First to use MEMS-based technology

Rahman said that MIMOS' Sensor Technology platform involved using MEMS technology integrated with electronic and wireless modules whereby MEMS sensors collect in-field data and relay the information automatically to crop databases. "Apart from eliminating manual assessment through soil sampling, this automated system would be able to capture critical data to aid decision making in the plantations."

"Worldwide including in Malaysia, this is the first move to use MEMS-based technology towards increasing palm oil productivity," she added. "It is currently used mainly in manufacturing and security sectors."

However, he said, FAS and MIMOS would use frontier tools and technologies to widen the scope of analytical data usage to make explicit FAS' tacit knowledge for more strategic purposes.

Felda chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor said that the collaboration is a significant step forward for the industry because sophisticated technology will be brought to bear to re-engineer some of the existing practices in oil palm plantations.