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Termites are known to impact negatively on agriculture and construction industry imposing great damage to plantations and buildings. Financial loss due to termites infestations in Malaysia was estimated at RM 8- RM 10 million annually (Lee, 2002). The common method in termites control is by the use of emulsifiable concentrate termiticides. Such emulsifiable concentrates (EC) are petrochemicals-based and may pose risks to humans, animals, plants … Read more

Medium density fibreboard (MDF) is a bio-composite widely used particularly in furniture and building products. In Malaysia, most MDF plants use rubberwood (RW) as raw material, and of late the industry is facing a problem with the inconsistency in supply and the price hike of RW. Other materials such as mixed tropical hardwood (MTH) are used as part of raw materials to substitute RW … Read more

One of the issues associated with the bio-conversion of oil palm biomass into bio-compost is the long maturation time of composting. Since the palm oil mills operate continuously at least six days a week generating large quantities of biomass and POME, rapid composting is very crucial in order to make composting projects efficient and effective in clearing the accumulated biomass. Rapid composting is largely … Read more

The production of crude palm oil (CPO) in the mill generates a huge amount of biomass such as palm kernel shells (PKS), press fibres and empty fruit bunches (EFB). Press fibres are widely used as fuel in the mill boiler together with small quantities of PKS. With the current scenario where biogas from palm oil mill effluent (POME) is captured, and the use … Read more

One of the solutions to the log shortage problem in plywood mills is undoubtedly the sourcing of logs from oil palm plantations. However, an acceptable and more efficient mechanism of log supply has to be worked out. This is to facilitate the log flow from the plantations to plywood mills so that the manufacturers will have enough logs for processing at a fair … Read more

During the past three decades, Malaysia witnessed a 23% increase in its processing facilities from 352 mills in 1984 to 432 mills in 2014 to produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel (PK). But the rapid expansion of the Indonesian palm oil production seem to trigger an unhealthy supply and demand relationship in the global oil market for palm oil. Now, with … Read more

Palm oil milling is invariably accompanied by the generation of effluent. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a potential environmental pollutant. On average, 1.5 m3 water is needed to process 1 t of fresh fruit bunches and half of this ends up as POME. Currently, some 85% of POME treatment of more than 400 mills … Read more

The oil palm has three naturally occurring fruit forms, varying in shell thickness: i) thick shell dura, ii) thin shell tenera, and iii) shell-less pisifera (Figure 1). Teneras are hybrids between the dura and pisifera, and the preferred commercial planting material. Oil yield of tenera is up to 30% higher than the dura, while pisifera is female sterile and does not usually produce matured bunches.  Main Research: Dr Rajinder Sing

Feed is one of the major success factors in livestock enterprise for intensive production system. Intensive production system relies ultimately on a good feed supply in term of quantity and quality. Feed quality has direct impact on livestock performance especially on body conformation, breeding efficiency and milk production. With intensive livestock integration in place, therefore it is important to have a good fodder supply … Read more

The basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm is caused by the wood decaying fungi, Ganoderma boninense (Figure 1). It is a serious disease especially in the replanted areas from old oil palm and coconut and remain as a major disease of oil palm in South-east Asia. Ganoderma produces enzymes that degrade the oil palm tissue which … Read more