Tokyo, January 28, 2024 – Terra Drone Corporation, a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology company headquartered in Japan, is pleased to announce that our subsidiary Terra Drone Indonesia in Indonesia and Terra Drone Agri in Malaysia, have launched a comprehensive pest management initiative under its ‘Terra Agri’ agriculture business, targeting bagworm infestations across 2,158 hectares of oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. This project was carried out in strategic partnership with Behn Meyer, a distributor of agricultural chemicals and fertilizers in Malaysia and Indonesia, with ‘Terra Agri’ as the drone operator to provide innovative solutions to local agricultural challenges.
Terra Agri teams up with Behn Meyer Malaysia for the project
Why This Matters For Palm Oil Plantations
Bagworms pose a severe threat to palm oil plantations, causing significant economic losses by damaging leaves and reducing crop yields. Indonesia and Malaysia, which are known as major palm oil producers, accounting for around 80% of global production (1), face substantial agricultural challenges in managing these pests. However, traditional pest control methods often fail to manage pesticide application efficiently, leading to overuse and insufficient pest suppression.
To address these challenges, ‘Terra Agri’ established a strategic partnership with Behn Meyer, leveraging their extensive networks in local agricultural industries, to deliver advanced drone technology as a drone operator. By utilizing drones, pesticides can be precisely applied only where needed, significantly reducing overuse compared to manual labor. This approach enhances efficiency, minimizes waste, and significantly contributes to boosting productivity in palm plantations.
Project Highlights
In this project, ‘Terra Agri’ collaborated with Behn Meyer to execute pest management in palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. ‘Terra Agri’ provided advanced drone technologies and precision spraying solutions, while Behn Meyer supplied high-quality pesticide management solutions tailored to local client needs. This collaboration enabled optimal drone solutions to address site-specific challenges, resulting in improved productivity and a significant step forward in sustainable agriculture.
To achieve effective pest management, the project utilized G30 and E16 blanket drones, which are well-suited for large-scale spraying operations.
- In Malaysia, the demand for drones with large-capacity tanks is growing to meet the needs of vast land areas. The G30 drone, equipped with a large tank, can transport substantial amounts of pesticides and fertilizers in a single flight, making it ideal for large-scale operations and efficiently covering Malaysia’s expansive plantations.
- In Indonesia, where the required pesticide quantities are smaller and daily operational targets are easier to manage, drones with smaller tanks are preferred. While the E16 drone covers only half the area of the G30 drone per flight, its cost efficiency and effective pesticide application make it a highly suitable option for Indonesian plantations.
By leveraging these advanced drone technologies, the project successfully tailored pesticide applications to specific field requirements, contributing to the success of bagworm control efforts in both countries.
‘Terra Agri’ continues to address long-term agricultural challenges by leveraging its advanced drone technologies and collaborating with local partners in Indonesia and Malaysia. By providing efficient and effective pesticide application solutions, Terra Drone aims to enhance productivity and contribute to the achievement of sustainable agriculture in both nations.
With ‘Terra Agri’s commitment to addressing the needs of local industries through cutting-edge drone technologies, Terra Drone will continue contributing to enhanced productivity and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices both in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Terra Agri drone pilot operates G30 drone in Malaysia
“The success of this project isn’t just about using a drone. It’s about adopting a new mindset. The G30’s precision and adaptability are essential, but the real transformation lies in how technology allows us to respond more intelligently to plantation challenges. This collaboration serves as a model for modern agriculture.” Said Asrul Mokhtar, General Manager of Sales, Terra Agri in Malaysia.
Ahmad Aminuddin Bin Ishak, Business Development Manager at Behn Meyer Malaysia, shared that their collaboration with Terra Drone began in mid-2024. Over time, the partnership has grown significantly, involving multiple plantation companies across Malaysia. He highlighted that Terra Drone consistently meets high standards and delivers outstanding results, particularly in spraying applications.
“Looking ahead, we are eager to explore further collaborations with Terra Drone, moving beyond bagworm control to other pest and disease management solutions aimed at improving estate operational efficiency,” said Ahmad Aminuddin.
Editor’s Note
1 Source: USDA Palm Oil 2023 World Production (https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/cropview/commodityView.aspx?cropid=4243000)
About Behn Meyer AgriCare (M) Sdn. Bhd
Behn Meyer AgriCare specializes in providing advanced agricultural solutions, focusing on plant nutrition, crop protection, and specialty chemicals. Operating primarily in Malaysia, the company supports sustainable agricultural practices by offering innovative products and services to farmers and agribusinesses.
About Terra Agri
Terra Agri serves as the agricultural services arm of Terra Drone Corporation. We offer crop intelligence and plantation control systems to monitor site conditions, utilizing aerial and ground information, including topography, crop health, soil quality, rainfall, and farm operations activity. We focus on streamlining and digitizing agricultural processes, employing drone technology for efficient spraying and mapping throughout production cycles.
About Terra Drone Agri
Terra Drone Agri is a subsidiary of the Terra Drone Corporation, specializing in drone services for agriculture primarily in Malaysia. The services encompass spraying and land mapping for various agricultural sectors, including forestry and plantation. Terra Drone Agri also oversees the management of ‘Terra Agri’ as part of the company’s comprehensive service offerings.
About Terra Drone Indonesia
Terra Drone Indonesia is a subsidiary of the Terra Drone Corporation, is a provider of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone utilization services provider for aerial survey activities in industrial applications covering mapping, modeling, inspection, and monitoring from the air. In addition, we provide training & consulting for companies that already use drones for daily operations.
For more information, please visit https://terra-drone.co.id/
About Terra Drone Corporation
Terra Drone Corporation, headquartered in Japan, is a global leader in drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions. Dedicated to the mission of “Unlock ‘X’ Dimensions”, the company is committed to creating a prosperous future by “crossing” bridges—integrating diverse fields to foster innovation and find solutions. Specializing in surveying, inspections, agriculture, and UAS Traffic Management (UTM), Terra Drone serves industries such as oil and gas, construction, chemicals, energy, and agriculture.
With a portfolio of over 3,000 completed projects worldwide, Terra Drone has achieved significant milestones in the drone operations field. In July 2023, the company acquired a majority stake in Unifly, a world-leading provider of UTM platform, with deployments in over eight countries, followed by an investment in U.S.-based Aloft Technologies in February 2024, further expanding its capabilities in UTM.
Recognized by Drone Industry Insights as one of the top three industrial drone service providers globally for five consecutive years, Terra Drone aims to build the digital infrastructure necessary to unlock the full potential of drones and AAM solutions. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.terra-drone.net
