Ablation and harvesting are among the most labor-intensive and physically demanding operations in oil palm cultivation, often resulting in significant drudgery and safety concerns when performed manually through climbing or pole-assisted methods. To overcome these challenges, a motorized backpack-type machine was developed and evaluated for its field performance, ergonomics, and economic feasibility. The machine met required quality standards and exhibited satisfactory performance under field conditions, achieving average ablation and harvesting capacities of 286 inflorescences per day and 4.115 t day−1, with actual field capacities of 0.727 ha h−1 (ablation), 0.516 ha h−1 (sickle), and 0.537 ha h−1 (chisel), and field efficiencies of 81.23%, 76.3%, and 79.91%, respectively. Ergonomic evaluation indicated that operation of the machine falls within a moderate workload category, thereby reducing operator fatigue compared to manual methods. Economic analysis further revealed that the cost of operation was substantially reduced to 3.02 USD t−1 and 60.40 USD ha−1 year−1, resulting in increased harvester earnings of 174.72% and 64.83% compared to climbing and pole harvesting methods, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the motorized backpack machine is a practical, efficient, and economically viable alternative to traditional techniques and minimizes drudgery while improving productivity and profitability in oil palm plantations.
Shivashankar et al. (2026) studied this question.