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Hill paddy (Oryzea sativa L.) (Figure 1) can be grown on wide range of soils, especially on sandy clay loam to clay loam. In general, it is grown in rain-fed areas, either on flat or sloping land. Although grown on dry land, it requires high moisture (rainfall of 250–200 mm per month) during its fi rst … Read more

Soyabean (Glysine max) (Figure 1) is a major source of protein for human and livestock. The average import of soyabean (broken and not broken) in 2002 to 2005 was 693 968 t yr-1 worth RM 719 991 178, mostly for livestock feed. The major human food products from soyabean are bean curd, soyabean drink and tempe. … Read more

Machinery and labour are the two major inputs in agriculture. Machines can be developed to help labour improve its productivity. There are two factors in maximizing profit, viz., increasing productivity and reducing cost. One way is to mechanize to improve productivity by reducing the labour required which can result in substantial cost saving. The Malaysian Palm … Read more

For good oil palm growth and production, heavy fertilization is required especially with nitrogen (N). Based on the current area under oil palm, it is estimated that the N fertilizer requirement exceeds three million tonnes N a year. Currently, urea is mostly used in compound fertilizers for oil palm. Urea has the added advantage of high … Read more

Malaysian soils, like most tropical soils, are highly weathered, acidic and inherently low in phosphorus (P) but with high P-fi xing capacities. High rates of P fertilizers are required to overcome the P-fi xation, mainly due to high Al and Fe oxides and hydroxides in the clay fraction (Ng, 1986). P is one of the major … Read more