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Energy sources are critical in the industrial sector, particularly as population growth intensifies the pressure on industries to scale up production to meet increasing demands. Integrating renewable energy sources such as biomass, biogas, and photovoltaic systems in the palm oil production process can be considered a pivotal strategy for mitigating carbon emissions. However, load fluctuations due to mill size and insufficient supply of biogas and photovoltaic are significant challenges in energy management for the palm oil industry. Adopting renewable energy solutions is hindered by process disturbances and climatic variability caused by weather, ambient temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation. These factors pose constraints on the implementation of renewable energy solutions. Therefore, this study aims to fill the gap in terms of renewable energy management within the palm oil industry by applying reinforcement learning to achieve effective energy management and reduce carbon emissions under five climatic scenarios. The result shows that reinforcement learning effectively combines renewable energy sources to generate electricity and steam while efficiently managing energy storage without exceeding predefined levels. Additionally, deploying a photovoltaic system contributes to energy savings from biomass and biogas of 2.9% and reduces average daily carbon dioxide emissions by 3137 kg. The proposed method has proved beneficial across all climate scenarios for energy savings and emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the urgent need to address climate change, Indonesia, as the world's largest palm oil producer, faces the challenge of ensuring the sustainability of this industry. This study addresses a critical gap in knowledge by examining the technological advancements in methane capture for bioenergy from palm oil mill effluent (POME), exploring business development applications, and assessing the potential role of methane capture in advancing Indonesia's Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the study reveals three key findings. Firstly, a systematic literature review highlights a dearth of research on the social and economic aspects of utilizing biomethane gas, particularly in modeling contexts. Secondly, through case studies, the utilization of methane gas as an energy source is shown to significantly reduce electricity expenditures, diminish reliance on fossil fuels, mitigate carbon emissions, and expand access to clean energy for both companies and households. Thirdly, the scenario of converting POME waste into energy can help to reach the target on carbon emissions, but it depends on the level of waste utilization and capacity factor. By repurposing palm oil industry waste for clean energy production instead of expanding land use, which poses risks to biodiversity, Indonesia can mitigate the challenges of the energy transition and foster a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing global demand for palm oil and its derivatives has led to significant environmental and social concerns, prompting the need for sustainable practices in oil palm production. In recent years, digital technologies have emerged as a potential solution to enhance sustainability in this sector. The objective of this review was to provide insights into the potential benefits and limitations of digital technologies in promoting sustainable practices in the oil palm industry, and to identify key challenges that must be addressed to ensure that digitalization contributes to sustainable development in this sector. To obtain valuable insights on this topic, this review employed a thorough analysis and exploration of relevant literature. Our findings highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies such as precision agriculture, data analytics, blockchain, and robotics to optimize resource utilization, improving efficiency, promoting social welfare, improving supply chain transparency, mitigating environmental impacts, and enhancing sustainability in oil palm production. However, the adoption of these technologies is hindered by several challenges, including high cost, lack of knowledge, and inadequate infrastructure. Our findings emphasize the importance of supportive policies, collaborative efforts, and targeted research to promote technology adoption and ensure equitable benefits across the oil palm industry. Recommendations are provided for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to leverage digitalization effectively and promote sustainable practices in the oil palm industry, ultimately contributing to global sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) poses a significant challenge for Malaysia's palm oil industry, necessitating compliance with the Department of Environment (DOE) regulations prior to discharge. This study introduces an eco-friendly synthesis method utilizing mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.)-leaf aqueous extract to fabricate copper oxide (CuO), zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs), and their nanocomposite (CuO-ZnO NCs). The physicochemical properties of these nanomaterials were characterized using various analytical tools and their effectiveness in reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of palm oil mill effluent (POME) was assessed under the illumination of two types of light sources: monochromatic blue- and polychromatic white-light emitting diodes (LEDs). CuO-ZnO NCs demonstrated superior performance, with the lowest energy bandgap (1.61 eV), and achieved a COD removal efficiency of 63.27% ± 0.010 under blue LED illumination, surpassing the DOE's discharge limit of 100 mg/L. This study offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing heterojunction materials, which show great potential as photocatalysts in reducing POME COD to permissible levels for discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few reports available about the assimilation of hydrophobic or oil-based feedstock as carbon sources by Lipomyces starkeyi. In this study, the ability of L. starkeyi to efficiently utilize free fatty acids (FFAs) and real biomass like palm acid oil (PAO) as well as crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) for growth and lipid production was investigated. PAO, CPKO, and FFAs were evaluated as sole carbon sources or in the mixed medium containing glucose. L. starkeyi was able to grow on the medium supplemented with PAO and FFAs, which contained long-chain length FAs and accumulated lipids up to 35% (w/w) of its dry cell weight. The highest lipid content and lipid concentration were achieved at 50% (w/w) and 10.1 g/L, respectively, when L. starkeyi was cultured in nitrogen-limited mineral medium (-NMM) supplemented with PAO emulsion. Hydrophobic substrate like PAO could be served as promising carbon source for L. starkeyi. • Lipomyces starkeyi could grow on specific types of hydrocarbon or plant-oil-based feedstocks and accumulate lipid. • Palm acid oil (PAO) and long-chain length fatty acids such as C16:0 and C18:1 could be efficiently utilized by L. starkeyi. • L. starkeyi was not able to use carbon sources consisting of C12:0 such as CPKO and sodium laurate. • Addition of Tween 20 as a surfactant to emulsify PAO increases the availability of PAO in the culture medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia has experienced rapid primary forest loss, second only to Brazil in modern history. We examined the fates of Indonesian deforested areas, immediately after clearing and over time, to quantify deforestation drivers in Indonesia. Using time-series satellite data, we tracked degradation and clearing events in intact and degraded natural forests from 1991 to 2020, as well as land use trajectories after forest loss. While an estimated 7.8 Mha (SE = 0.4) of forest cleared during this period had been planted with oil palms by 2020, another 8.8 Mha (SE = 0.4) remained unused. Of the 28.4 Mha (SE = 0.7) deforested, over half were either initially left idle or experienced crop failure before a land use could be detected, and 44% remained unused for 5 y or more. A majority (54%) of these areas were cleared mechanically (not by escaped fires), and in cases where idle lands were eventually converted to productive uses, oil palm plantations were by far the most common outcome. The apparent deliberate creation of idle deforested land in Indonesia and subsequent conversion of idle areas to oil palm plantations indicates that speculation and land banking for palm oil substantially contribute to forest loss, although failed plantations could also contribute to this dynamic. We also found that in Sumatra, few lowland forests remained, suggesting that a lack of remaining forest appropriate for palm oil production, together with an extensive area of banked deforested land, may partially explain slowing forest loss in Indonesia in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector of Colombia supports the national economy and food security due to the rich lands for cultivation. Although Colombia has a vast hydrological basin, climate change can impact agricultural productivity, generating economic and social adverse effects. For this, we evaluated the impact of some environmental variables on the production of the most sold crops using production, climatic, and hydrological data of the 1121 municipalities from 2007 to 2020. We modeled the production of coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and corn, adopting a Bayesian spatio-temporal model that involved a set of environmental variables: average temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, evapotranspiration, precipitation, runoff, soil moisture, vapor pressure, radiation, and wind speed. We found that increases in the average temperatures can affect coffee (-0.2% per °C), rice (-3.76% per °C), and sugarcane (-0.19% per °C) production, meanwhile, these increases can boost palm oil (+2.55% per °C) and corn (+1.28% per °C) production in Colombia. This statement implies that the agricultural sector needs to substitute land use, promoting the production of palm oil and corn. Although our results did not find a significant effect of hydrological variables in any crop, suggesting that the abundance of water in Colombia might balance the impact of these variables. The increases in vapor pressure impact all the crops negatively (between -11.2% to -0.43% per kPa), except rice, evidencing that dry air conditions affect agricultural production. Colombia must manage the production location of the traditional products and implement agro-industrial technologies to avoid the climate change impact on crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The booming palm oil industry is in line with the growing population worldwide and surge in demand. This leads to a massive generation of palm oil mill effluent (POME). POME is composed of sterilizer condensate (SC), separator sludge (SS), and hydro-cyclone wastewater (HCW). Comparatively, SS exhibits the highest organic content, resulting in various environmental impacts. However, past studies mainly focused on treating the final effluent. Therefore, this pioneering research investigated the optimization of pollutant removal in SS via different aspects of bioremediation, including experimental conditions, treatment efficiencies, mechanisms, and degradation pathways. Methods: A two-level factorial design was employed to optimize the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity using Aspergillus niger. Bioremediation of SS was performed through submerged fermentation (SmF) under several independent variables, including temperature (20–40 °C), agitation speed (100–200 RPM), fermentation duration (72–240 h), and initial sample concentration (20–100%). The characteristics of the treated SS were then compared to that of raw sludge. Results: Optimal COD and turbidity removal were achieved at 37 °C 100 RPM, 156 h, and 100% sludge. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant effect of selective individual and interacting variables (p < 0.05). The highest COD and turbidity removal were 97.43% and 95.11%, respectively, with less than 5% error from the predicted values. Remarkably, the selected optimized conditions also reduced other polluting attributes, namely, biological oxygen demand (BOD), oil and grease (OG), color, and carbon content. In short, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of A. niger in treating SS through the application of a two-level factorial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the inconsistencies in ESG scores assigned by different rating agencies. Focusing on two Indonesian palm oil companies, this paper examines the link between their reported sustainability performance and the resulting ESG scores. This study employs content analysis to assess how the companies disclose information around double materiality, stakeholder engagement, and certifications. Additionally, the methodologies used by two rating agencies are reviewed to identify potential misalignments. The analysis reveals discrepancies in the ratings, suggesting factors like differences in the level of engagement with each company and scoring methodologies might be at play. This highlights the need for standardized sustainability reporting and more transparent rating methodologies within the palm oil industry. While limited to two companies and two agencies, the findings can inform efforts to improve transparency both in sustainability practices and scoring methodologies. This would ultimately lead to more reliable ESG scores, benefiting all related stakeholders. To goal of this study is to promote responsible practices in the palm oil industry by emphasizing the impact of reporting practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we address the challenge of balancing sustainability and decision-maker preferences in regional development location selections. We propose a multi-criteria decision-making framework combining the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Goal Programming (FGP) to evaluate potential sites. AHP is utilized to prioritize criteria, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative factors, while FGP allows for the accommodation of uncertainty and conflicting goals. Our findings reveal that this integrated approach provides a robust, systematic method for identifying optimal locations that align with both sustainability goals and stakeholder priorities. The analysis revealed the following satisfaction levels: Price 61.11%, Quality 80.4%, Delivery Time 79.3%, Carbon Emission 91.76%, and Preference 51.18%. The findings emphasize the complex process of selecting vendors within the palm oil supply chain. The implications of this research suggest enhanced decision-making efficiency and effectiveness in regional planning, promoting sustainable development practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Energy sources are critical in the industrial sector, particularly as population growth intensifies the pressure on industries to scale up production to meet increasing demands. Integrating renewable energy sources such as biomass, biogas, and photovoltaic systems in the palm oil production process can be considered a pivotal strategy for mitigating carbon emissions. However, load fluctuations due to mill size and insufficient supply of biogas and photovoltaic are significant challenges in energy management for the palm oil industry. Adopting renewable energy solutions is hindered by process disturbances and climatic variability caused by weather, ambient temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation. These factors pose constraints on the implementation of renewable energy solutions. Therefore, this study aims to fill the gap in terms of renewable energy management within the palm oil industry by applying reinforcement learning to achieve effective energy management and reduce carbon emissions under five climatic scenarios. The result shows that reinforcement learning effectively combines renewable energy sources to generate electricity and steam while efficiently managing energy storage without exceeding predefined levels. Additionally, deploying a photovoltaic system contributes to energy savings from biomass and biogas of 2.9% and reduces average daily carbon dioxide emissions by 3137 kg. The proposed method has proved beneficial across all climate scenarios for energy savings and emission reduction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lipid-degrading bacteria found in processing ponds of palm oil mill effluent are recognized for the capacity to break down lipid using lipase enzyme. Identifying novel strains of these bacteria with high bioremediation potential contributes valuable insights to the sustainable management of palm oil mill effluent. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential bacteria, assess the in vitro lipid-degrading capabilities, characterize the traits, and evaluate lipid degradation activity of potential isolates from palm oil industry wastewater. METHODS: The method used for exploring the potential of lipid-degrading bacteria in palm oil mill effluent entailed a survey comprising various stages including detection of bacteria presence, in vitro assessment of potential indices, characterization, lipid degradation testing, and determination of lipase activity. FINDINGS: The results showed that several bacteria groups were present in palm oil mill effluent, including 50-74 percent lipolytic, 31-90 percent fermentative, 76-83 percent proteolytic, and 51-74 percent cellulolytic. Selected lipid-degrading isolates demonstrated significant in vitro potential, as evidenced by high lipolytic and fermentative indices. Isolate Enzymatic 3 had the highest lipolytic index, degradation value (48.72 percent), and lipase activity (0.12 units/milliliter), identified as Bacillus cereus central carbon metabolism 2010. Similarly, isolate Fermentative 2 was found to have the highest fermentative index, degradation value (22.35 percent), and lipase activity (0.01 units/milliliter), identified as Bacillus thuringiensis American type culture collection 10792. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, isolates Enzymatic 3 and Fermentative 2 showed promising potential as biological agents for bioremediation of palm oil mill effluent. The results underscored the promising potential of specific bacteria isolates in mitigating lipidrich effluents, advocating for the integration into sustainable wastewater management practices in palm oil industry. This study provided valuable insights for future investigations aimed at unraveling the intricate mechanisms governing lipid degradation and fostering environmentally friendly solutions for industrial waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to determine the social, economic, and ecological impacts of Land Use Change (LUC) of forest areas into Palm Oil industrial areas. The research method used was exploratory qualitative and analyzed using Nvivo 12 Plus. he findings of this study show that there are several challenges in the industrial land use of oil palm in forest areas in Riau, Indonesia, such as land conflicts between communities, government, private sector, forest destruction, and natural disasters. Therefore, we suggest that in order to expedite the removal of oil palm plantations from forest areas and to expedite the issuance of plantation licenses for community, private, and government entities wishing to enter such areas, both the federal government and local governments must adopt policies and impose sanctions. This study serves as a knowledge base to address the social, economic and ecological issues resulting from Land Use Change (LUC) in the province from forest areas to industrial areas producing oil palm. The conclusion of this research is that Land Use Change (LUC) from forest area to palm oil industry area in Riau Province, Indonesia has positive and negative impacts on social, economic, and ecological aspects in Riau Province, Indonesia. The government of the Indonesian province of Riau benefits from this research on land use change (LUC) in the palm oil sector.

AbstractThis research performed cellulase production by Aspergillus fumigatus A4112 and evaluated its potential use in palm oil mill effluent (POME) hydrolysis to recover oil simultaneously with the generation of fermentable sugar useful for biofuel production under non-sterilized conditions. Empty fruit bunch (EFB) without pretreatment was used as carbon source. The combination of nitrogen sources facilitated CMCase production. The maximum activity (3.27 U/mL) was obtained by 1.0 g/L peptone and 1.5 g/L (NH4)2SO4 and 20 g/L EFB at 40 °C for 7 days. High level of FPase activity (39.51 U/mL) was also obtained. Interestingly, the enzyme retained its cellulase activities more than 60% at ambient temperature over 15 days. In enzymatic hydrolysis, Triton X-100 was an effective surfactant to increase total oil recovery in the floating form. High yield of reducing sugar (50.13 g/L) and 21% (v/v) of floating oil was recoverable at 65 °C for 48 h. Methane content of the raw POME increased from 41.49 to 64.94% by using de-oiled POME hydrolysate which was higher than using the POME hydrolysate (59.82%). The results demonstrate the feasibility of the constructed process for oil recovery coupled with a subsequent step for methane yield enhancement in biogas production process that benefits the palm oil industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is produced on plantations primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, which, historically, have been responsible for significant tropical deforestation and ecosystem loss. Driven by a shift away from hydrogenated vegetable oils and its high productivity, palm oil is now part of more than half of all packaged consumer products. Given its centrality across many supply chains, certification schemes have sought to improve environmental sustainability in the palm oil industry. Increasingly, there is an intersection between certification schemes and regulatory drivers. The recent 2023 European Union regulation on deforestation-free products has implications for palm oil and many other forest products. Environmental certification schemes, such as the one developed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, have the potential to play a critical role in the implementation of this recent policy for palm oil and can serve as model for many other commodities subject to the new Directive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on many economic sectors around the world. This includes the palm oil industry, which has been especially affected in Riau Province. One of the aspects affected in this sector is the price of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB), with its uncertain price due to the COVID-19 pandemic being detrimental to many parties. Therefore, decision-makers need an understanding of how to predict the price of oil palm FFB. In this study, we use a discrete-time Markov chain approach to predict the long-term prices of oil palm FFB post-pandemic in Riau Province. This approach allowed us to model the price transition from both one period and one price category to the next based on predefined transition probabilities. Historical data on oil palm FFB prices in Riau Province from January 6-12, 2021 to January 4-10, 2023 were used to build the Markov chain model. In our analysis, we considered four possible states of Riau Province's oil palm FFB prices post-pandemic: rising, extreme rising, falling, and extreme falling. Our long-term prediction results show that Riau Province's oil palm FFB prices have an opportunity for a rise of 39%, an extreme rise of 25%, a fall of 27%, and an extreme fall of 9%. This is valuable information for industry players when making decisions regarding their investment, production, and marketing strategies. By understanding the likely future price trends, they can take appropriate steps to optimize yields and mitigate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia has experienced a significant increase in revenue from palm oil production over the years, resulting in a substantial quantity of biomass during the extraction of crude palm oil. To promote sustainability in the oil palm industry, it is essential to utilize the generated oil palm biomass effectively, aiming for a zero-waste approach. The biomass conversion not only generates additional revenue but also contributes to industry sustainability and environmental friendliness. However, factors such as biomass availability, conversion technologies, product demand, and time constraints must be carefully considered. The objective of this study is to analyze the potential conversion of oil palm biomass into bio-based products using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. The model was optimized using the General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS) software version 40.1, which considers critical factors, including biomass availability, conversion technologies, product demand, and time considerations. The study findings indicate that the generation of electricity and paper pulping offer a favorable return on investment and short payback periods, despite their initial high startup costs. In the case study of Kota Tinggi, electricity generation yielded the highest profit (RM 25,856,806.14), followed by paper pulping (RM 10,708,378.18), and fertilizer composting (RM 142,053.51). In contrast, 227,0538.4 kWh of electricity can be generated, amounting to 49.50 million Ringgit Malaysia, and 5,063.6 tons of bio-fertilizer, totalling 3.13 million Ringgit Malaysia. In conclusion, this model facilitates the selection of optimized profitable products, a key focus of the study, and helps determine the most profitable approach for utilizing oil palm biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the quality and quantity of Malaysia's palm oil production through a time series analysis. The study uses three primary factors to evaluate palm oil production: the Monthly Oil Extraction Rate (OER), the Monthly Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) Yield, and the Monthly Oil Exports. The results indicate that the Russia-Ukraine conflict significantly impacted the quality and quantity of palm oil production in Malaysia. Marginal declines in both the quality and quantity of palm oil produced at the onset of the conflict indicate a slight but significant decline in palm oil production during the next four-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm plant (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a plantation crop that has a high economic value for Indonesia, because the results of oil palm plantations can increase the country's foreign exchange. Oil palm plantations can create jobs for the people of Indonesia, thus reducing unemployment in Indonesia. Oil palm plantations in Indonesia have spread to various regions, besides being found on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, now oil palm plantations are almost found in various regions in Indonesia both smallscale plantations and large-scale plantations. This research uses historical data in the form of monthly palm oil production to predict the price of strategic food commodities. The period of palm oil production used is from January 1997 to December 2023 obtained from the website of PT. X or documentation data at PT. X. In this study the data was divided into 4 data scenarios using the Time Series Cross Validation (TSCV) method. The results of palm oil production modeling with LSTM that have been carried out show that palm oil production data shows differences in forecasting values and accuracy in the number of neurons and epochs used. The conclusion of this study is that from data processing and analysis in the previous chapter, it can be concluded that forecasting the amount of palm oil production in PT X can be modeled with LTSM and SARIMA method using Time Series Cross Validation (TSCV) data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: As a by‐product of the palm oil industry, palm stearin is often overlooked despite having several beneficial properties, such as excellent stability, which is critically essential to meet the demand of the global food trend in producing safer processed food. Specifically, deep frying of food is often associated with the production of toxic compounds that could potentially migrate into the food system when oils are degraded under continuous heating. The incorporation of palm stearin is regarded as a cost‐effective and efficient method to modify the fatty acid composition of oils, enhance the frying qualities and lower the degradation rate. RESULTS: This study blended 5% and 10% palm stearin into palm oil to investigate the deep‐frying performance and impact on food quality. Increasing the palm stearin content improved the frying oil's oxidative and hydrolytic stability, evidenced by reduction of total polar material, free fatty acid and total oxidation value. Addition of palm stearin increased the slip melting point which improved the oil's oxidative stability but no significant increase in oil content of instant noodles was observed. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed the formation of larger pores in the noodle structure that facilitated oil retention. CONCLUSION: Blending palm stearin into frying oil enhanced the frying stability and minimally affected the oil uptake in instant noodles. This article presents the viability of blending palm stearin into frying oils to develop longer‐lasting frying oils. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable oil production from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an important industry due to the rising demand every year. The somatic embryogenesis culture can propagate oil palm duplicate as parent plant, which can be selected as breeding material to produce new planting germplasm with high production or disease resistance. This study aims to evaluate the genotypic effect of somatic embryogenesis, while immature leaflets were employed as explants. The culture used embryo induction medium based on Murashige and Skoog (MS) modifications that contained 5 mg/L Naphthalene Acetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg/L Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP). The genotypic effect was statistically significant in the percentage of callus induction, producing somatic embryos, and germination embryos. In this study, we successfully cloned thirteen oil palm genotypes (GE-02, GE-03, GE-06, GE-07, GE-09, GE-23, GE-24, GE-27, GE-28, GE-32, GE-33, GE-34, and GE-35), with the highest number of somatic embryos formed on GE-27 with a percentage of 70.1%. The cloning was successful in accelerating the propagation of oil palm for materials breeding programs to create new varieties with high production and disease resistance. It is necessary to observation the performance of these clones in the field in terms of mantle flower appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of agriculture technologies in the palm oil industry enhances the production of palm oil. Even though the adoption of agriculture technology is very significant, most of the smallholders are reluctant to move toward the new technology as well as hesitate to invest in new technology. This affected the total output, productivity, and income of the smallholders. Therefore, this study aims to understand the current practises of smallholders and the adoption of agriculture technology into their lives. To achieve the objective of this study, we will employ a basic qualitative research design and conduct semi-structured interview among the smallholders in Selangor. We adapt the domestication theory for conceptual framework development and as a guide for our semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analysed and thematic analysis were used to extract themes that correspond to the objectives of the study. The study found that most of the smallholders integrated agriculture technology in their daily lives especially in fertilizing, seeding, and harvesting activities. The finding contributes to the extending knowledge on process of usage agriculture technology in the phases of domestication theory. Thus, this study provides important implications for smallholders to increase their economic well-being by the adoption and usage of agriculture technologies in their current practises in farming management activities such as cultivation, seeding, fertilization, herbicide application and harvesting. The successful adoption and usage of agriculture technology among smallholders will enable them to perform their daily activities and subsequently improve their economic well-being in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The palm oil industry strives to implement sustainable development, maintaining the environmental quality. However, the palm oil industry has problems processing liquid waste, often known as palm oil mill effluent (POME), since it could pollute the environment. This waste also requires a large costs to be processed. On the other hand, there is potential economic value from liquid waste to be processed into several products, namely biogas, organic fertilizer, and refining value-added compounds. Currently, POME waste processing innovation could be conducted by applying plasma nanobubble (PNB) technology. This creates opportunities for a business that is engaged in developing this technology. Purpose: The aim of this research is to analyse the business model of the Plasma Nano Bubble (PNB) technology development business for the palm oil industry. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses the Business Model Canvas (BMC) to map the business processes of the Plasma Nano Bubble (PNB) technology development. Findings/Result: This study indicate that the most prominent attribute exhibited by PNB technological enterprises is their value offer, which is demonstrated by their ability to deliver efficient processing time and cost effectiveness, resource efficiency, adherence to government regulations, and the establishment of strategic collaborations with external entities. Meanwhile, the weakest element is customer relations, as only longterm relationships, and the provision of intensive training for PNB technology resellers were found in this aspect. Several indicators were proposed to improve the business model of PNB's technology, namely key partnership, the key activity, value proposition, and customer relationship. Conclusion: This research gives an important contribution related to the environmental benefits of implementing this business. The continuous development for this technology needs to be implemented to process POME waste effectively and efficiently. Originality/value (State of the art): The state of the art of this research is the development of business models for environmentally friendly products in the palm oil sector, which is currently rarely conducted, in this case the study of PNB technology products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]