PLANTSAFE

- Controlled Release Fertilizer -

Precision Farming for Large Scale Oil Palm Plantation
Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Challenges in Plantation .................................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Labour shortage ...................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Weather .................................................................................................................................. 5
2.3 Application of fertilizer ........................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Accountability ......................................................................................................................... 5
3. Solution ........................................................................................................................................... 6
3.1. Controlled release technology ................................................................................................ 6
3.2. Plant safe ................................................................................................................................. 7
3.3. Durability ................................................................................................................................. 7
3.4. Dosage reduction .................................................................................................................... 8
3.5. Reduced labour intensity ........................................................................................................ 8
3.6. Accountability ......................................................................................................................... 8
3.7. Protection ............................................................................................................................... 8
4. Agriculture 4.0 compatible ............................................................................................................. 9
4.1. Time saving ............................................................................................................................. 9
4.2. Cost saving .............................................................................................................................. 9
4.3. Precision farming .................................................................................................................... 9
1. Introduction
Founded by Mr Ng Hock Lin, where it all started off with being the first in Malaysia to breed
watermelon seeds in the 70s, which later moved on to breed other types of vegetable seeds in the
80s. While in the mid 80s, the company started producing organic fertilizers to aim for the cash crop
market.

In 1993, to lead the business further, Managing Director Ng Hock Lin and Executive Director Kim Hyun
Sook created Hextar Bio Fert Sdn Bhd, focusing on instant soluble fertilizer which utilises the use of foliar
fertilizer application, drip fertigation and nutrient film technology in its agriculture business.

Total Production Capacity:

260,000 mt

Capacity:
40,000 mt Capacity: Capacity:
Capacity: 100,000 mt 80,000 mt
40,000 mt


Director's Message
" Our technology product focus is patented based on the study
of plant basic survival needs. Plantsafe sachet is a technology
that aims to distribute nutrients at the right place and time to
strategically allow the optimum nutrient uptake. It is a product
that sustains fertilizers from contaminating water systems
needed by living communities of both people and animals.

MANAGING DIRECTOR
Jack Ng Kim Fui
Application of fertilizer can be complex when it comes to the
plantation field, however, systematic approach is required for
"
ensuring high productivity yield. Accountability of fertilizer has
become a fundamental standard to enable precise farming in
large scale plantation. This is vital to plantation business to
manage their investments being allowed to be run with data
knowledge and analysis.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Idzmil Mohamed Hashim

Upon the arrival of the second generation, a newly developed patented product known as
PLANTSAFE Pillow (also known as PLANTSAFE Sachet), with its unique controlled releasing fertilizer
technology, quickly turned into the company’s top selling product. With this, in 2009, the company
then renamed itself into PLANTSAFE Fertilizer Sdn Bhd due to the success of the product’s
performance in optimizing productivity in palm oil and rubber plantation. Till today, PLANTSAFE
continues to develop itself further into research and development on plant physiology and
agricultural products based on both inorganic and biotech organic fertilizers and developed under PS
Global Sdn Bhd led by new generation Jack Ng and Idzmil Hashim.



Backed by our company’s 40 years of experience in various field of agriculture industry, we acquired
the proprietary knowledge and technical know-how to create the most effective fertilizer product
for large scale plantation. From seed breeding to cash crop farming, organic fertilizer to nutrient film
technologies, we understand the importance of nutrients to plants and how the plants work for
nutrient absorption. Thus, the company invented an innovative product, by packaging fertilizer
mixtures in a patented controlled release membrane, and this is it – PLANTSAFE fertilizer!
Hydroponic systems supply small amount of dissolved nutrients to the plants frequently. When the
plants absorb water, dissolved nutrients will also be uptaken into the plants. Feeding the palms
consistently with balanced nutrients, is how PLANTSAFE sachets work for every individual palm,
simulating hydroponic systems brought into palm oil plantations. This is to ensure each and every
palm receive adequate amount of nutrient consistently through out the growth stage and perform
its best yield.

Our Clients:

BBC PLANTATIONS SDN BHD RIMEX SDN BHD

MALAYSIAN KUWAITI INVESTMENT COMPANY FGV BHD
BENTA WAWASAN SDN BHD SABAH SOFTWOOD BHD FIMA
MUTIARA PELITA GENAAN PLANTATION CORPORATION BERHAD
BORNEO SAMUDERA SDN BHD NPC SARAWAK OIL PALM BHD PT
RESOURCES BHD MINAMAS PLANTATION SIME
DD PLANTATION SDN BHD DARBY PLANTATIONS JAYA
PINEAPPLE CANNERY (M) SDN BHD TIASA BERHAD
DD PELITA SEBUNGAN PLANTATION SDN BHD SUBUR TIASA HOLDINGS BERHAD
PRIMALUCK (M) SDN BHD KWANTAS PLANTATIONS SDN
DOUBLE RIDGE GREEN SDN BHD BHD YAYASAN PAHANG
RIMBUNAN SAWIT BERHAD LAI FOOK KIM PLANTATION
FELDA PLANTATIONS SDN BHD GENTING PLANTATIONS (COMMERCIAL TRIALS)
2. Challenges in Plantation
When comes to application of fertilizer and plantation management, it is not as simple as imagined,
there are various kind of challenges ahead. For instance, labour, weather, accuracy of fertilizer
application, cost, etc.

2.1 Labour shortage

Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest producer and exporter of palm oil relies on foreigners
for 70% of its plantation workforce. Labour shortages are a perennial issue in Malaysia.
Some plantation company could not run their operation due to severe labour shortage. The
situation got worsen when COVID-19 hits Malaysia. The country was forced to close borders
to protect fellow Malaysians. Many foreign labours fled to their home countries and not
planning to return. Furthermore, our country couldn’t receive new incoming foreign labours
yet and so posing severe labour shortage to the plantation industry that cost USD 2.9billion
loss worth to the industry.

2.2 Weather
Weather in Malaysia has become very unpredictable. The number of rain days and amount
of rain had increased in the recent years. Too much of rain is making plantation works to be
difficult. Currently in Malaysia, number of rain days is approximately 200 days per year. This
resulted in only less than 100 non raining days! Besides, it is also said to avoid fertilizer
applications on months that has high rainfall of more than 250mm and low rainfall of less
than 25mm per month. The unpredictable raining weather often causes plantation not being
able to complete their annual manuring program.

2.3 Application of fertilizer

The common practices of Fertilizer application are by manual broadcasting of fertilizer,
mechanised spreader. Application rounds of conventional fertilizer can range from 4 to 12
rounds. The broadcasting method is aimed for even blanket of fertilizer in the field for
effective nutrient uptake. However, manual broadcasting of fertilizer often resulted in
uneven application across the field. It has been reported that, in a row of 15 palms, first 5
th
palms closer to the road yielded 327% more than 11 to 15 palms, due to poor supervision
and uneven application of fertilizer.

2.4 Accountability
Fertilizer purchase accounts for 70% of plantation management cost. Broadcasted
conventional fertilizer, be it straight fertilizers or granule fertilizer, is exposed to high risk of
surface run-off. Report shows that surface sun-off reduces fertilizer efficiency by 50-80%.
Hence, conventional fertilizer can not be accountable in plantation management in terms of
precision farming and traceability.
3. Solution
Application of fertilizer can be complex when it comes to the plantation field, however, systematic
approach is required for ensuring high productivity yield. Accountability of fertilizer has become a
fundamental standard to enable precise farming in large scale plantation. This is vital to plantation
business to manage their investments with accurate data analysis.

Being the most affordable form of controlled released fertilizer, combined with the best of planting
practices, would transform the industry with a newfound planting system that allows many
possibilities. This patented PLANTSAFE sachet can bring many benefits to the plantation industry.

3.1. Controlled release technology

Simulating hydroponics system, the PLANTSAFE sachet is designed to deliver nutrients
gradually and consistently to the palms throughout the period of 4-6 months. Perfected by
10 years of R&D and improvement, the product shows proven results to contain and release
nutrients accordingly to expected release rate. The release mechanism will be activated by
surrounding moisture. The moisture exchange with the fertilizer in within will results in
dissolution of nutrients into the soil.
3.2. Plant safe
The product is literally plant safe. With the controlled release technology, nutrients are release in
small amount into the soil to be absorbed by the palms. Unlike conventional fertilizer, nutrient
dissolution is almost instant when in contact with moisture, hence possibly causing root
scorching to the plants due to high concentration of salt. PLANTSAFE fertilizer does not cause any
root scorching, instead, fresh roots are observed to grow towards the sachet. Application of
PLANTSAFE can also encourage the re-emergence of earthworms which has been suppressed due
to soil degradation by broadcasting of acidic inorganic fertilizer.

3.3. Durability
The sachet serves as a protection membrane to the fertilizer, protecting fertilizer from being
wash away by rain or flash flood. The sachets can be durable under high rainfall area of
4500-6000 mm annually. Too much of rain can be a problem for plantation, but PLANTSAFE
sachet instead invites the rain. The technology is converting the rain from being a problem
to become a value adding phenomena when it reacts with sachet to simulate hydroponic
nutrient delivery system in the plantation field. Having sachet to protect the fertilizer,
virtually none or less losses to the fertilizer applied in field. The sachet membranes will then
be naturally degraded from 12 months onwards.

Studies on Release of Boron from Fertibor® in PLANTSAFE Sachets

 3.4. Dosage reduction
Conventionally, a 20% of buffer dosing will be added into the
fertilizer application dosage. This is to cater for the potential
losses by weather and environment factors. Since sachet acts as
a protection membrane, thus, the 20% buffer dosing is not
required. On top of that, our studies found that even with
reduction of up to 35%, PLANTSAFE can still perform better as
compared to original dosage of conventional fertilizer.

3.5. Reduced labour intensity.

The application of PLANTSAFE sachet fertilizer is as easy as 1, 2,
3! Since the fertilizer has been packaged in the form of 500g per
sachet, manuring workers will only need to count the number of
sachets needed per palm and placed at the right spot. The
product is designed to be applied only 2 rounds in a year, or 3
rounds max for area that has extreme weather pattern.
Manuring program can be done effortlessly. When the manuring
work is made easier, workers can be diverted to focus more on
harvesting of fresh fruit bunch.

3.6. Accountability
PLANTSAFE products can enhance auditability of fertilizer in
field. Every worker is accountable to ensure each palm are
applied with correct dosage. This solves the problem of un-even
fertilizer application in field because accurate application will be
a key task for the manuring workers. Sachets applied in field has
high visibility, supervision work can be done more effectively.
Even after 6 months of application, the spent sachet is still
visible and auditable. The top management will be benefited
with accurate audit data.

3.7. Protection
The sachet not only serves as a membrane to protect fertilizer
contained in within, it also protects manuring workers and the
environment. Labour health issue often associated with fertilizer
application without proper personal protective gears. Prolonged
direct contact with fertilizer can caused skin, eyes, and lungs
irritations. Hence, sachet acts as a membrane to minimize direct
contact of fertilizer to the workers. PLANTSAFE also minimize
the impact of fertilizer contaminating soil and water by
protecting fertilizer surface run off.

Throughout many years of experience in the market and witnessing improvement in many of our
clients, we are certainly confident to say that PLANTSAFE is a transformational tool for plantation to
unlock the yield potential in palms. Simply by ensuring no fertilizer being wash away before the
palms get to absorb, plantations can observe improvements of overall palm health. On the other
hand, the product indirectly instils good management practice in the field. Fertilizer is vital to the
palms as they serve as food to provide them sufficient nutrients to grow and yield, that is why we
must make sure the nutrients are up taken by palms efficiently.
4. Agriculture 4.0 compatible
PLANTSAFE in now moving forward to help plantation achieve agriculture 4.0. The visibility of the
product in field provide accountability and confidence to the management. The PLANTSAFE sachet is
transforming the delivery mode of fertilizer into the plantation to feed the palms. With the
robustness and flexibility of the product, it can be integrated with drone system for fertilizer
application. The Unmanned Fertilizer Application (UFA) is a big step towards introducing precision
farming into large scale plantation.

4.1. Time saving

Terrain conditions and payload capability are among the factors limiting fertilizer application
efficiency by human labour. Application by flying drones can overcome this problem when
integrate with PLANTSAFE sachet fertilizer application. It is expected to reduce fertilizer
application time up to 77% as compared to broadcasting of conventional fertilizer. By
reducing the workload and time consumption for manuring work, plantation can focus more
on harvesting of fruits.

4.2. Cost saving

Power saving and flight efficiency is a key factor when it comes to flying drones. With
expertise and technical knowledge in building long lasting drone battery pack ensure more
work done with lesser power consumption. Fertilizer application cost is expected to
decrease up to 70% per hectare per year.

4.3. Precision farming

The UFA is aimed to bring precision farming into large scale plantation. By aerial mapping of
the plantation to analyse terrain topography and obtain data of palms positioning, A.I.
systems can be integrated to recognize the accurate spot of application. Couple with GPS
and real time satellite positioning to ensure precision and even distribution of fertilizers to
every palm in the field.
CERTIFICATE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

ISO 9001:2008 SNI 2803:2012 ECO LABEL/ISO 14024:2001

GRANT OF PATENTS

CHINA MALAYSIA INDONESIA

 PLANTSAFE envisioned to bring precision farming into oil palm plantation
enabling higher accuracy and efficiency of fertilizer usage, unlocking potential
palm yields. With PLANTSAFE’s technology and its agriculture 4.0
compatibility, we hope to grow together with oil palm plantation industry.