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The APA (Algemeene Proefstation der AVROS/Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra) was the predecessor of IOPRI which was founded on September 26, 1916. APA was the first plantation research institute in Sumatra. At that time, the main focus of APA's research was rubber. After growing, APA alsoconcentrated on  tea and oil palm research.
</p><p>The background of the establishment of APA is the crisis that hit the tobacco industry in previous years. The crisis has provided a valuable lesson, that  urge the needs of a strong support from research and development  for the sustainability and progress of an agricultural commodity.
</p><p>In line with the development of oil palm plantations in Sumatra, a Dutch company (Handle Vereeniging Amsterdam / HVA) has its own Sisal Research Institute in Dolok Ilir which secretly conducts a lot of research on oil palm which produces several superior types of Psifera. Not to be outdone, Perkebunan Negara in 1963 formed the Marihat Research Institute for the purposes of oil palm research and in the following years changed its name to Puslitbun Marihat.
</p><p>The APA research institute changed its name to the GAPPERSU Research Institute or Research Institute of the Sumatra Planters Association (RISPA) in 1957. The status and name of RISPA continued to change until 1987, then changed its name to the Medan Plantation Research Center (Puslitbun) and lasted until the merger was carried out between the Marihat Research Center for Research and Development, Bandar Kuala, and Medan on 24 December 1992. This combined Puslitbun eventually became the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Insitute (IOPRI).
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