BBC (Black Bunch Census) - Digital Transformation with SeeTree's Digital Platform

By Dor Pundak

A recent case study has shown that utilizing Seetree's digital platform has resulted in a significant enhancement of precision in Black Bunch Count operations (Increased by 10%), accompanied by a decrease in the number of sample trees, work time employees per tree (Decreased by 50%).

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The Black Bunch Census is a crucial practice in the Oil Palm industry, employed to forecast and estimate tree yields. This stage is fundamental for annual budget planning, manpower management, fertilization programming, and more. In many parts of the industry, this process still relies on traditional and manual methods, leading to low efficiency and, more importantly, low precision.

Traditional Approach:

Depending on the company's policy, BBC is conducted 1-4 times per year to estimate the yield for the upcoming months. The BBC team typically comprises two workers, with one observing and counting bunches while the other records the count on paper. A supervisor then verifies their work by checking the count against the actual tree. The sample ratio is high, around 10%, involving counting every 10th row of trees. At the end of the day, the paper formats are submitted to the office and uploaded to an Excel sheet.

Main Challenges:

The BBC process faces challenges at various stages, including imprecision in sample tree selection, manual counting difficulties in the field, and errors in recording and documenting data, both in the field and the office. These challenges emphasize the need for a transformation in the BBC process.

Enter SeeTree:

SeeTree addresses these challenges by transforming the process into a digital, data-based Black Bunch Census. Smart sampling of trees involves generating and analyzing unique data linked to each tree, allowing for the selection of the most representative trees within the block. This increases the estimation precision and reduces sample size by approximately 50%.

The fully digital process developed by SeeTree involves workers navigating the block with precision using a mobile application. Upon reaching the required tree, a customized solution, a high-reach camera linked to the app, allows workers to clearly identify hidden bunches and distinguish between Black Bunches and Early Stage Flowers. The data is then recorded and saved on the mobile app in offline mode, automatically and seamlessly uploading to the database upon returning to the office.

Immediate Time to Action:

Once the mobile app is connected to the internet, the data instantly appears on MyFarm (SeeTree's web platform) as a georeferenced map, customizable dashboard, or downloadable CSV file. Supervisors can also view the recorded data on their mobile apps, facilitating validation without the need for extensive searching or deciphering markings on the tree.

Main Conclusions:

After a successful demo conducted in Kalimantan in November 2023, SeeTree achieved the following outcomes:

●????? Increased BBC Census precision by approximately 10%.

●????? Increase accuracy per tree by 20%

●????? Reduced manpower by 50%, requiring only one employee.

●????? Decreased sample trees by a factor of 2X

●????? Reduced the time required to cover a tree with high precision.

SeeTree's digital transformation of the Black Bunch Census (BBC) process within the Oil Palm industry has yielded remarkable improvements. By leveraging a sophisticated and holistic digital platform, SeeTree has substantially increased the precision of BBC operations while simultaneously reducing the number of sample trees, employees, and the time invested per tree. SeeTree's innovative approach marks a transformative shift in the industry's practices, offering efficiency, accuracy, and a streamlined digital solution for essential operations.

Dor Pundak is Head of Global Business at SeeTree

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