TT

Bagworm control with broad-spectrum contact insecticides has often disrupted the balance between the insect and its natural enemies – its predators, parasitoids and microbial pathogens. Most chemical insecticides also affect non-target organisms, and their residues often persist in the environment. The insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are very target specific. Active ingredients of Bt … Read more

Phosphate rock (PR) is used almost exclusively as P fertilizer for perennial crops in Malaysia. This is attributed to its rapid P dissolution and high P sorption capacity under the high rainfall and acidic soil conditions in the country. It is, of course, also cheap. For decades, Christmas Island Rock Phosphate (CIRP) was the main PR … Read more

Genetic engineering is a powerful tool to manipulate the genome of an organism for it to produce a new trait(s) or to change its existing trait(s). Plant genetic engineering involves procedures like gene isolation, characterization, modifi cation and, eventually, introduction and expression of the gene in the transgenic plant. It covers the fi elds of … Read more

The quality of palm oil is primarily determined by its content of free fatty acids (FFA) as they are easily oxidized to make the oil rancid. Sambanthamurthi et al. (1991) reported an increase in FFA in palm oil due to the action of an endogenous lipase. Lipases are one of the most studied groups of … Read more

Oil palms can be distinguished based on the colour of their fruit coats. The two most common types are nigrescens (Nig) and virescens (Vir) (Figure 1). Vir fruits undergo a clear colour change on ripening, making it easier to identify the ripe bunches for harvesting. The fruits of the more commonly occurring Nig palms undergo only … Read more

Polyglycerols and their derivatives have a broad range of applications (Table 1). MPOB has developed a process to produce polyglycerols (Figure 1) by microwave heating with a substantially reduced reaction time. Glycerol is polymerized at elevated temperatures, preferably 250ºC-270ºC, in the presence of a catalyst. However, a drawback is the tendency to produce highly coloured … Read more

The skin is a barrier between the body and the environment, and any stress imposed by the environment can affect it. Cracked heels are a common foot problem, generally occurring in hot tropical climates, but also in summer and winter in the temperate countries. Heels crack from excessive water loss from the skin, causing it … Read more

Hand dish washing detergents remove food soils, hold soil in suspension as well as provide long-lasting suds to indicate how much cleaning power is left in the wash water. They are available as liquids, gels, powders and solids. MPOB has developed a firm, mild, good performing, low-smear solid dish washing product from palm sulphonated methyl esters … Read more

With soaring petroleum prices, polyols from vegetable oils are increasingly viable alternatives to petroleum polyols. MPOB has developed a palm-based polyol for the polyurethane (PU) industry, which consumes 4.5 million tonnes worldwide annually. The polyol is produced from palm fatty acids, and can be made into PU coating, adhesives, sealants and elastomers. The fatty acids … Read more