Since the early 1950’s, Singapore is internationally known as the guppy-breeding centre. At least 40 different colour varieties of guppies are cultured in Singapore, with each farm specialising in 10 to 15 varieties. These fancy varieties have been developed by skilful farmers through intensive and continual selective breeding. Genes controlling background body pigmentation such as albino (a), blond (b), gold (g) and blue (r) are autosomally inherited and recessive to their wild-type alleles which produce drab olive-brown background coloration. Colour patterns which are superimposed onto wild-type background coloration are due to genes located on the sex chromosomes. These
sex-linked colour genes are dominant and sex-limited to males as their expression requires male hormones. Y-linked colour pattern genes carried by males are inherited only along the paternal line while X-linked genes are present in both sexes. Among the guppy varieties produced locally, only two Y-linked genes, Ssb and Sst, that control snakeskin tail and body patterns, respectively, have been found in varieties with snakeskin-like reticulations. Single colour genes that are both X- and Y-linked produce red (Rdt), blue (Blt), green (Grt), black (Bt) and variegated (Var) patterns
on the caudal fin. The black caudal-peduncle of the Tuxedo variety is the result of Bcp, a gene that is both X- and Ylinked. Different combinations of colour pattern genes and background pigmentation genes as well as interactions among them give rise to various colour phenotypes. For
instance, the inclusion of Bcp in Snakeskin varieties causes black reticulations on the tail fin to be replaced by large, coarse black spots. Neon coloration is produced by interactions between the Ln (light turquoise) gene with Blt, Rdt and Bcp.
Quality of planting materials determines future successes of plantations and subsequent endeavours in the life cycle. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) breeding triggered an industry in Malaysia through “Plant Introduction” with the establishment of the first oil palm plantation. At the wake of the oil palm industry, plantations utilised the dura planting material. The hallmark discovery of the single gene inheritance for shell thickness led to the prolific dura x pisifera (DxP) derived tenera planting material. Subsequent parental inbred lines developed in recurrent selections, crossed and progeny tested exploiting heterosis had boosted yields. Further improvements were foresighted and executed in the widening of the genetic pool and collections of germplasm in centres of origin/diversity in Africa and Latin America. Field Genebank of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) forms the world’s largest ex situ oil palm conservation programme. This programme enabled the developments of elite breeding populations harbouring specialty oils and products. Meanwhile, opening of large oil palm areas by the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) set the momentum in rapid expansion of the industry. Felda is an exemplary in wealth creation and quality of life (QOL). Resettlements of landless farmers into Felda schemes, employing modern farming, mainly in oil palm has helped eradicate poverty and uplifting QOL among settlers, employees and their families. Impacts of the success in wealth creation and its distribution leading to better QOL, rooted from breeding through the supply of quality planting materials. Phenotypic expressions of the planting materials were realised through genotypic and environment interactions; the former through breeding, the latter through agronomic practices. Efforts in oil palm breeding helped paved the way to a mammoth industry, contributing to the nation economic growths, impacting livelihood of the people. Further progress in yield is expected from clones, where breeding has a role in the supply of quality ortets. Genetic potential of planting materials can be further exploited through interdisciplinary approach in breeding, biotechnology and genomics. With continuing wealth creation, the oil palm saga continues. Once wealth is created, QOL will follow.
Never in the history of modern Malaysia, the general population at all levels are being threatened by food security. Food becoming less available and more expensive. Many factors, both long- and short-term, have contributed to the shortage. At a global level, available data seems to indicate that we have been consuming more than what we produce. Then came the shortfall in global rice production caused by the impact of climate change such as the widespread drought in India and China in 2002, typhoons in the Philippines in 2006, and the major flooding in Bangladesh in 2007. This was followed by the returns of pests such as planthoppers, and the various virus diseases transmitted particularly at regions with growing seasons having abnormally higher temperatures caused by climate change. Since the crisis started, scientists particularly breeders all over the world were requested to strengthen and upgrade the breeding program and facilities for the development of new varieties with increased tolerance to drought, flooding, and salinity as well resistant to insects and diseases. An important pre-requisite for such activities is the free flow of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (pgrfa). The adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has drastically slowed down the movement of many plant genetic resources and this has threatened the future supply of food. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA or the Treaty) is a global reaction to the rising tide of measures taken by many governments as a result CBD to extend their sovereign control over genetic resources. Many countries felt that those measures are inappropriate for food and agricultural crop genetic resources. The Treaty on the other hand recognizes that access and benefit sharing for agricultural biodiversity must be treated differently from the way it is generally treated under CBD. This paper discusses some of the key points and provisions from the treaty and some issues arising from its negotiation and future implementation in Malaysia.
There is a need to set up a germplasm resource centre or gene bank in Sabah to keep the collections of varieties of locally cultivated crops, especially rice. This is necessary to prevent genetic loss caused by the infrastructure development in the state of Sabah especially when Sabah is known for her rich genetic resources for food and agriculture. This gene bank will play an important role in the conservation of genetic resources especially for future rice crop improvement and development. These collections are known to carry useful gene(s) for crop improvement such as aroma, taste, resistance to insect pests and diseases, and tolerance to abiotic stress. Decades ago, a set of local landrace rice collection were made and conserved at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI). Besides IRRI and MARDI, local farmers also play an important role as conservationist. Therefore, this study has been carried out to re ne the status of the current genetic diversity in local rice farming. From January 2009 to February 2010, 108 samples were collected from Tuaran and Kota Belud districts. Preliminary observation of 19 samples found that
there is a high genetic diversity based on seed morphology alone. Variations in the characteristics were detected in awn, apiculus, lemma and palea, sterile lemma and seed coat. Length and width of seeds were measured and calculated for ratio to estimate the shapes of the seeds. The weight of 100 grains ranged from 1.42 to 3.19 g. However, further studies on morphology evaluation, disease screening, and molecular evaluation are needed to be compared with the existing data. In addition, genetic erosion, migration, and drift also need to be studied due to high seed exchanges among the local farmers.
Malaysia, with her tropical jungles, mangroves and seas, is blessed with riches in biodiversity, being one of the twelve megabiodiversity countries on earth. Genetics has contributed substantially to the success of our country's agricultural production especially of rubber and palm oil. Hence, it should play a pivotal role in helping Malaysia fulfill her responsibility to identify, characterize and sustainably utilize her numerous indigenous bioresources for the benefit of humanity.
Livers and muscles of swamp eels (Monopterus albus) were analyzed for bioaccumulation of heavy metals during the plowing stage of a paddy cycle. Results showed heavy metals were bioaccumulated more highly in liver than muscle. Zinc (Zn) was the highest bioaccumulated metal in liver (98.5 ± 8.95 μg/g) and in muscle (48.8 ± 7.17 μg/g). The lowest bioaccumulated metals were cadmium (Cd) in liver (3.44 ± 2.42 μg/g) and copper (Cu) in muscle (0.65 ± 0.20 μg/g). In sediments, Zn was present at the highest mean concentration (52.7 ± 2.85 μg/g), while Cd had the lowest mean concentration (1.04 ± 0.24 μg/g). The biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) for Cu, Zn, Cd and nickel (Ni) in liver tissue was greater than the corresponding BSAF for muscle tissue. For the three plowing stages, metal concentrations were significantly correlated between liver and muscle tissues in all cases, and between sediment and either liver or muscle in most cases. Mean measured metal concentrations in muscle tissue were below the maximum permissible limits established by Malaysian and U.S. governmental agencies, and were therefore regarded as safe for human consumption.
Analysis of herbicides sorption behavior in soil is critical in predicting their fate and possible harmful side effects in the environment. Application of polar imidazolinone herbicides is growing in tropical agricultural fields. Imidazolinones have high leaching potential and are persistent. In this study, adsorption-desorption of imazapic and imazapyr herbicides were evaluated in different types of Malaysian agricultural soils. Effects of soil parameters were also investigated on the soils' sorption capacities. The adsorption data fitted best to Freundlich isotherm (R2 > 0.991). The herbicides adsorptions were physical and spontaneous processes as ΔG values were negative and below 40 kJ/mol. The adsorption correlated positively with clay content, total organic carbon (TOC) content, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). There were strong negative correlations between hysteresis index and these factors indicating their importance in imidazolinones immobilization and, thus, their pollution reduction in the environment.
This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of Guar gum in removing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), viz. phenol,2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), from farm effluent. The removal efficiency was compared with alum. The results indicated that 4.0 mg L(-1) of Guar gum at pH 7 could remove 99.70% and 99.99% of phenol,2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) and DEHP, respectively. Box Behnken design was used for optimization of the operating parameters for optimal POPs removal. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy studies were conducted on the flocs. SEM micrographs showed numerous void spaces in the flocs produced by Guar gum as opposed to those produced by alum. This indicated why Guar gum was more effective in capturing and removal of suspended particles and POPs as compared to alum. FTIR spectra indicated a shift in the bonding of functional groups in the flocs produced by Guar gum as compared to raw Guar gum powder signifying chemical attachment of the organics present in the effluent to the coagulant resulting in their removal. Guar gum is highly recommended as a substitute to chemical coagulant in treating POPs due to its non-toxic and biodegradable characteristics.
Rhodamine B (RhB) is among the toxic dyes due to the carcinogenic, neurotoxic effects and ability to cause several diseases for humans. The adsorption with agricultural waste adsorbent recorded high performance for the RhB removal. The current review aimed to explore the efficiency of different adsorbents which have been used in the few last years for removing RhB dye from wastewater. The data of adsorption of RhB using agricultural wastes were collected from the Scopus database in the period between 2015 and 2021. The use of agricultural wastes and adsorbents as a replacement for the activated has received high attention among researchers. The RhB removal methods by microbial enzymes and biomass occurred between 76 and 90.1%. In comparison, the adsorption with agricultural wastes such as activated carbon white sugar reached 98% within 12 min. The adsorption process has a wide range of pH (3-10) due to the zwitterionic forms of RhB. Gmelina aborea leaf activated carbon is among the agriculture wastes absorbents that exhibited 1000 mg g-1 of the adsorption capacity. It appeared that the agricultural wastes adsorbents have a high potential for removing RhB from the wastewater.
The recurrent environmental and economic issues associated with the diminution of fossil fuels are the main impetus towards the conversion of agriculture, aquaculture and shellfish biomass and the wastes into alternative commodities in a sustainable approach. In this review, the recent progress on recovering and processing these biomass and waste feedstocks to produce a variety of value-added products via various valorisation technologies, including hydrolysis, extraction, pyrolysis, and chemical modifications are presented, analysed, and discussed. These technologies have gained widespread attention among researchers, industrialists and decision makers alike to provide markets with bio-based chemicals and materials at viable prices, leading to less emissions of CO2 and sustainable management of these resources. In order to echo the thriving research, development and innovation, bioresources and biomass from various origins were reviewed including agro-industrial, herbaceous, aquaculture, shellfish bioresources and microorganisms that possess a high content of starch, cellulose, lignin, lipid and chitin. Additionally, a variety of technologies and processes enabling the conversion of such highly available bioresources is thoroughly analysed, with a special focus on recent studies on designing, optimising and even innovating new processes to produce biochemicals and biomaterials. Despite all these efforts, there is still a need to determine the more cost-effective and efficient technologies to produce bio-based commodities.
The ever-growing human population has resulted in the expansion of agricultural activity; evident by the deforestation of rainfoamrests as a means of acquiring fertile land for crops. The crops and fruits produced by such means should be utilized completely; however, there are still losses and under-exploitation of these produces which has resulted in wastes being mounted in landfills. These underutilized agricultural wastes including vegetables and fruits can serve as a potential source for biofuels and green diesel. This paper discusses the main routes (e.g., biological and thermochemical) for producing biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, bio-oil and green diesel from underutilized crops by emphasizing recent technological innovations for improving biofuels and green diesel yields. The future prospects of a successful production of biofuels and green diesel by this source are also explained. Underutilized lignocelluloses including fruits and vegetables serve as a prospective biofuel and green diesel generation source for the future prosperity of the biofuel industry.
Electronic waste has become a global concern, as it has been steadily increasing over the years. The lack of regulation and appropriate processing facilities has rendered these wastes an environmental hazard. However, they represent excellent alternative sources of precious metals, which are highly in demand in various industries. Adsorption has been a popular method for metal removal/recovery because of several advantages, such as ease of use and low cost. In this regard, it is crucial to develop an inexpensive and functionalized adsorbent to selectively adsorb precious metals. Thus, silica, which is derived from rice husk and is abundantly present in Indonesia, was functionalized using an ionic liquid (SiRH_Im) and used for Au(III) adsorption from a simulated mobile phone leach liquor. SiRH_Im exhibited a high adsorption capacity (232.5 mg g-1). The Au(III) adsorption kinetic suitably fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Au(III) adsorption followed a chemisorption route that suited the monolayer model. Thomas' and Yoon-Nelson's models were well suited for the continuous Au(III) behavior. Selective recovery of Au(III) from SiRH_Im was achieved via sequential desorption. SiRH_Im also showed excellent reusability, as indicated by a negligible decrease in adsorptive performance over three cycles. The functionalization of silica derived from rice husk using an ionic liquid led to the successful creation of a solid adsorbent with a high adsorption capacity toward precious metals present in a simulated leach solution. Our results highlight the benefit of the functionalization of biomass through the immobilization of an ionic liquid toward the enhancement of its adsorption capability.
The slow adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) has been attributed to the widespread gaps in farmers' knowledge of rational pest management. Other factors such as farmers' perception of high input use and promotion of pesticides also influence decisions to practise rational pest management. To bridge these gaps and improve farmers' pest management practices, most IPM implementation programmes rely on communication strategies. These communication approaches utilize either mass media or interpersonal channels or a combination. The choice of which communication approach to employ depends on project objectives and resources. Among extension and communication approaches used in crop protection, strategic extension campaigns, farmer field schools and farmer participatory research stand out in their ability to bring about significant changes in farmers' pest management practices. While extension campaigns have greater reach, farmer participation and experiential learning achieve more impact because learning effects are sustained. Communication media are important in raising awareness and creating a demand for IPM information but interpersonal channels and group methods such as the farmer field school and farmer participatory research are essential to accomplish the tasks of discovery and experiential learning of IPM skills.
Aichi Target 11 committed governments to protect ≥17% of their terrestrial environments by 2020, yet it was rarely achieved, raising questions about the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework goal to protect 30% by 2030. Asia is a challenging continent for such targets, combining high biodiversity with dense human populations. Here, we evaluated achievements in Asia against Aichi Target 11. We found that Asia was the most underperforming continent globally, with just 13.2% of terrestrial protected area (PA) coverage, averaging 14.1 ± SE 1.8% per country in 2020. 73.1% of terrestrial ecoregions had <17% representation and only 7% of PAs even had an assessment of management effectiveness. We found that a higher agricultural land in 2015 was associated with lower PA coverage today. Asian countries also showed a remarkably slow average annual pace of 0.4 ± SE 0.1% increase of PA extent. These combined lines of evidence suggest that the ambitious 2030 targets are unlikely to be achieved in Asia unless the PA coverage to increase 2.4-5.9 times faster. We provided three recommendations to support Asian countries to meet their post-2020 biodiversity targets: complete reporting and the wider adoption "other effective area-based conservation measures"; restoring disturbed landscapes; and bolstering transboundary PAs.
The common industrial starches are typically derived from cereals (corn, wheat, rice, sorghum), tubers (potato, sweet potato), roots (cassava), and legumes (mung bean, green pea). Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) starch is perhaps the only example of commercial starch derived from another source, the stem of palm (sago palm). Sago palm has the ability to thrive in the harsh swampy peat environment of certain areas. It is estimated that there are about 2 million ha of natural sago palm forests and about 0.14 million ha of planted sago palm at present, out of a total swamp area of about 20 million ha in Asia and the Pacific Region, most of which are under- or nonutilized. Growing in a suitable environment with organized farming practices, sago palm could have a yield potential of up to 25 tons of starch per hectare per year. Sago starch yield per unit area could be about 3 to 4 times higher than that of rice, corn, or wheat, and about 17 times higher than that of cassava. Compared to the common industrial starches, however, sago starch has been somewhat neglected and relatively less attention has been devoted to the sago palm and its starch. Nevertheless, a number of studies have been published covering various aspects of sago starch such as molecular structure, physicochemical and functional properties, chemical/physical modifications, and quality issues. This article is intended to piece together the accumulated knowledge and highlight some pertinent information related to sago palm and sago starch studies.
Southeast Asia is a biodiversity hotspot where the risk of extinction for many vertebrates is high (Duckworth et al. 2012) due to the loss and degradation of habitats resulting from burgeoning human populations and economies, expansion of agricultural development, and unsustainable harvest of wildlife and other natural resources (Sodhi et al. 2010). Important conservation challenges in the region, especially in the terrestrial and coastal realms, include reducing the loss and degradation of native vegetation and reducing the risk of species' extinction and extirpation. This will involve mitigating impacts of land-use change, reducing human-wildlife conflicts, improving management of protected areas, resolving land-tenure conflicts, increasing community engagement in in resource conservation, and ultimately developing proconservation behaviors in Asian societies as a whole. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.