtime) Data Analysis & Transformation Data Evaluation & Comparison Corrective action for utilization of the Tanaloxx and estate operation Data evaluation Completed In progress Yet to start
Table 4 : Gantt Chart of FGVPM Tembangau 6 Q Q1 2023 Q2 2023 Q3 2023 Q4 2023 TASK JAN FEB MAC APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Project negotiation & proposal for Tembangau 6 Site visit Acceptance of proposed solution by management Agreement & SPK Preparation Installation & Training Installation of portable tower (realtime) Data Analysis & Transformation Data Evaluation & Comparison Corrective action for utilization of the Tanaloxx and estate operation Data evaluation Estate to mill tracking Completed In progress Yet to start
6.0 OUTCOME Project progress: This project has run for a Proof of Concept (POC) at PM00E, Tembangau 3 for 1 year since November 2022 until December 2022. A discussion meeting with FGVPM has been carried out on 26th January 2023 at Wisma FGV to discuss on the result of proof of concept and trial at FGVPM Tembangau 3 estate. During the meeting, CEO FGVPM has instructed to continue subscription at FGVPM Tembangau 3 & to also subscribe at FGVPM Tembangau 6 with additional module on transport tracking to mill. Currently, the implementation of Estate Area Remote Sensing (EARS) Tanalink has fully cover the whole Tembangau 3 estate. The POC at PM00E had run for 1 year and 5 months. An analysis was done for the data collected during one year of trial which is from January 2022 until December 2022. Figure 6 shows an average working hours at stage PM00E, Tembangau 3 estate in year 2022. From January until April 2022, the average working hour is mostly below 7 hours per day but after a few months of implementation EARS Tanalink at the Tembangau 3 estate, the working hour pattern show an improvement to an average of above 7 hours per day for May until October 2022. A further analysis with year 2023 data will be done to identify the effectiveness of Estate Area Remote Sensing (EARS). Figure 6 : Average working hour 2022 of PM00E Tembangau 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2/1/2022 2/2/2022 2/3/2022 2/4/2022 2/5/2022 2/6/2022 2/7/2022 2/8/2022 2/9/2022 2/10/2022 2/11/2022 2/12/2022 Working hours (Hours) Month
Figure 7 shows an average yield in 2018-2022 of stage PM00D, PM00E & PM99C located at Tembangau 3 estate where it is a comparison of stages between year 2021 and 2022. Eventhough PM00D stage show the highest increase from 2021 to 2022, PM00E show the highest average tan/ha with 19.29 Tan/Ha compared to PM00D & PM99C with 18.68 Tan/Ha and 18.89 Tan/Ha respectively in year 2022. Figure 7 : Average Yield of Tembangau 3 estate in 2018-2022 A comparison between FGVPM Tembangau estate was done and Figure 8 shows the difference yield of average Tan/Ha. Tembangau 3 estate show the highest increase of average yield Tan/Ha compared to other estates with 32.61 % in year 2022 compared to year 2021. Figure 8 : Average yield of FGVPM Tembangau estate in 2018-2022 Figure 9 shows a comparison between 2 stage which is PM00E & PM00D at Tembangau 3 estate that have a planted area of 399.51 hectare and 790.07 hectare respectively. In year 2021, there was a big difference of average yield between PM00E & PM00D while in 2022, the difference was reduced as the yield for PM00E increase as high as PM00D yield. 21.89 23.24 24.64 20.23 24.66 21.7 15.45 17.24 19 13.08 14.17 16.18 18.68 19.29 18.89 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 PM00D PM00E PM99C 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Average Tan/Ha Percentage difference between 2022 and 2021 23.19 15.48 28.65 11.11 7.75 18.37 17.99 15.62 17.92 10.78 11.89 19.12 14.7 11.53 17.03 10 11.4 16.07 13.34 14.64 18.02 15.81 9.37 17.35 14.03 17.69 16.52 16.46 16.59 10.59 15.33 16.62 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 T03 T04 T05 T06 T07 T08 T09 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Average Tan/Ha Percentage difference between 2022 and 2021 STAGE ↑ 42.81 % STAGE ↑ 36.13 % ↑ 16.75 % ↑ 32.61 % ↑ 12.84 % ↓ 8.66 % ↑ 4.93 % ↑ 13.02 % ↓ 11.64 % ↑ 18.46 %
Figure 9 : Average yield of PM00D & PM00E in 2021-2022 An additional comparison between stages that have a relatively close area and age of 23 years old at Tembangau estates was done as Figure 10. The percentage difference between 2022 and 2021 for stage PM00E of Tembangau 3 shows the highest value with 36.13 % compared to both PM00E and PM99D from Tembangau 9 estate which had an increase of 28.87 % and 28.60 % respectively from year 2021. Figure 10 : Average yield of PM00E (T3), PM00E (T9) & PM99D (T9) in 2018-2022 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 Jan21 Feb21 Mar21 Apr21 May21 Jun21 Jul21 Aug21 Sep21 Oct21 Nov21 Dec21 Jan22 Feb22 Mar22 Apr22 May22 Jun22 Jul22 Aug22 Sep22 Oct22 Nov22 Dec22 PM00D PM00E 2022 Average Tan/Ha Month 23.24 16.86 18.47 24.66 17.38 18.1 17.24 14.71 15.62 14.17 12.02 13.42 19.29 15.49 17.26 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 PM00E (T03) PM00E (T09) PM99D (T09) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Average Tan/Ha ↑ 36.13 % Percentage difference between 2022 and 2021 STAGE ↑ 28.87 % ↑ 28.6 %
Figure 11 shows a cost benefit analysis of the implementation of EARS Tanalink. The calculation was done according to the data on the figure below and the subscription cost of EARS Tanalink is only 6.72% from the FFB gain. Figure 11 : Cost benefit analysis At Kota Gelanggi 5, the project has runned for 7 months since the installation date. Meanwhile, a new estate is added this year to implement EARS Tanalink which is Tembangau 6 estate that has run for 1 month since the installation date, 18th May 2023. A second kickstart meeting with Tembangau 6 was held on 5th April 2023 as the new manager, En Rahim just reported to work recently. During the meeting, En Rahim requested for a real time data where he agreed for the estate to cover the tower installation cost. The implementation of EARS Tanalink will only cover the planted palm areas and excluding the rubber areas. On 18th May 2023, 40 devices were installed at Tembangau 6 estate and the manager, En Rahim requested to monitor fertilizing, weeding & pest and disease task first as the devices were not fully installed yet due to shortage of device supply from Tanalink. On the same day, a briefing session was held to brief and explain on EARS Tanalink utilization to the estate officer. During the discussion, En Rahim requested to monitor whether the fertilizer was distributed as provided. On 22nd June 2023, a discussion meeting was held with Tembangau 3 estate management to discuss on the current progress of estate to mill module. For the estate to mill module, a QR code will be generated and attached to every bin in Tembangau 3 where the driver will use a mobile app developed by Tanalink to scan the code during lifting or dropping off the bin. It was concluded that this estate to mill tracking will only tracked up to the mill only and excluding the weighbridge.
Figure 12 : Tanalink implementation timeline Example of Harvesting Coverage at FGVAS Kota Gelangi 5 and FGVPM Tembangau 3. Figure 13 : Harvesting coverage Kota Gelanggi 5 Figure 14 : Harvesting coverage PM00E, Tembangau 3 Harvesting coverage February 2023 Harvesting coverage April 2023 Harvesting coverage June 2023 Harvesting coverage April 2023 Harvesting coverage May 2023
7.0 BUDGET Table 5 : Budget for IOT project at FGVPM Tembangau 3 No Item Description Rate Hectares Rate Total 1 Implementation One Time 1 division RM20,000.00 RM20,000.00 2 EARS Monthly Subscription (January 2022 June 2022) RM5 per Ha 400 RM2,000.00 RM12,000.00 3 Additional EARS Monthly Subscription (July 2022 – December 2022) RM5 per Ha 400 RM2,000.00 RM12,000.00 4 Additional EARS Monthly Subscription (May 2023 – April 2024) RM5 per Ha 2,178 RM10,890.00 RM130,680.00 Total Amount: RM174,680.00 Table 6 : Budget for IOT project at FGVAS Kota Gelanggi 5 No Item Description Rate Hectares Rate Pilot 6 Months 1 Implementation One Time 1 division RM20,000.00 RM20,000.00 2 EARS Monthly Subscription RM5 per Ha 1,413 RM7,065.00 RM42,390.00 Total Amount: RM62,390.00 Table 7 : Budget for IOT project at FGVPM Tembangau 6 No Item Description Rate Hectares Rate Pilot 6 Months 1 Implementation One Time 1 division RM20,000.00 RM20,000.00 2 EARS Monthly Subscription RM5 per Ha 1,548 RM7,740.00 RM92,880.00 Total Amount: RM112,880.00 Other costs on operation: Travelling cost for Researcher & Asst. Researcher = RM 15,000.00 Total cost = RM364,950.00 Additional cost for POC Estate to Mill Module = RM 240,000.00 *subject to management decision
8.0 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Nil 9.0 TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS TO GROUP/ CLUSTER/ COMPANY/ UNIT OR IMPACT OF THE PROJECT Efficient estate operation. Reduce amount of resources used. Improve business operation Reviewed By : Reviewed By: Senior Researcher (Biostatistician), Statistic Head of Geoinformatics Approved By: Head of Precision Agri & Genomics
FGV R&D SDN BHD (COMPANY NO. 1012623-V) PROGRESS REPORT Project Title : Fertilizer Application on Planting Hole during Oil Palm Replanting Program : Agronomy Project Leader : Mohd Nizar Khairuddin Team Members : Tan Choon Chek Unit : Agronomy & Smart Farming Presenter : Mohd Nizar Khairuddin ABSTRACT The plantation experienced delays in the fertilizer program during replanting last year. The problems encountered were the shortage of plantation workers, the short duration of the replanting program, and the heavy workload during replanting activities, which indirectly affects the fertilizer program, which lasts up to 2 to 3 months. Fertilization in the first year after planting (YAP) is an important measure to promote vegetative growth of the plant. It is expected that the combination of planting holes and different types of fertilization will optimize the growth of oil palm in the first year after planting. The objective of this study is to determine the response of vegetative growth of an annual immature oil palm to the application of planting holes and fertilizers, and to determine the exact size of planting holes and amount of fertilizer for an annual immature oil palm. The studies were conducted during the first year of new planting of an immature oil palm. Fertilisation with FPM 10 (T3) and FPM 10 + florish (T4) from 6 to 16 months was positively significantly related to leaf number, greenness, leaf area, PCS (petiole cross-sectional area), and FDW (frond dry weight). For foliar analysis, there were no significant differences in total N, available P, K, Ca, and Mg for each treatment. However, there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in nutrient B (mg/kg) among the other treatments. T3 (FPM 10)also had high nutrient B at 18 months compared with T1 (control) for 31, 15, and 8. However, rachis analysis showed that FPM 10 (T3) (2,090) and JITU (T5) (1,813) had significantly higher potassium levels than CPD (9/9/12/4) (T1) (standard practise) from 6 to 12 months. Overall, this study provides a preliminary evaluation of fertiliser application during a replanting programme using different fertilisers in the planting hole, contributing to the effectiveness of fertiliser application for planting. Keywords: Replanting; planting hole; immature palm
1.0 INTRODUCTION Oil palm is a plant that is cultivated widely in Malaysia thought it needs a large number of fertilizers. According to Goh and Po (2005) that fertilizer application practices are the largest field cost item in well-run oil palm plantations in Malaysia. Almost 85% of fertilizer is the total production cost needed for the purchase of fertilizers. The obtain of fertilization in oil palm immature plants one year is to improve soil fertility through the addition of nutrients, both macro and micro useful for the growth and development of oil palm. Other research showed that the response of the plant to fertilization could be increasing plant growth and productivity (Sutarta et al. 2005). In the FGV plantation, there was an issue of delays in the fertilizer program during the replanting program over the past year. The issues that occurred were the shortage of plantation workers, the short duration of the replanting program and the heavy workload for replanting activities. Indirectly will affect the fertilizer program lasts up to 2 to 3 months. Fertilization for One-Year-old After Planting (1 YAP) is an important activity for supporting the vegetative growth of the plant. Fertilization is done by using the standard fertilization from oil palm companies or research centres. In addition, the use of fertilizers in planting holes is an alternative method to increase productivity and operating progress especially for first round of manuring programme. The combination of planting holes and different mode of fertilization is expected to optimize oil palm growth in a one-year-old immature oil palm.. The objectives of this research are to know the response of vegetative growth of one-year-old immature oil palm with the planting hole application and fertilizer rates and to obtain the precise plant hole size and fertilizer rates for one-year-old immature oil palm.To determine the potential of planting hole manuring during transplanting affected oil palm growth. 2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT In the FGV plantation, there was an issue of delays in the fertilizer program during the replanting program over the past year. The issues that occurred were the shortage of plantation workers, the short duration of the replanting program and the heavy workload for replanting activities. Indirectly will affect the fertilizer program lasts up to 2 to 3 months. 3.0 GOAL & OBJECTIVE 1. To identify response of vegetative growth of one-year-old immature oil palm with the planting hole application and fertilizer rates and to obtain the precise plant hole size and fertilizer rates for one-yearold immature oil palm. 2. To determine the potential of planting hole manuring during transplanting affected oil palm growth
4.0 METHODOLOGY Experiments will be conducted in the phase 18D (formerly known as 123R) at PPPTR, Jerantut, Pahang. Figure 1: Layout trial treatment and application Table1: Treatment with manuring programme for first year planting Treatments CRP application Fertilizer type Application rate in the planting hole (kg/palm/yr) Fertilizer application under FGV Mulch (kg/palm/yr) Manuring time T1 (Standard practice) 500g CPD 9/9/12/4 - 3.5 Current practices T2 - CPD 9/9/12/4 1.0 2.5 Application after 2 month T3 - FPM 10 (10/8/20/3+0.5B) 1.0 2.5 Application after 2 month T4 - FPM 10 + Florish 1.0 (florish) 2.5 Application after 2 month T5 - JITU SFOF 0.5 2.5 Need top-up 0.75kg MOP T6 - FOF 9.5/9/17/4 1.0 2.5 Application after 2 month Experiment design : RCBD Replications : 4 reps with 16 palm/rep (4x4 palm/plot) Total Treatments: 7 Total no : 448 Duration : 36 months (3 years) Planting Material : Planting Nigerian Material (PNM) highly density clone seedling (Rep 1 & 2) and clone oil palm (Rep 3 & 4) Location : Phase 123 R, PPPTR Rep 3 & 4 Rep 1 & 2
Table 2: treatment for second anCPD 9/9/12/4 FPM 10 (10/8/20/YAP Pus month Fertilizer Type During Transplating In hole CRP 0.50 CRP 1st Year 1 9/9/12/4 3.50 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 2nd Year 1 14 9/9/12/4 1.50 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 2 16 MOP 1.00 3 17 9/9/12/4 1.50 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 4 20 9/9/12/4 1.75 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 5 23 9/9/12/4 1.75 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 3rd Year 1 Feb NK 27 2.25 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 2 May NK 27 2.25 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 3 Jun/Jul Pmg 2.50 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B 4 Sept/Oct NK27 2.00 10/8/20/3 + 0.5% B
nd third year manuring programme /3+0.5B) JITU 13/13/6/2 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 Fertilizer rate (Kg/palm) Fertilizer Type Fertilizer rate (Kg/palm) Fertilizer Type Fertilizer rate (Kg/palm) 0.50 CRP 0.50 CRP 0.50 3.50 JITU 13/13/6/2 2.50 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 3.50 1.50 1.25 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 1.50 1.50 1.25 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 1.50 1.75 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 1.75 1.75 1.50 FOF 9.5/9/17/2 1.75 2.50 FOF 11/6/17/4 2.50 2.50 2.50 FOF 11/6/17/4 2.50 3.50 FOF 11/6/17/4 2.50
During transplanting, dig the planting holes size at 45-45-60cm (Length x width x height), applied 0.5kg-1.0kg of fertilizer inside planting holes, then cover with 3-5cm of soil then only transplanted oil palm seedlings. The balance of fertilizer was applied under FGV Mulch at 2 months after transplanting (figure 1). Figure 1: Procedure of fertilizer application in the planting hole 1. Holing 2. Bigger planting hole (45cm x 45cm x 60cm) 3. 1 kg fertilizer application in planting hole 6. 2-2.5kg fertilizer under FGV Mulch (after 1-2 month) 5. Palm planting 4. Cover with 1 layer of soil (3-5 cm) (compulsory) Statistical analysis The effects of manuring application on the planting hole were examined using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) is a standard design. Significant differences between treatments were determined using A-NOVA analysis. All data obtained from the laboratories and fields will be analyzed statistically using SAS.
5.0 GANTT CHART No Task 2020 2021 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 1 Planting in the plantation 2 Manuring in planting hole 3 Manuring after 1 MAP 4 Determine of foliar & rachis 5 Determine of vegetative measurement 6 Determine of the first year recording 7 Statistical analysis & result 8 Progress report 9 Closure report
2022 2023 % Progress Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 100 100 80 80 80 70 70 70 50
6.0 OUTCOME The nutrient equivalent demonstrated that the difference treatment and rate/pam that applied in the planting hole for immature palm was shown various pattern of nutrient content of N, P₂0₅, K₂O and Mg0. Based on difference treatment with T1 (standard practice) without manuring in the planting hole the compared with other treatment shown balance in nutrient equivalent N for treatment T2 (CPD 9/9/12/4), T3 (FPM 10/8/20/3+0.5B), T4 (FPM10 + Florish), T5 (JITU 13/13/6/2) added MOP (60 K₂O) and T6 (9.5/9/17/4). T3 and T4 (FPM 10) are new immature palm formulations introduced by agronomists and FPM. Indeed, florish is a new product made from compost and AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus). Nonetheless, T5 (JITU) and T6 (FOF) examined products based on control release fertiliser (CRF) and enriched organic fertiliser (FOF). Table 2: Nutrient equivalent in the treatment for 1YAP Code Treatment Rate/palm N P₂0₅ K₂O Mg0 T1 CPD (9/9/12/4) (standard practice) 3.50 0.32 0.45 0.42 0.32 T2 CPD (9/9/12/4) 3.50 0.32 0.58 0.42 0.32 T3 FPM 10 (10/8/20/3+0.5B) 3.50 0.35 0.28 0.70 0.35 T4 FPM 10+Florish (1 kg) 3.50 0.35 0.28 0.70 0.35 T5 JITU 13/13/6/2 (0.5kg) + MOP (0.75kg) 3.00 0.39 0.39 0.63 0.39 T6 FOF 9.5/9/17/4 3.50 0.33 0.32 0.60 0.33 Noted: CPD (compound fertilizer), FOF (fortified organic fertilizer) 5.3 Growth Analysis Table 3 presents the growth analyses (number of leaves, level of greenness, area of leaves, PCS, FDW, and FDW/palm) for the different types of fertilisers used in the manuring programme. At 12 and 18 months, there was a substantial (P<0.05) increase in the number of leaves compared to the standard practice (T1). However, the number of leaves in each treatment's 6-month effect was not different significantly from one another. The number of leaves showed that the mean T2 and T5 were significantly higher after 12 months, while T2 and T3 showed a 4% increase in effect after 18 months compared to the T1 (control). The findings of different treatments showed that T3, T4, T5, and T6 significantly increased mean greenness level (SPAD) from 6 month to 18 month. T3 (FPM 10) had the highest levels of greenness, which were measured at 56.55, 66.78, and 68.68 SPAD, respectively (Table 3). There were significant changes in the area of the leaves at 6, 12, and 18 months for each treatment. When different fertilisers were applied in the planting hole for T2 to T6 compared to T1 (standard practice), the leaves area rose steadily. As a result, for 6 and 12 months, T4 (0.83 and 1.34 cm²) was assigned the highest and T3 (1.95 cm²) was given the highest to the varied manuring. Other treatments have been identified as having moderate outcomes. The difference in PCS (petiole cross sectional area) for different fertilisers all over periods of 6, 12, and 18 months is shown in Table 3. In general, the amount of fertiliser used in the planting hole (T2 to T6) rose significantly when compared to T1 (the control). T4 (4.53 and 6.89) showed a definite increase from 6 to 12 months. Whereas, T2 (12.71) showed an increased in 18 month, respectively.
The effects on different fertiliser treatment applied in the planting hole with standard practice (T1) standard application are shown in Table 3 for FDW (frond dry weight) in the replanting programme. From the whole vegetative duration of 6 to 18 months, FDW was estimated. The findings of the ANOVA revealed significant differences between each FDW treatment (P<0.05). Results demonstrated that various treatments increased over a period of 6 to 12 months with T4 (10.34 and 17.90). T2 (32.36) had the highest FDW throughout the period of 18 months. Table 3: Effect of treatment on the number of leaves, greenness level (SPAD), leave area, PCS, FDW and FDW/palm of the immature oil palm. (Means with the same letter are not significantly different at p<0.05) Treatment Number of leaves Greenness level (SPAD) 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month T1 (standard practice) 15.48 a 19.10 ab 23.38 b 52.59 b 54.59 b 60.20 b T2 15.00 a 20.31 a 24.29 a 55.73 b 62.62 ab 65.13 b T3 15.19 a 18.75 ab 24.25 a 56.55 a 66.78 a 68.68 a T4 15.38 a 19.31 ab 23.88 b 55.72 b 58.85 ab 67.19 a T5 16.00 a 20.69 a 23.44 b 57.45 a 59.31 ab 60.54 b T6 14.94 a 17.25 b 22.73 b 54.59 b 62.92 ab 63.42 b ns Treatment Leaves area (cm²) PCS 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month T1 (standard practice) 0.61 b 0.96 b 1.78 b 3.57 b 5.19 b 6.99 b T2 0.72 b 1.16 ab 1.94 a 4.12 a 6.12 ab 12.71 a T3 0.79 b 1.18 ab 1.95 a 3.72 b 5.94 ab 8.00 ab T4 0.83 a 1.34 a 1.78 b 4.53 a 6.89 a 7.43 b T5 0.78 b 1.11 ab 2.05 a 4.17 a 5.15 b 6.32 b T6 0.74 b 1.01 b 1.55 b 3.63 b 5.05 b 6.25 b Noted: PCS (petiole cross sectional area) Treatment FDW/ palm 6 month 12 month 18 month T1 (standard practice) 8.74 c 14.34 ab 21.41 b T2 9.55 b 17.08 ab 32.36 a T3 8.98 c 15.63 ab 24.91 b T4 10.34 a 17.90 a 23.55 b T5 10.16 a 15.53 ab 19.18 c T6 8.63 c 12.80 b 19.32 c Noted: FDW (Frond dry weight)
5.4 Foliar and Rachis Analysis 5.4.1 Foliar analysis Total N, available P, K, Ca, Mg and B showed the overall oil palm foliar analysis (Table 4). There was not significant difference in total N, available P, K, Ca and Mg for each treatment. However, there was significantly differences (P<0.05) in the nutrient B (mg/kg) between the other treatment. The T3 (FPM 10) had high nutrient B even after 18 month compared with T1 (control) for 31, 15 and 8. Table 4: Foliar analysis in different treatment. (Means with the same letter are not significantly different at p<0.05) Treatment Total-N (%) Available P (%) K (%) 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month T1 (standard practice) 3.41 a 3.05 a 1.45 a 0.235 a 0.206 a 0.083 a 1.536 a 1.331 a 0.552 a T2 3.35 a 2.87 a 1.46 a 0.225 a 0.191 a 0.080 a 1.572 a 1.343 a 0.589 a T3 3.54 a 3.09 a 1.37 a 0.236 a 0.205 a 0.077 a 1.621 a 1.380 a 0.556 a T4 3.51 a 2.79 a 1.55 a 0.239 a 0.197 a 0.086 a 1.618 a 1.407 a 0.581 a T5 3.48 a 2.79 a 1.48 a 0.237 a 0.193 a 0.087 a 1.634 a 1.452 a 0.527 a T6 3.44 a 2.71 a 1.52 a 0.236 a 0.190 a 0.080 a 1.537 a 1.321 a 0.490 a ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns Treatment Ca (%) Mg (%) B (mg/kg) 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month 6 month 12 month 18 month T1 (standard practice) 0.495 a 0.628 a 0.216 a 0.387 a 0.401 a 0.174 a 16 b 12 ab 8 a T2 0.405 a 0.615 a 0.198 a 0.370 a 0.408 a 0.167 a 18 c 11 b 4 c T3 0.385 a 0.632 a 0.264 a 0.382 a 0.417 a 0.180 a 31 a 15 a 8 a T4 0.447 a 0.608 a 0.247 a 0.363 a 0.406 a 0.164 a 27 b 13 ab 5 b T5 0.372 a 0.591 a 0.307 a 0.376 a 0.406 a 0.190 a 16 b 10 b 6 b T6 0.395 a 0.616 a 0.247 a 0.390 a 0.417 a 0.187 a 12 b 10 b 6 b ns ns ns ns ns ns
5.4.2 Rachis analysis Rachis analysis revealed the phosphorus (%) and potassium (%) nutritional status (Figures 2 and 3). Phosphorus rachis analysis did not significantly different (P<0.05) from standard practice (T1) in fertiliser application from 6 to 18 months. However, rachis analysis revealed that T3 (2.090) and T5 (1.813) had significantly higher potassium levels than T1 (standard practice) from 6 to 12 months. T5 (0.903) and T6 (0.940) tended to have greater potassium levels than the other treatments after 18 months. Figure 2: Effect of treatment on the phosphorus in rachis analysis. (Means with the same letter are not significantly different at p<0.05) Figure 3: Effect of treatment on the potassium in rachis analysis. (Means with the same letter are not significantly different at p<0.05) a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 0.000 0.020 0.040 0.060 0.080 0.100 0.120 0.140 0.160 T1 (standard practice) T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 Phosporus (%) P 6 month P 12 month P 18 month b b a b b b ab b ab ab a ab a ab ab ab a a 0.000 0.500 1.000 1.500 2.000 2.500 T1 (standard practice) T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 Potassium (%) K 6 month K 12 month K 18 month
5.2 Cost analysis The cost analysis were observed at the difference treatment according to the current price (2021-2022). Indeed, technical recommendation was applied with FGV mulching as commercial practice for FGV standard with cost around RM4/unit. Table 5 shows the highest price represented in T5 (JITU 13/13/6/2) added with MOP (RM1934) and follow by the T2 (RM1887), T6 (RM1887), T1 standard practice (RM1735), T2 (RM1698) and lastly the cheaper price is T4 (RM1628). Indeed, the T1 (control) and T2 is different with standard FGV practice applied with BRP (Bayovar Rock Phosphate) 0.5kg in the planting hole compared with applied 1 kg CPD (9/9/12/4). Table 5: Cost analysis in the treatment Code Treatment FGV Mulch Cost(rm/ha) Total T1 CPD (9/9/12/4) (standard practice) 4 1143 1735 T2 CPD (9/9/12/4) 4 1106 1698 T3 FPM 10 (10/8/20/3+0.5B) 4 1295 1887 T4 FPM 10+Florish (1 kg) 4 1036 1628 T5 JITU 13/13/6/2 + MOP (0.5kg) 4 1342 1934 T6 FOF 9.5/9/17/4 4 1295 1887 Noted: CPD (compound fertilizer), FOF (fortified organic fertilizer) 5.4 Yield analysis According to the treatment findings of scout harvesting, T6 (5.15 tons/ha) produced the most effective outcomes from February to August 2023. T1 (standard practice) (4.95 tons/ha), T2 (3.91 tons/ha), T5 (3.81 tons/ha), T4 (3.30 tons/ha), and finally T4 (3.06 tons/ha), respectively. Table 6: Yield analysis in the treatment Treatment SUMMARY (Feb - August) 2023 BN BW ABW tan/ha T1 (standard practice) 9.04 33.45 3.84 4.95 T2 6.88 26.45 4.21 3.91 T3 6.75 20.68 3.03 3.06 T4 6.00 22.30 3.89 3.30 T5 6.88 25.73 3.63 3.81 T6 9.63 34.78 3.77 5.15 Noted: BN (Bunch number), BW (Bunch weight), ABW (Average bunch weight)
7.0 BUDGET Items Total budget (RM) Manpower 246,180 Fertilizer cost 17,500 Repair and Maintenance - Technical services (analysis) 67,200 Total 330,880 Research Fees 66,176 GRAND TOTAL 397,056 8.0 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 1. Technical recommendation for the FGV and FELDA Group 2. Reducing operation cost 9.0 TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS TO GROUP/ CLUSTER/ COMPANY/ UNIT OR IMPACT OF THE PROJECT This project provides a preliminary evaluation of fertiliser application during a replanting programme using various fertilisers in the planting hole, contributing to the effectiveness of fertiliser application for the FGV group. The use of fertilisers in the planting hole can help to reduce the delays in fertilising the plantings. The result is significant for technical support and agronomic improvement during the replanting process. In addition, it has the potential to increase the quality and quantity of our oil palm replanting practises for our customers, especially FGVPM, FGVAS and FELDA. 10.0 REFERENCES 1. Goh, K. J., & Po, S. B. (2005). Fertilizer recommendation systems for oil palm: estimating the fertilizer rates. In Proceedings of MOSTA Best practices workshops-agronomy and crop management. Malaysian Oil Scientists' and Technologists' Association. 1-37. 2. Lakitan, B. (2007). Basics of plant physiology. Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada. 3. Suryanto, T., Sari, V. I., & Nugraha, R. A. (2017). The Combination of Plant Hole Size and Fertilizer Rates for Response of One Year Old Immature Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 5(5). 4. Sutarta, E.D., Darmosarkoro, W., and Rahutomo, S. (2005). Opportunities for the Use of Compound Fertilizer and Organic Fertilizer from Palm Oil Waste. Medan (ID): Indonesian Oil Palm Research Centert. 79-90.