Malaysian Agricultural Research And Development Institute Research Articles

Heterogenous Market Preferences on Cryogenic Frozen Jackfruit in Malaysia

The recent national policy continues to strategize for higher value and more competitive value-added commodities, including jackfruit, particularly for the export markets. The most crucial challenge of the jackfruit industry is to maintain the fruit's quality due to its limited shelf-life and the consequences of being fragile and perishable, exposing the fruits to higher losses. Fresh jackfruit can be stored no longer than 14 days to maintain its physical and nutritional qualities, limiting not only market activities along the supply chains but also market access, particularly for export purposes that often take 30-60 days depending on the logistics and destination. In line with the market need for frozen fresh products, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) has developed the frozen jackfruit technology using cryogenic freezing techniques as an alternative marketing solution for fresh tropical fruits. Different from other freezing techniques, cryogenic applies liquid nitrogen as a freezing agent and could extend the shelf-life up to six months, while maintaining the quality of freshness, taste, colour and most importantly, nutritional values. Previous studies revealed that rapid freezing of fruits provides better quality and improves the internal microstructure. Recent market trends showed that frozen fruit is experiencing rapid growth, becoming more aggressive and one of the most promising market segments of the agribusiness sector, as consumers are increasingly shifting toward healthier food products. Additionally, the demand for frozen fruits has shown substantial growth due to their high nutritional values, progressively being used in industry applications, and thus gaining momentum in research activities along with the growing food markets.

Diversification & Expansion of MARDI Premium Plant Varieties at the State of Selangor: A Case Study

This research was written to ascertain the situation of Malaysian Agriculture Research And Development Institute (MARDI) plant variety diversity in Selangor. Several plant varieties, including MDUR 88 Durian, Melomas lime, Mutiara Wangi/Merah Rambutan, and MKL coffee, have been chosen for the project. This reward was announced on social media (via MARDI Selangor's Facebook page). The announcement contains a Google form. Following the approval meeting, 13 people were chosen to work on the projects. On January 26, 2023, a seminar on fruit and industrial crop management was successfully held in conjunction between the MARDI State TE Centre of Selangor and the Selangor State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN). 85% of participants were male, indicating that agriculture is more popular among males. Durians were chosen as the most suitable plant kind, and a total of 9 acres of durian trees would be planted, with the majority of the land located north of Selangor in the district of Hulu Selangor. MARDI hopes that this initiative will be repeated annually to guarantee that excellent MARDI plant materials are available to the people of Selangor

First Report of Fruit Rot Caused by Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex on Greenhouse Bell Pepper in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, bell pepper (Capsicum annuum var. grossum), also known as sweet pepper or paprika, is one of the highly imported vegetable crops. In 2021 alone, Malaysia imported nearly 74 thousand metric tons of its chilies, including bell peppers, from other countries (DOSM, 2022). Often, farmers grow the bell peppers in moderate to cool conditions within highland regions for local commercial purposes. In June 2022, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, conducted a research study to grow lowland bell peppers under a glasshouse rain protection system. A disease inspection carried out found fruit rot on approximately 30% of mature bell pepper fruits in the greenhouse. Symptoms appeared as firm and sunken black lesions covered with white to light pink spore masses on the outer surface, which eventually fell off. Infected fruit parts were disinfected with 10% hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 2 min, followed by double washing with sterile distilled water, air-dried, and placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 3 days of incubation, the fungal colonies that grew from the symptomatic tissue pieces were transferred onto new PDA to obtain pure cultures. The pure fungal colony appeared dense, whitish aerial mycelium that slowly became cream to pinkish-orange after 7 days of incubation at room temperature (25±2 °C). To examine the morphology features, the pure cultures were subbed onto carnation leaf agar (CLA) and incubated at 25±2°C for 14 days. Macroconidia were abundant, slightly curved with tapered apical cells, 3- to 5-septate, and ranged between 21.8 and 34.0 x 3.0 and 5.1 μm. Microconidia were single-celled, often 1-septate, and ranged between 10.0 and 12.6 x 2.1 and 3.4 μm. Chlamydospores were globose and in chains. The fungus was identified as Fusarium sp. according to Fusarium key by Leslie and Summerell (2006). PCR amplification and DNA sequencing were performed using primers EF1F/EF2R and ITS1/ITS4 (O'Donnell et al., 1998; White et al., 1990) to amplify the partial elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) gene and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), respectively. The TEF1-α and ITS sequences of this isolate were deposited in GenBank as OQ672911 and OR349657. BLAST analysis with TEF1-α gene sequences revealed 99.74% and 99.33% sequence identity with F. pernambucanum (accession no. ON330424) and Fusarium isolate NRRL 25134 (accession no. JF740755), respectively; both belonged to the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). BLAST search of the TEF1-α sequence in the database of the International Mycological Association (www.mycobank.org) showed 99.18% identity with FIESC (NRRL 36548). The ITS sequences were 100% identical to those of F. incarnatum (MT563420, MT563419, and MT563418). Pathogenicity test was conducted on three unwounded and three wounded mature red bell pepper fruits (SP299 Red Masta variety). Two healthy bell peppers were used as controls for each treatment. Prior to inoculation, the fruits were surface-sterilized by dipping in 70% ethanol and rinsed twice with sterile distilled water. Unwounded fruits were inoculated with fungal mycelium disks (5 mm diameter), whereas control fruits were inoculated with sterile PDA agar disks. For wound method, 6 µl of spore suspension (1x106 spores/ml) was obtained from 7-day-old cultures and injected (1 mm depth) into the fruit wall using a sterile syringe needle. Control fruits were inoculated with sterile distilled water only. Each fruit was inoculated with the inoculum at three distinct spots and kept in a humid chamber at a temperature of 25±2 °C. The pathogenicity test was done twice. Five days post-inoculation, the control fruits showed no symptoms, whereas all inoculated wounded and non-wounded fruits developed necrotic lesions with white mycelium growing on the inoculation points. The pathogen was successfully re-isolated from the infected fruits and morphologically identified as FIESC, fulfilling Kochs postulates. It has been reported previously that the members of FIESC are responsible for the fruit rot of bell peppers under greenhouse conditions (Ramdial et al., 2016). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of FIESC causing fruit rot on greenhouse bell peppers in Malaysia. This fruit rot disease may impose significant constraints on bell pepper production in Malaysia; hence, effective strategies to control the pathogen and prevent disease dispersal should be implemented.

Comparative Phytochemical Analysis of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea) and others Vigna spp. with Respect to its Nutritional, Antinutritional and Antioxidant Properties

Aims: Bambara groundnut is considered as underutilize and commercially forgotten legume in Malaysia. Few studies abroad showed interesting potential on its phytochemical and nutritional contents. This study was carried out to investigate and compare the nutritional, antinutritional, free radical scavenging assay, total phenolic content and fatty acids composition of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) with comparison with two others commercial legumes (Vigna spp.) red bean (V. angularis) and black-eyed pea (V. unguiculata) in Malaysia.
 Study Design: Each sample was extracted three times (n=3) for the free radical scavenging assay, total phenolic content, fatty acids composition and antinutritional content. All the data were analysed using ANOVA and Tukey Pairwise tests.
 Place and Duration of Study: Phytochemistry Laboratory, Kompleks MyGene Bank, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia from April to December 2022.
 Methodology: Bambara groundnut (BGN), red bean (RB) and black-eyed pea (BEP) were purchased from various local market situated in the northern state of Peninsular Malaysia. Each sample was dried in the oven at 40°C for 3 days. Samples were grounded and its proximate and minerals content were determined. Each sample was extracted for the free radical scavenging assay, total phenolic content, oxalates (total, soluble and insoluble) content using HPLC and fatty acids composition using GCMS.
 Results: Bambara groundnut (BGN) was found to have higher total carbohydrate content (66.0 ± 0.01 g/100g) compared with RB and BEP (P<0.05) hence provides more energy (406.67 ± 1.25 kcal/100g) (14% higher than red bean and black-eyed peas). Further analysis on its mineral content revealed the legume is rich in potassium (24% higher than red bean and black-eyed peas) suggesting its potential to regulate body fluid and muscle contractions. The bambara groundnut’s seed oil is rich in fatty acids; omega 3 and 6 (palmitic acid, α-linoleic acid and linolenic acid). BGN also have higher phenolic content (87.3 ± 2.05 g/100g) compared to RB and BEP (P<0.05). The free radical scavenging assay showed moderate antioxidant activity with inhibition concentration (IC50) value of 0.57 ± 0.04 mg/ml (standard: ascorbic acid = 0.06 mg/ml). The underutilize legume also had undetectable oxalate content; hence it is safe for human consumption (lethal dose 660 mg/kg body weight).
 Conclusion: The potential findings on this legume should elevate the importance of this crop to be commercialised locally and for the future crop that will lead to achieve food security particularly in Malaysia.

Evaluation of flavonoid compound in coconut waste and its antioxidant activity

The coconut tree, Cocos nucifera L., is planted for a variety of purposes. According to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), rising coconut production has resulted in an increase in agricultural waste (coconut husk) in Malaysia (536,606 million coconuts in 2018 compared to 22,167 million coconuts in 2016). More than 60% of solid waste degradation in the environment is caused by the manufacture of coconut husks each year. Recycling coconut waste, particularly coconut husk, as a source of natural compounds offers environmental and economic benefits. The objectives of this study are to extract the flavonoid compounds from coconut husk from three different types of coconut fruit (Pandan Coconut, MAWA Coconut and Yellow Coconut) by using ethanolic solvent and compare them. Secondly, the antioxidant activity of coconut husk was determined by using the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Thirdly, the alkaline reagent test was used to determine the presence of flavonoid compounds. The flavonoid compounds are existed in the coconut husk ethanolic extract and it have the antioxidant activity. IC50 of the standard compounds, ascorbic acid was 9.2 μg/ml. The most powerful radical scavenging effect was seen in Yellow Coconut husk extract, which had an IC50 value of 8.4 μg/ml. Flavonoids found in the husk of coconuts are known to have antioxidant properties. This shows that coconut husk extract has enormous potential as a natural preservative and a good bioresource of antioxidants.

Agriculture Modernization and Enhancement Using Advanced Technologies

Food production must be considerably increased to maintain the world population, which is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050. As a result, agriculture must be modernised and expanded in order to considerably increase food productivity; otherwise, achieving the second United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, Zero Hunger, will be challenging. Furthermore, humans are confronted with issues such as depleting natural resources and lands, climate change, unpredictable weather, and the effects of coronavirus disease. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural food yield has made food security a major global concern. Thus, the purpose of this work is to investigate the possibility of improving existing agricultural practises through mechanisation, automation, and adaptation of advanced technologies from industries, particularly research works from the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) into the new era of Agricultural Revolution 4.0, which uses Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) advanced technologies to reduce labour force dependency, production time, and increase productivity and food security.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT RATES OF ORGANIC NITROGEN INPUTS ON PLANT TOTAL NUTRIENT, UPTAKE, AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF LEAFY VEGETABLE

In organic farming, nitrogen (N) is one of the most crucial factors. Other than the limited source of N for organic fertilizer as the key factor for growth-limiting nutrients in organic farming, the cost of fertilization is also affected by different N application rates in organic farming running. Therefore, in this study, emphasis was given to the effect of different rates of N in organic farming on the plant total nutrient, uptake, and growth performance of leafy vegetables. A study was conducted in a glasshouse at an integrated organic farming research area in the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) at Serdang, Selangor for two consecutive cycles. The experimental treatments were focused on the different rates of N inputs (12, 24, and 36 kg/ha of N from organic sources) with soil alone as a control. The treatments were applied 14 days after seeding (14-DAS) using green spinach as a test crop. The study result found that a 24-63 kg/ha rate of organic N input had improved N and P uptake in spinach (leafy vegetables), as well as their growth performances. Study findings have shown that the range of application rate of organic N between 24 to 36 kg/ha, promotes nutrient uptake in plants and can be scaled up to farm level to sustain organic system productivity.

Relationship between Photosynthetic Capacity and Carbohydrate Content of Mangifera indica cv. Harumanis in Response to Girdling and Paclobutrazol

Girdling and paclobutrazol have been related with the effects on the photosynthetic capacity and carbohydrate content of plants. The physiological changes caused by these methods distress the growth and development of plants in general. A field experiment was carried out from August 2021 to June 2022 on 5 years of open-field Mangifera indica cv. Harumanis trees grown at Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Serdang, Selangor. The objective of this experiment was to understand the relationship between girdling, paclobutrazol application, combined methods and untreated trees on plant photosynthetic performances and carbohydrate content in the leaves. The treatments were performed on 1st December 2021, and the measurements of leaf gas exchanges and carbohydrate content were performed 4th weeks later on fully expanded leaves shoot, experiencing similar light exposure. In the study, the combination of girdling and paclobutrazol application resulted in a significant decrease in photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) but significantly increase in intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and carbohydrate content.

Effects of Foliar and Soil Application of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) at Different Growth Stages on Agronomic Traits and Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Use of Gibberellic acid (GA3) application in rice cultivation for increasing the grain yield is well documented. However, improper and untimely use of GA3 could result in poor response to GA3 application. This study was aimed at to investigate the timing of application during different growth stages and mode of application of GA3 on the growth and yield of MR219, a popular Indica rice variety, released by Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). Two commercial GA3 formulations, namely ProGibb SG containing 40% GA3 and ProGibb silica Granule containing 0.1% GA3 were used for foliar and soil application, respectively. GA3 was applied at late tillering stage and at 10-30% panicle heading stage. Interestingly, GA3 application as foliar spray during the early reproductive stage, ie at 10-30% panicle heading stage enhanced the grain yield significantly, recording over 27% grain yield increase over the untreated control. Moreover, two applications of GA3 at 7 days’ interval has consistently given higher grain yield than single application. However, there is no significant difference in flag leaf characteristics, one thousand grain weight and milling qualities among different treatments. Our study has clearly illustrated that foliar application of GA3 at weekly interval at 10-30% panicle heading stage, can increase rice grain yield significantly.

Consumer Acceptance and Willingness to Pay for Prebiotic Kuini Juice in Malaysia

Changing consumers' lifestyles and food consumption patterns provide an excellent opportunity to develop the prebiotics market in Malaysia. Therefore, Malaysia is trying to improve products based on local ingredients such as kuini juice developed by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). The high fibre content found in kuini makes it suitable to be used as one of the essential ingredients in prebiotic drinks. This research attempted to analyse consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for prebiotic kuini juice. A survey was conducted in Peninsular Malaysia, where 400 respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity were utilised for objective analysis 1, while the Contingent Valuation Method was utilised for objective analysis 2. The result showed that 73% of respondents had taken prebiotic juice in the past. The tendency to choose prebiotic kuini juice by MARDI was 52% compared to existing products in the market. Significant findings determined consumers' preference factors, including product marketing and promotion, which influenced the purchasing of prebiotic kuini juice. The willingness to pay by respondents was lower at RM4.10/300ml bottle than the actual price bid at RM5.70/300ml bottle. As consumer awareness of health increases, it was an opportunity for the health food industry to expand the functional food market. However, some improvements should be adjusted to ensure prebiotic kuini juice can compete with other similar products in the market. Government support is needed to encourage indigenous fruits cultivation and to produce value-added products.

Small Pteropodid Bats are Important Pollinators of Durian in Terengganu, Malaysia

Bats are often misunderstood as agricultural pests and have received little attention for conservation efforts. However, bats are critical pollinators to commercially important agricultural products, such as durians. This study intends to confirm the role of small pteropodid bats as pollinating agents to flowering durian trees. Samplings were conducted in April 2018 to record bats visiting the flowers of two durian species, Durio zibethinus and Durio lowianus at Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Jerangau, Terengganu. Captured bats were swabbed for conspecific pollen load on their bodies to determine their potential role as pollinators. One hundred thirty-one (131) pollen swabs were collected from three pteropodid bat species: Eonycteris spelaea Dobson, Cynopterus brachyotis Dobson, and Cynopterus horsfieldii Gray. Only E. spelaea and C. brachyotis, however, were found with conspecific pollen loads on their bodies. Between the two, E. spelaea showed a higher potential to be the pollinating agent for the durian trees. Hence, they recorded more individuals carrying many conspecific pollen grains while visiting the trees. Thus, this finding will hopefully reduce the misconceptions held on bats and conserve them in Malaysia.

Genetic Variability and Diversity of the Agro-Morphological Traits of Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior) Germplasm in Malaysia

Aims: The main objective of this study is to quantify the genetic variability and relationship among the quantitative traits of the torch ginger germplasm collected across Peninsular Malaysia.
 Study design: Initially, the experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD) but there were unequal number of replications due to limited planting materials.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Research Station, Jerangau, Terengganu, Malaysia on latitude 04°57.704’N and longitude 103°11.007’E. Data on agro-morphological characterization were collected for three years from June 2010 until May 2013.
 Methodology: A total of 57 torch ginger accessions were collected from various wild/ cultivated sources from seven states of Peninsular Malaysia namely Terengganu (19), Perak (15), Kedah (7), Johor (6), Pahang (5), Kelantan (3) and Melaka (2). The collection was planted in 2009 and maintained as living collection. At three months old torch ginger plantlets were transplanted into 20 cm × 20 cm × 20 cm holes spaced at 100 cm diameter of culvert. The spacing of culvert between rows and within rows were 2 m respectively. Initially, the experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD) but there were unequal number of replications due to limited planting materials. Data on agro-morphological characterization were collected for three years from June 2010 until May 2013. All the 57 accessions were characterized according to descriptors list of genera under Zingiberaceae family with some modifications. A total of 6 qualitative and 16 quantitative descriptors were used. The mean values of each quantitative trait data were computed and subjected to statistical analysis to assess the amount of genetic variation using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA was using PROC GLM of SAS 9.4 software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Genotypic coefficients of variation and error variance were estimated using PROC VARCOMP method Type I of SAS 9.4 software. Phenotypic coefficients of variation, heritability and genetic advance were calculated. Pearson correlation coefficient was determined using SAS 9.4 for comparing the relationship among the different traits. The morphological traits were analyzed by numerical taxonomic methods via cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) which was done using NTSYS-PC Version 2.1. PCA based on 16 quantitative and six qualitative traits was performed to determine the genetic variation in the torch ginger accessions. The cluster and PCA were performed to reveal clustering and grouping pattern of torch ginger accessions. Euclidean distance coefficients were estimated for all pairs of accessions, which was then used to present cluster analysis.
 Results: Analysis of variance indicated that highly significant variation exists among the 57 accessions for most of the traits. The 57 accessions of torch ginger showed high variability for both qualitative and quantitative traits. Among the quantitative traits, the highest CV was observed from number of spikes with the value of 44.25%. The genetic coefficient of variation for 16 morphological traits ranged from 9.76 to 45.86%. Broad sense heritability estimates varied from low to high. Maximum estimates of broad sense heritability were recorded in bract length (80.16%), bud peduncle length (78.74%), number of leaves (75.66%), number of stems per clump (67.99%), inflorescence peduncle length (67.60%) and bud width (65.11%). The genetic advance (GA) in percent of mean was recorded from 11.82 to 67.97%. Besides that, positive correlation coefficient was obtained between some traits. Generally, the genotypes groups were related with morphological characteristics among the accessions.
 Conclusion: Considering the distribution pattern, vegetative and yield performance of accessions, it is suggested that accessions from cluster VII (KAN022, KAN047 and KAN048) should be selected for future breeding program. These accessions possessed the highest peduncle length that could influence the yield in terms of bud size. Furthermore, the classification and divergence between torch ginger accessions analyzed in this study may assist in conserving plant materials both in-situ and ex-situ.

Antioxidants Capacity, Phenolic and Oxalate Content from Two Varieties of Solanum melongena at Different Maturity Stages

Aims: To investigate the antioxidant activities, total phenolic and oxalate contents in two varieties of eggplant (Solanum melongena) (terung telunjuk (TT) and terung rapuh (TR)) at different maturity stages.
 Study design: Each sample was extracted three times (n=3) for the antioxidant activities, total phenolic and oxalates content. All the data were analysed by using ANOVA and Tukey Pairwise tests.
 Place and duration of study: Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), between December 2019 and October 2020.
 Methodology: Two varieties of eggplant (TT and TR) were cultivated and the samples were tagged and the fruits were harvested according to their maturity stages (stage 1 – stage 4). Samples were freeze dried and extracted to evaluate the antioxidant activities as well as the total phenolic and oxalate contents.
 Results: Total phenolic contents (TPC) in TR were lower from stage 1 to stage 3 but high at over mature stage (stage 4) meanwhile TPC in TT increased upon maturity. The DPPH assay from the fruit extracts of TT in all maturity stages showed a stronger antioxidant activity as compared to TR, in which fruit of TT from stage 3 was double in antioxidant activity as compared to TR. The FRAP assay of both eggplants showed extracts of TT having a higher ferric reduction power in all stages as compared to TR. Meanwhile, both eggplant varieties showed different total, soluble and insoluble oxalate contents in all maturity indices. TT had the highest total oxalate content at stage 1 as compared to TR while the soluble oxalate content increased in TR in all maturity stages. The highest percentage of soluble oxalate content was observed in TR at stage 4 with 95.5%. Conclusion: Phytochemical findings from these eggplant varieties showed their potentials to improve livelihood and public health. More comprehensive studies on the bioactive compounds, structural elucidation and pharmacological evaluation are to be conducted to understand the possible effects of these phytochemical results.

Tapping the Potential of Rice Research for Sustainable Agricultural Development: Lessons from Malaysia’s Public Research Institutions

This paper explores the achievements, implications and future potential of rice research to achieve sustainable agricultural development in Malaysia according to the Quadruple Helix Innovation Model. The case study on Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) reveals that there are three elements that drive food security and sustainable rice research and development – quality research by Public Research Institutions (PRIs), cooperative private firms in supporting national agricultural agenda and productive farmers in delivering high-yields farming. This paper claims that the presence of public-driven objectives in rice research is the crucial pivot in achieving national food security. The study also found that the cooperation from private firms is key in steering national agricultural agenda towards self-sustaining. The study also found the potential of civil society organisations (CSOs) to transform farmers into more active key players in sustainable agricultural development.

Evaluation of Lightweight Grousers for Agricultural Tracks: New Solution for Soft Soil Problem

Crop maintenance machinery for herbicide spraying and spreading fertilizer input has been the current practice for paddy production in Malaysia, especially in large granary areas. Soft soil issues in paddy fields have become a significant problem and prevent heavy machinery from conducting field operations. Current paddy prime movers use rubber wheels that produce high ground contact pressure onto the soil for crop maintenance operation. With high ground contact pressure, the probability of machines sinking into the soil, or bogged down, is higher and can cause the machine to get stuck. This also can result in hardpan damage (Mandang et al., 2000). Recently, prime agriculture mover uses steel track that has the issue on-road or soil damaged due to the grousers material use. Engineering Research Centre in Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) have found an alternative solution for this issue by developing and replacing all the wheels on a standard 12.75 kW (17 hp) High Clearance Prime Mover with Polyoxymethylene (POM) grousers equipped on triangular track-based system. This paper aims to find the optimal size of grousers for POM material to be installed on the high clearance machinery for alternative solutions to solve problematic soil and its effect on the soil. Polyoxymethylene or POM was chosen due to its excellent rigidity, impact toughness, abrasion resistance, creep resistance and solvent resistance, hydrolytic stability fatigue endurance, low coefficient of friction lightweight. To develop suitable POM grousers, a triangular track-based system has been tested with three different length sizes of rectangular wooden track grousers 13 x 4 x 4 cm, 15 x 4 x 4 cm, and 18 x 4 x 4 cm that could be quickly mounted on or removed from D4 track chain, permitting rapid sequential testing on the soft soil area. Field tests have been conducted at MARDI Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang. The measured parameters were slippage, machine sinkage, and soil compaction. The high clearance prime mover obtained slippage of 16.4% using 13cm shoes and 18.2% for 15 cm 22.2% for 18 cm accordingly, and sinkage for all shoe size were less than 30 cm.

Energy Profiling of a Plant Factory and Energy Conservation Opportunities

Precision farming is one of the important areas to ensure food security by coping with climate change and increase farmer’s productivity. Plant factory is one of the aspects of precision farming and recently sought attention among modern farmers in Malaysia. While ensuring continuous supply of crops throughout the year with increased quality and yield, plant factories consume large amount of energy to maintain their micro-climatic condition. This paper presents the energy consumption profiling of a plant factory, owned by Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Malaysia. This study is important to establish the status quo of consumption pattern of the plant factory towards reducing the energy consumption. Hence, energy audit was carried at the plant factory for duration of 2 weeks. From the audit it was found that the energy was distributed as follows: Air conditioning system - 51%, LED - 36%, pump - 3% and others - 10%. Finally, suitable energy conservation measures were proposed to reduce the energy intensity of the plant factory.

Floral traits and flowering behaviors of Malaysian rice cytoplasmic male sterile and maintainer lines and its relationship with out-crossing performance

Rice is a strictly self-pollinating crop. However, in hybrid rice seed production, an effective male sterility system is used to produce hybrid seed in bulk. In hybrid rice system, the pollen grains of cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) are sterile and the female organ of the CMS depends on the fertile pollen released by the maintainer or restorer lines via out-crossing or cross-pollination in order to produce seed. Floral trait and flowering behavior of CMS and its corresponding maintainer or restorer lines are essential factors in hybrid rice seed production because they influenced the out-crossing or cross-pollination between parental lines. Two local CMSs and their corresponding maintainer lines were developed through breeding program in Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) namely 0025A/0025B and 0047A/0047B. This study was carried out on floral traits and flowering behavior of these two hybrid line. Present studies have shown that there were variations between the CMS and its maintainer lines whether on floral trait or flowering behavior for both hybrid rice combinations. The results showed that stigma characters for both 0025A and 0047 were superior than their respective maintainers. Therefore, it is expected that the out-crossing rate would be high. Seeding date intervals need to be done on 0025A/0025B during nursery stage because the on-set of flowering between parental lines was significantly different. Panicle of both CMS was also classified as just exserted and partially-exserted and application of exogenous hormones such as gibberellic acid was useful to improve panicle elongation and consequently increase the seed set and yield. Correlation study indicates that the stigma area of both 0025A and 0047A has significant positive correlation with out-crossing rate.

Forging researchers-farmers partnership in public social innovation: a case study of Malaysia’s agro-based public research institution

This paper explores the effective roles of public research institutions (PRIs) in social innovation and understand the element of communal support in researchers-farmers partnership. The case study on Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) reveals that the partnership between researchers and farmers is limited. The only productive and formal channel for researchers to reach the farmers is through agricultural extension agencies. It found that there are three elements that drive sustainable social innovation in agriculture: (1) quality research by PRIs; (2) efficient extension agency in disseminating knowledge to farmers; and (3) productive farmers in delivering high-yields farming. This paper claimed that the presence of partnership between researchers in PRIs and farmers is the crucial pivot in ensuring innovation reaches the target group. The study also found the potential of civil society organizations to transform farmers into more active innovation actors in the agricultural innovation system.

Genetic Diversity of Pineapple (Ananas comosus) Germplasm in Malaysia Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers.

Assessments of genetic diversity have been claimed to be significantly efficient in utilising and managing resources of genetic for breeding programme. In this study, variations in genetic were observed in 65 pineapple accessions gathered from germplasm available at Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) located in Pontian, Johor via 15 markers of simple sequence repeat (SSR). The results showed that 59 alleles appeared to range from 2.0 to 6.0 alleles with a mean of 3.9 alleles per locus, thus displaying polymorphism for all samples at a moderate level. Furthermore, the values of polymorphic information content (PIC) had been found to range between 0.104 (TsuAC035) and 0.697 (Acom_9.9), thus averaging at the value of 0.433. In addition, the expected and the observed heterozygosity of each locus seemed to vary within the ranges of 0.033 to 0.712, and from 0.033 to 0.885, along with the average values of 0.437 and 0.511, respectively. The population structure analysis via method of delta K (ΔK), along with mean of L (K) method, revealed that individuals from the germplasm could be divided into two major clusters based on genetics (K = 2), namely Group 1 and Group 2. As such, five accessions (Yankee, SRK Chalok, SCK Giant India, SC KEW5 India and SC1 Thailand) were clustered in Group 1, while the rest were clustered in Group 2. These outcomes were also supported by the dendrogram, which had been generated through the technique of unweighted pair group with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). These analyses appear to be helpful amongst breeders to maintain and to manage their collections of germplasm. Besides, the data gathered in this study can be useful for breeders to exploit the area of genetic diversity in estimating the level of heterosis.

Inventory and composting of yard waste in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Composting of yard waste is one of the waste management approaches in the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. The yard waste inventory was developed in the headquarters’ area and a pilot-scale study was performed on the potential compost product. The total amount of yard waste generated from June 2017 to December 2017 was 16.75 tonnes with an average generation of 0.60 tonnes per week on the fresh weight (f.w.) basis. The collected yard waste consisted of three major characteristics, namely dry leaves, fresh green leaves, and grass cuttings, and a waste estimation technique was applied to determine the composition of these three elements. The acquired information was used to formulate the initial compost mixture. The wastes were then mixed with an appropriate amount of livestock manure and other wastes to obtain the optimum initial C/N ratio, which was then found in the analysis to range between 25:1 and 42:1. Meanwhile, the C/N ratios obtained from the matured compost product were from 10:1 and 15:1. Moreover, most of the compost yield ranged between 50% and 70% (w w−1 d.w. basis), while the percentage of the seed germination in the compost was over 95%. The viability of the project was indicated from the economic analysis, with benefit to cost ratio (BCR) values of more than 1. The results also suggested that the large scale composting of yard waste in MARDI was feasible and its applicability is continuous. This technique also fulfilled the objective of producing quality compost, which was suitable for agricultural use.