Journal of Agricultural Machinery
with the collaboration of Iranian Society of Mechanical Engineers (ISME)

Engineering-Science Driven Review of Field Maintenance Machinery in Indonesian Oil Palm Plantations: Performance Metrics, Governing Processes, and Research Needs

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article- En

Authors

D. Santoso 1, 2
I. Iqbal 3
A. Azis 3

1 Doctoral Program in Agricultural Science, School of Postgraduate, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia

2 Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Borneo Tarakan, Tarakan, Indonesia

3 Department of Agriculture Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2026.97821.1472
Abstract
Oil palm supports Indonesia’s rural economy, yet field maintenance operations remain labour-intensive and measurement sparse. This engineering science driven review synthesises 20 studies published during 2015–2025 on weed control, fertiliser application, pest and disease management, pruning/canopy work, and supporting soil/residue operations in Indonesian oil palm. To handle heterogeneous reporting, performance indicators were classified as directly reported metrics, derived metrics, proxy indicators, or not reported; no missing values were imputed for CV, deposition, drift, or droplet spectrum descriptors. Across the available evidence, electric/motorised sprayers, CDA systems, and UAV spraying generally reduced time and/or cost relative to manual knapsack practice, while tractor towed spreaders, pneumatic applicators, and subsurface placement concepts improved dosing and targeting in fertiliser operations. However, only a minority of studies reported standardised engineering metrics such as CV, VMD, on target deposition, drift, or operator exposure. The review provides a structured engineering comparison rather than a formal meta-analysis and identifies priority research needs: standard test protocols, comparable benchmark reporting, and modular multifunction platforms integrated with sensing, decision support, and service-based deployment models.

Keywords

Field maintenance
Machinery
Modular concepts
Oil palm
Precision agriculture
Subjects

Authors retain the copyright. This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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Journal of Agricultural Machinery

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 May 2026

  • Receive Date 13 February 2026
  • Revise Date 19 March 2026
  • Accept Date 18 April 2026
  • First Publish Date 20 May 2026

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