Effect of clonal variety and fermentation duration on cocoa flavor

The quality of cocoa is determined by its unique and complex flavors which are contributed by several factors. This study aimed to investigate the cocoa flavor of three Malaysian cocoa clones, MCBC5, 4, and 2 fermented at different durations. Fresh cocoa beans were fermented for six days, and were sampled every 24 hours for drying. The quality of fermentation was determined by cut test and fermentation index (FI) of the dried beans. The cut test results showed that MCBC5 took the longest to be fully fermented (6 days) whereas MCBC4 and 2 took only five days. However, FI analysis, presented earlier completed fermentation. A portion of dried beans were roasted for 25 min at 127⁰ C and ground to cocoa liquors for sensory evaluation by the Malaysian Cocoa Board’s trained panelists with Ghanaian cocoa liquor as the standard. The most intense cocoa flavor was MCBC2 fermented for five days (4.11 ± 0.83). The strong cocoa flavor in MCBC2 could be due to its low bitterness (2.86 ± 0.68) and astringency (3.56 ± 0.66) level and moderate level of acidity (1.86 ± 0.76) as high levels of bitterness, astringency, and acidity are known to mask the cocoa flavor, thus produce poor cocoa flavor. In conclusion, MCBC2 fermented for five days had the best cocoa flavor when compared with the MCBC5 and MCBC2

Thermal treatments on the oil palm fruits: response surface optimization and microstructure study

Sterilization is the most important steps in the palm oil milling process prior to oil extraction. Experiments involving dry heating sterilization (SD) couple with solvent extraction of palm fruits were done to determine the relationship of palm oil yield and deterioration of bleachability index (DOBI). As a comparison, the conventional method of wet heating was used (SW). The optimum sterilization treatment parameters were determined by using response surface methodology (RSM). Central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to study the effects of sterilization temperature, X1 (°C) and treatment time, X2 (min) to oil yield (%), and DOBI. The sterilization temperature and time were conducted between 70 and 90 °C and 20 to 90 min, respectively. Preliminary results proved increasing temperature and time of sterilization process increased oil yield for both SD and SW. Furthermore, the DOBI showed a similar trend as the oil yield. Optimization study using SD gave the optimal response through a combination of parameters, SD: X1 = 90 °C and X2 = 68 min, where the oil yield obtained was 43.21% and DOBI 4.05. However, sterilization treatment using SW showed insignificant results (p>0.05) between temperature and time since R2 value was 0.4368 and the low degree of agreement between adjusted R2 (0.03) and predicted R2 (-2.43). It was also found SD treatment produced high DOBI value though the oil yield was lower than SW

Biochar and clinoptilolite zeolite on selected chemical properties of soil cultivated with maize (Zea mays L.)

Increase in cost of chemical fertilizers encourages the use of soil amendments such as biochar and zeolites to improve soil fertility. In this study, biochar produced from empty fruit bunch-palm oil mill effluent (EFB-POME) and clinoptilolite zeolite were used as soil amendments to improve soil fertility. The field experiment was carried out for two planting cycles to determine the effects of different rates of EFB POME biochar (0, 10, and 20 t ha-1), clinoptilolite zeolite (0, 1.25, and 2.5 t ha-1), and urea (60 and 120 kg ha-1) on selected soil chemical properties of Tanjung Lipat (Typic Paleudults). Biochar produced from EFB-POME increase soil total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. The higher soil total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg could be related to the increase in soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and total organic carbon in soil with EFB-POME biochar but not with clinoptilolite zeolite. Thus, EFB-POME biochar was more suitable to be used in a tropical soil (Typic Paleudults) compared to clinoptilolite zeolite for improving the selected soil pH, CEC, TOC and available P, K, Ca and Mg

Laporan Keberkesanan GOP : Eksplorasi ke Osaka, Jepun

Program Capaian Global merupakan satu program pembelajaran dan pengajaran yang berbentuk pendedahan tentang budaya kerja antarabangsa kepada semua staf bukan akademik secara lebih sistematik dan tersusun. la dilaksanakan melalui program sangkutan (attachment) dan lawatan kerja ke universiti serta lokasi terpilih bagi memberi pendedahan, kemahiran dan menjalinkan rangkaian (networking) yang diperlukan

Ensuring Urban Food Security in Malaysia during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Is Urban Farming the Answer? A Review

Urbanization and related insufficiency of food sources is due to the high urban population, insufficient urban food sources, and inability of some urban communities to afford food due to rising costs. Food supply can also be jeopardized by natural and man-made disasters, such as warfare, pandemics, or any other calamities which result in the destruction of crop fields and disruption of food distribution. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the impact of such calamities on the fresh food supply chain in Malaysia, especially when the Movement Control Order (MCO) policy was first implemented. The resulting panic buying caused some food shortage, while more importantly, the fresh food supply chain was severely disrupted, especially in urban areas, in the early stages of implementation. In this regard, urban farming, while a simple concept, can have a significant impact in terms of securing food sources for urban households. It has been used in several countries such as Canada, The Netherlands, and Singapore to ensure a continuous food supply. This paper thus attempted to review how the pandemic has affected Malaysian participation in urban farming and, in relation to that, the acceptance of urban farming in Malaysia and the initiatives and approaches of local governmental and non-governmental organisations in encouraging the urban community to participate in urban farming through peer-reviewed journal articles and other articles related to urban agriculture using the ROSES protocol. About 93 articles were selected after screening to ensure that the articles were related to the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in Malaysians’ awareness of the importance of urban farming has offered great opportunities for the government to encourage more Malaysian urban communities to participate in urban farming activities. Limitations such as relevant knowledge, area, and space, however, are impediments to urban communities’ participation in these activities. Government initiatives, such as the Urban Community Garden Policy (Dasar Kebun Komuniti Bandar (DKKB)), are still inadequate as some issues are still not addressed. Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) and technology-driven practices are seen as possible solutions to the primary problem of land and space. Additionally, relevant stakeholders play a crucial role in disseminating relevant and appropriate knowledge and methodology applicable for urban farming. Partnerships between government agencies, the education sector, and the private sector are necessary to develop modern urban agricultural technologies as well as knowledge, knowhow, and supports to build and sustain urban community participation in urban farming activities

Brief review: climate change and its impact on mango pests and diseases

Climate change is negatively impacting the agricultural sector. This review focuses on the effects of climate change on mango pests and diseases, the unknown aspects of this problem, and possible mitigation measures. In addition, mango is susceptible to several pests and diseases infestation at all its stage of life. The major abiotic factors associated with climate change that affect mango pests and diseases include changes in precipitation, wind variability, increased temperature, increases in atmospheric CO2, and changes in light intensity. These factors affect mango pests and diseases in various dimensions in one way or another, including increased activity, growth, development, reproduction, distribution, and migration. These abiotic factors also influence plant growth, development, and reproduction. These interacting factors are complex, and further studies are needed to obtain relevant data to understand the relationships between these factors and pests occurrence. Developing predictive models from these data and intercropping with aromatic plants will be useful for strategies to mitigate the devastating effects of pests and diseases occurrence on mango crops and food securit

Supporting forest conservation through community-based land use planning and participatory GIS – lessons from Crocker Range Park, Malaysian Borneo

In tropical regions, expanding human activities have become increasingly threatening to the ecological integrity of protected areas. Shifting cultivation and other agricultural activities around the protected areas by rural communities often lead to increased carbon emissions, wildlife habitat destruction and increasing hunting pressure. Land use planning, with the participation of local communities in the buffer zones, is being considered to strengthen the implementation of the Man and the Biosphere Program at Crocker Range Park, Sabah, Malaysia. As part of the European Union’s ‘Tackling Climate Change Through Sustainable Forest Management and Community Development’ program, we emphasized the participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) approach to support village-scale land use planning that considers the needs of multiple stakeholders in the community. The PGIS was applied within a multi-criteria framework to determine the location of a potential community conservation area (CCA) and to plan future land use activities in the village. Key informant interviews were followed by a participatory mapping workshop, attended by various stakeholders and experts, which was convened to discuss and elicit local knowledge to generate the environmental and resource indicators for determining potential land use activities within the village (e.g., agriculture, tourism and recreation, and forest restoration). Based on the discussions and spatial analyses, a land use zoning map with a potential CCA was presented at a follow-up land use decision making workshop. The villagers and external stakeholders reached a consensus on the land use zoning; leading to the designation process of the CCA. The PGIS-based land use planning has effectively supported the community forest conservation and is potentially applicable to other Southeast Asia regions with similar environmental and socio-economic settings

Effects of Organic Amendments Produced from Agro-Wastes on Sandy Soil Properties and Black Pepper Morpho-Physiology and Yield

Sandy textured soil infertility poses a problem for sustainable crop cultivation. This problem is usually dealt with by the addition of chemical fertilizers, which are expensive and can cause serious environmental issues if not managed well. A better alternative to improve and manage sandy soil infertility is the use of organic amendments produced from agro-wastes. This two (2)- year field study was conducted in a sandy-textured soil grown with black pepper to evaluate mainly the effects of chemical fertilizer, fermented plant and fruit juices, compost, and biochar on soil properties and morpho-physiological characteristics and yield of black pepper. Generally, the results indicated that the combination of fermented fruit juice, compost, and biochar was comparable to and in some cases better than chemical fertilizer in terms of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties as well as crop performance. These findings were even more pronounced in the second year of measurements. There were strong positive relationships between soil N and pepper leaf chlorophyll content and between soil microbes and soil respiration. The findings showed that these soil amendments produced from agro-wastes are a good alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers on sandy soils to improve soil fertility and productivity and the yield of black pepper sustainably

Improving Selected Chemical Properties of a Paddy Soil in Sabah Amended with Calcium Silicate: A Laboratory Incubation Study

In Malaysia, the main constraints of rice yield and productivity are infertile soils and poor management practices because these soils are characterized by low pH, low nutrient availability, low organic matter, and high exchangeable Al and Fe ions, due to high rainfall and hot temperatures. Thus, an incubation study was conducted to determine the optimum amount of calcium silicate (HmbG brand) to improve the soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable Al, available P, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of a paddy soil in Sabah, Malaysia. The Kelawat series (Typic Dystrudept) soil was incubated with calcium silicate at the application rates of 0 (T1), 1 (T2), 2 (T3), and 3 t ha̵¹ (T4) using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in triplicates for 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. The calcium silicate used significantly improved soil pH because of the release of SiO4 ⁴⁻ and Ca²⁺ ions, which neutralized and immobilized H⁺ ions. Furthermore, the neutralizing effects of the amendment impeded Al hydrolysis by up to 57.4% and this resulted in an increase in the available P in the soil by 31.26% to 50.64%. The increased availability of P in the soil was also due to the high affinity of SiO4 ⁴⁻ to desorb P from soil minerals and it is believed that SiO4 ⁴⁻ can temporarily adsorb exchangeable base cations such as K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺. Moreover, applying calcium silicate at 3 t ha¹ improved soil CEC by up to 54.84% compared to that of untreated soils (T1) because of increased pH and the number of negatively charged sites. The most suitable application rate of the calcium silicate was found to be 3 t ha⁻¹ (T4). These findings suggest that calcium silicate can improve soil productivity and agronomic efficiency in rice farming. Greenhouse and field trials are necessary to ascertain the effects of the recommended treatments of this incubation study on soil productivity, rice growth, and yield

Pasteurellosis vaccine commercialization: Physiochemical factors for optimum production

Pasteurella spp. are Gram-negative facultative bacteria that cause severe economic and animal losses. Pasteurella-based vaccines are the most promising solution for controlling Pasteurella spp. outbreaks. Remarkably, insufficient biomass cultivation (low cell viability and productivity) and lack of knowledge about the cultivation process have impacted the bulk production of animal vaccines. Bioprocess optimization in the shake flask and bioreactor is required to improve process efficiency while lowering production costs. However, its state of the art is limited in providing insights on its biomass upscaling, preventing a cost-effective vaccine with mass-produced bacteria from being developed. In general, in the optimum cultivation of Pasteurella spp., production factors such as pH (6.0–8.2), agitation speed (90–500 rpm), and temperature (35–40 °C) are used to improve production yield. Hence, this review discusses the production strategy of Pasteurella and Mannheimia species that can potentially be used in the vaccines for controlling pasteurellosis. The physicochemical factors related to operational parameter process conditions from a bioprocess engineering perspective that maximize yields with minimized production cost are also covered, with the expectation of facilitating the commercialization process