KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has launched four new technologies at the virtual Transfer of Technology Seminar and Exhibition (TOT) 2021.
The new technologies include oil palm disease control, production of biomass products for palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment and machinery for the transportation of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) in the plantations.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said MPOB had so far introduced 709 technologies and 191 services to be commercialised by the industry and entrepreneurs.
"A total of 221 of MPOB's technologies or innovations out of the total of 709 have been commercialised, including by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
"This contributes to MPOB's commercialisation rate of 31.17 per cent," he said when officiating the TOT 2021.
The new technologies developed by MPOB include the use of endophytic bacteria that possess the characteristics of effective biological control agents to control basal stem rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma fungus.
MPOB said these biological control agent products were environmentally-friendly.
"Systematic disease control technology of oil palm trees can increase the productivity of oil palm crops and reduce losses to plantation operators.
"MPOB also developed the technology to control upper stem rot (USR) disease of oil palm caused by the Ganoderma fungus," it said.
For milling technology, MPOB said it had developed innovations for the treatment of palm oil mill effluent through systems combining biological treatments involving aeration and absorption of physical chemicals with activated charcoal treatment.
The treatment method uses palm biomass as an absorption material that is affordable, easily available and user-friendly and meets the standards set by the Department of Environment.
Another new technology introduced is a machinery to help unload fresh fruit bunches (FFB) in the plantations.
"The machine, which can unload FFB into a bin or trailer, uses a simple hydraulic system and is powered by batteries, it said.
At the TOT 2021, MPOB also launched three products from its commercialisation collaborations with local companies.
This involves the commercialisation of Ganoderma disease control technology, a palm-based plasticer product used in the industrial sector and an electric cutting tool known as Cantas Elektro for FFB harvesting works.
MPOB director General Dr. Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said it was committed to producing technologies and innovations with an impact on productivity efficiency, improving the quality of palm oil and the sustainability of the country's palm oil industry.
"MPOB's research from the upstream to the downstream sector focuses on the production of technologies that can solve problems and meet the current needs of the industry," he added.
According to Dr. Ahmad Parveez, the support of the industry had contributed to MPOB's efforts in increasing the commercialisation of new technologies.
"The commercialisation of technology generated through R&D is one of the most important indicators or key performance indices of MPOB's contribution to the country's palm oil industry," he added.