Crude pal oil (CPO) is produced in palm oil mills by squeezing the oil out from the digested mesocarp of the palm fruits. The current practice at all the palm oil mills in Malaysia is to use mechanical screw presses to squeeze out the oil from the mesocarp. However, mechanical methods have their limitations as […]

In 2010, the oil palm planted area in Malaysia was 5.0 million hectares. The oil palm industry is labour-intensive, requiring many workers for the various plantation operations. The current system of infield collection of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) using trailer-type vehicles; in particular the mini-tractor-trailer system, is well-received by estate management. However, their […]

The total area of peatland in Malaysia is approximately 2.42 million hectares, with 719 944 ha (30%) in Peninsular Malaysia, 121 514 ha (4.6%) in Sabah and 1 588 142 ha (65.4%) in Sarawak. Currently, the total area of oil palm planted on peat soil is about 666 038 ha (mainly in Sarawak). Most of […]

Pheromone trapping is considered an easy method for controllung flying insects. Several studies have shown that mass trapping has been used either in long-term pest management [e.g. conling moth (Cydia pomonella), pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), bark beetles, palm weevils, corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) and fruit flies], or in the eradication of invasive species [e.g. gypsy […]

Interest in biological control has increased considerably in respone to the various effects of pesticides on the environment. Boilogical control favours conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources. Mass rearing and release of natural enemies are needed to attain sufficiently low pest populations. Oftern the success of biological control through an increased release of […]