RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 38 (1) March 2026, p. 127-135

A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF A RADIO-CONTROLLED HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION MOWER FOR OIL PALM PLANTATION

MOHD AZWAN BAKRI1*; NABILAH KAMALIAH MUSTAFFA1 and MOHD RIZAL AHMAD1

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2025.0003
Received: 6 September 2023   Accepted: 22 November 2024   Published Online: 19 February 2025
ABSTRACT

Maintaining effective weed control is essential for oil palm fields. To address sustainability concerns and the increasing cost of chemicals, a cutting-edge mechanical mower has been recommended as an alternative solution. Integrating mechanical, fluid mechanics and electronic systems in a mower is a solution to enhance manoeuvrability in the field. The development and testing of an integrated hydrostatic transmission (iHST) mower with a teleoperation system to improve operational efficiency were discussed. The time-motion study on a 3 ha plot showed that the prototype could achieve an effective field capacity of 0.44 ha/hr at RM255.50/ha, an annual cost for path and palm circle mowing operation in the test area of flat terrain, mild weed infestation and in a dry condition. A 5.8 GHz FPV camera enabled the machine’s teleoperation, which provides real-time feedback for improved control during operations. Although its productivity was inferior to the current mechanised spraying approach, the machine could be a sustainable alternative with benefits such as attracting skilled local workforces in plantation operations and environmental friendliness.

KEYWORDS:


1 Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
6, Persiaran Institusi,
Bandar Baru Bangi,
43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

* Corresponding author e-mail: azwan.bakri@mpob.gov.my