(MPOB Transfer of Technology)
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the main industrial crop in Malaysia. In the early years of its expansion, most of the oil palm was cultivated on suitable mineral soils. However, as available suitable land is diminishing, some of the oil palm is now being cultivated on marginal soils such as peat. There are 2.43 … Read more
The engine fuel filter blocking problem in vehicles running on biodiesel blends surfaced in 2007. Researchers discovered that this problem was due to the presence of steryl glucosides at very low level, less than 100 mg kg-1. In October 2008, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) incorporated a new parameter called the cold … Read more
Land degradation and the loss of soil fertility caused by soil erosion due to land conversion is a major problem worldwide. Although the use of agrochemicals increases productivity, it may also cause detrimental effects to the environment. Currently, many oil palm plantations have turned to implementing sustainable agricultural management practices to reduce the negative impacts … Read more
Drainage and water management is an integral part of peat development for oil palm palanting. An efficient and adequate drainage network system as well as for water management is the key to the successful planting of oil palm on peat. The main objectives of water management are: -to retain an optium water-table for superior palm … Read more
Cream cheese occupies a relatively small but important place among the many varieties of cheeses available commercially. Cream cheese (also called soft cheese) is a sweet, soft, mild-tasting, white cheese, defined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as containing at least 33% milk fat with a moisture content of not more than 55% and … Read more
Red palm oil has an exceptionally high level of phytonutrients such as carotenes, tocotrienols and squalene. With the infusion of essential oils from chilies and other herbs, we are able to extend the nutritional benefits of the oil. We have demonstrated in our laboratory the antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti inflammation properties for some mixed phytonutrients. … Read more
Shorstir is a palm-based chicken fat sabstitute formulated from palm fractions and other commercial dats. The ratio of its saturated, monousaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids is 4.8: 3.8 : 1. This ratio is similar to natural chicken fat. As an improvement, the oleic acid content of Shorstir is higher while the lauric acid content is … Read more
Glyphosate herbicide is one of the major weed control products that are being used in oil palm plantations and in other major crop areas in Malaysia. The total volume of glyphosate marketed in Malaysia is estimated to be about 15 million liters, which is valued arounded RM250 million a year. In glyphosate formulations, an adjuvant is … Read more
Microemulsions are normally isotropic (or clear), very small in droplet size (<100 nm), low in viscosity and are thermodynamically stable solutions. However, the ordinary emulsions appear as milky white sidpersions with higher viscosity, droplet size of >0.5 um and are only kinetically stable. Thus, since several years ago, the properties of the microemulsion system have … Read more
The most common problem associated with shaving is skin irritation, which includes nicks and cuts. Some skin irritation is unavoidable because of the removal of beard hair. Therefore, palm vitamin E (tocotrienol-rich product) is incorporated into shaving lather formulations to reduce skin inflammation and irritation and to reduce the amount of water loss from the … Read more