This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on February 13, 2023 - February 19, 2023

With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing have been deployed in the agriculture sector in a bid to boost yields, optimise the use of resources and reduce dependence on labour. These same technologies are also being deployed to boost the output of the king of fruit and help mitigate the effects of climate change on its yields.

Mark Chin, founder and CEO of ORESCO Plantation Sdn Bhd, which manages 350 acres of durian plantations in the country, says durian farming has traditionally relied on the farmers’ experience and knowledge, which can make the process slow and challenging.

The use of smart farming applications, Chin says, can help farmers and plantation companies like ORESCO better understand farming factors such as wind, water, soil and topography types.

“Smart farming solutions can help forecast yield, reduce costs, lessen wastage of resources and assess risks in durian cultivation,” he says, adding that forecasting and planning are essential in the farming of durians.

“Information such as weather conditions lets us plan and prepare in advance. We can also forecast or predict if there is over fruiting, which could affect the durian market price and cause a price fall, so we can plan and channel the supply to other areas to avoid a market glut.”

The global durian market is worth about US$20 billion (RM85.31 billion) a year, and most of the supply is from Thailand, according to Chin. A late starter to global durian production, Malaysia only supplies about 4% of global demand, exporting RM145 million in 2020.

In November last year, ORESCO, which is a black thorn durian plantation expert, entered into a collaboration agreement with the University of Malaya, iRADAR Sdn Bhd and Koperasi Durian Malaysia Bhd to bolster the growth and cultivation of black thorn durians in the country.

Ir Dr Koo VoonChet, CEO of iRADAR, says durian farmers are giving the thumbs up to smart farming solutions like iRadar’s GoTani as these offer precise and real-time data that allow farmers to act quickly to improve their yields or to save costs. “Deploying the technology makes farming more cost-­effective and sustainable. The technology gathers more accurate data and information, which allows decisions to be made with less guesswork.”

Koo concedes that it was initially difficult to convince farmers to use its smart farming platform. “We started by offering drone mapping services to farms, and progressively we introduced the IoT monitoring system and later the entire GoTani solution. Now more farmers are aware of the technology and the benefits of implementing smart farming solutions,” he adds.

For ORESCO, which uses the smart farming solution in the durian plantations it manages, the impact has been significant.

“It helps in monitoring the crops from various aspects, such as soil conditions, weather and environment. It optimises inputs and reduces costs. For example, the smart irrigation system significantly improves water efficiency and reduces waste and overwatering. During the year-end monsoon season with constant heavy rainfall, for example, the system captures the contours of the terrain to help us find the best routes to divert the heavy flow of water to the nearby rivers,” says Chin.

“It also enables early detection of issues related to tree health and enables faster response to threats. Using drones, for example, we can monitor and analyse the tree’s health and growth rather than depend on manual inspection, which is tedious and time-consuming.

“The system can trace any deformity or pest attack on each tree and, with early detection, the injuries or flaws can be rescued and healed. This technology is also able to do yield prediction and yield calculation for each tree based on the number of flowers the tree produces, the prediction accuracy is at least 80% and above.

“Each tree’s health history is collected and recorded then archived throughout the years. With this, the history of each tree is traceable with ease without depending on labour to manually collect and record data. Furthermore, all these data will be referred to and analysed to further enhance tree growth for better quality and higher fruit yields.

“Smart farming also has IoT stations that have multiple sensors, which include soil sensors to detect soil moisture, pH and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), as well as wind, temperature and rainfall volume sensors, which are all crucial in durian cultivation.”

Apart from high-tech methods to monitor and facilitate the farming process, research is also underway to profile the nutrient requirements of durian trees, says Dr Purabi Mazumdar, senior lecturer at the Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University of Malaya.

“Proper nutrient supply can make fruit yield much more consistent, with better shape and aroma,” says Mazumdar.

To spur the cultivation of black thorn durians, which are said to cost 40% more than the musang king variety, ORESCO also recently launched the D’Harvest Growers joint venture scheme. Through the programme, prospective investors can own a slice of the 100-acre black thorn durian plantation in Titi Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, which will be managed by ORESCO.

According to Chin, although there are currently about 600,000 musang king trees in Malaysia, there are fewer than 6,000 black thorn trees, and 99% of what is produced is consumed locally.

“So, there isn’t enough for the export market,” he says, adding that this makes the black thorn a timely and profitable variety to grow.

By joining the D’Harvest Growers project, durian aficionados can get their hands on a consistent supply of this exclusive variety of durian. “We have gained interest from people in Singapore, Japan, China and even Vietnam. Currently 30% of our investors are from Singapore alone, and another 10% are likely to ink the deal by December,” says Chin, adding that the project is “gaining popularity, especially among foreigners who absolutely love durian and would want to own durian orchards for an endless supply”.

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