PreciPalm Application: Result of Cooperation between IPB, Pupuk Kaltim and PTPN
PreciPalm is an application that can provide information on nutrient requirements on oil palm plantations by utilizing sentinel satellite images and drones. This PreciPalm was created as a result of the collaboration between IPB University, Pupuk Kaltim Foundation, and PT. Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) III, V and VII.
“We have done application experiments and performance tests at the demonstration plot in three PTPNs. This system is expected to be an alternative nutrient estimation and fertilizer recommendation system on oil palm plantations based on precise agriculture and real-time data analytics. This application is part of the characteristics of agroindustry 4.0 by utilizing sensing devices, drones, satellites and internet of things,” said the Rector of IPB, Dr. Arif Satria when testing PreciPalm at PTPN VII, Lampung (22/4).
According to him, the purpose of merger between satellite and drones is to optimize each other’s system functions when they have to deal with obstacles in cloud cover (for satellite) and limited image capture area (for drones). This is part of the improvement manifestation of fertilization business processes which costs dominate the palm oil production process (approximately 60 percent) of the total cost of palm oil production.
“To determine the amount of nutrients needed by oil palm plantations, it takes seven days to six months of a laboratory analysis depending on the queue and the completeness of laboratory facilities. For plantations that do not have laboratory facilities, of course this is an obstacle because soil and leaves samples must be taken from the field and packaged to be sent to the nearest laboratory. In addition, there is a risk of costs, deterioration in quality and damage to samples during expedition. At present PreciPalm is still in performance testing stage by testing demonstration plots in three PTPNs. Hopefully the number of demonstration plot tests can be added on other oil palm plantations. There is no perfect system, but it must go through a continuous and progressive process of research and experiment,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to the Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Prof. Kudang Boro Seminar, by using PreciPalm farmers can determine the amount of fertilizer needed or recommended in a particular area. PreciPalm has met the rules of precise agriculture. We cultivate the field with the variability of nutrients in the land.
“It will be seen which areas have low nutritional content so they have to be fertilized more. If it’s nutritious enough, no more fertilizer is needed. Thus, the amount of fertilizer given will have a different dose in one field . This is adjusted to nutritional variability. We can easily see the condition of a land on an oil palm plantation so that we can make decisions on how much fertilizer is needed,” he said. (dh/Zul/ZSP)
