Key Highlights:
– Terra Agri has launched a drone spraying project covering over 3,000 hectares in Sorong, Southwest Papua.
– E16 spraying drones are deployed to control Mealybug and Sooty Mold.
– Building on previous UPDKS (Ulat Pemakan Daun Kelapa Sawit) or oil palm leaf-eating caterpillars control efforts, both parties are now expanding their partnership to address wider pest challenges and explore preventive programs.
Jakarta, 4 November 2025 – Terra Agri, part of the Terra Drone Group and a specialist in agricultural drone solutions, has started a large scale pest management project in Sorong, Papua Barat Daya. The operation focuses on protecting oil palm plantations from Mealybug and Sooty Mold, two pests that are known to cause serious productivity losses if left untreated.
The project began with a trial in July 2025 and officially moved into full scale operations in August. With an estimated duration of 30 to 40 days, the program covers over 3,200 hectares of plantation area under a per hectare contract scheme. This scale makes it one of the more extensive drone based spraying initiatives currently running in Indonesia.
The client decided to collaborate with Terra Agri after reviewing the company’s track record in drone spraying. Terra Agri has demonstrated consistent results in pest and disease control, combining technical expertise with professional field operations. This gave the client confidence that the project could be delivered on time while maintaining quality and safety standards.
For the Sorong operation, Terra Agri is using the E16 spraying drone. The E16 was selected because it offers reliable performance, simple operation, and efficient spraying capacity. Although compact, the drone delivers output quality comparable to newer models on the market, ensuring effective coverage for every treatment cycle.
Operationally, the project is structured for efficiency. One drone can cover around 15 hectares per day, and with six drones in operation, daily coverage can reach 90 hectares. At the moment, Terra Agri has deployed two drones with four operators on-site. An additional four drones, supported by eight operators, will be mobilized once the next shipment of equipment arrives, allowing the team to scale up quickly as needed.
Fieldwork on this scale also requires solid logistical support. Terra Agri works with local service providers to rent dump trucks, which serve as the main transport for operators and equipment. This arrangement ensures that the field teams can move across plantation blocks without delay and keep operations running according to schedule.
The client has worked with Terra Agri before, most notably in controlling oil palm leaf-eating caterpillars. The current project in Sorong marks the continuation of that relationship, with Terra Agri now addressing Mealybug and Sooty Mold infestations while also conducting new trials for oil palm leaf-eating caterpillars. This ongoing collaboration reflects the client’s confidence in Terra Agri’s ability to manage different pest challenges effectively.
Unlike routine seasonal spraying, this initiative is a case-specific response to an outbreak. The results of the current operation will serve as the basis for evaluating whether preventive maintenance spraying should be introduced in the future. By addressing the infestation systematically, Terra Agri and its client are exploring how drone spraying can move from reactive solutions to preventive care in plantation management.
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About Terra Agri
Terra Agri is an agricultural service brand operating in Southeast Asia through Terra Drone Indonesia and Terra Drone Agri in Malaysia. 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.
For more information, please visit https://terra-droneagri.com/
About Terra Drone
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.Terra Drone was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (Stock Code: 278A) on November 29, 2024. It also secured top spot in Global Drone Service Provider Rankings for 2024.
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
Media contact
Sri Nurhayati
Digital Marketer
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