Pengurusan dan Penambahbaikan Tanaman Lestari

We are a group of researchers who primarily are experts in plant biology and physiology, breeding, stress management, integrated pest management, disease control and surveillance. The team utilizes its expertise in: (a) generating high yielding resistant varieties adapted to environment; (b) improved disease and pests management to reduce field losses; (c) efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate appropriate natural biological cycles and controls; (d) reduce negative imprint to environmental through improved farm practices; (e) sustain economic viability of farm operations; and (f) enhances the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
Objectives:
i. To bridge sustainable crop production with fair economic competitiveness.
ii. To establish innovative tools and capacities to optimize external inputs for high yield productivity
Aim:
To accelerate research into continuous natural resource improvement, better agronomic practices and optimized use of inputs for higher farm productivity.
Crop Management and Improvement
- To understand the interactions between plants and environmental factors (climate change, planting systems and other organisms) in a given ecosystem.
- To understand the mechanisms of plant response to climate change at anatomical, morphological, physiological and molecular levels.
- To produce high yielding plants with resistance to abiotic (drought, flood, salinity),biotic (pests and diseases) stresses, improved secondary metabolite production and other traits that are of agronomic importance.
- In silico mapping of metaQTLs related to biotic and abiotic stresses
- Breeding for high yielding, high quality, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants (conventional breeding, molecular breeding, mutational breeding)
- QTLs mapping and genome wide association mappings (GWAS) of abiotic stress-tolerance traits in rice and vegetables
- Acacia genomics, Jatropha Genomics, Genetic diversity of Shorea and Musa species
- Plants responses and signalling in biotic and abiotic stresses
- Regulation of the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in plants
- Carbon metabolism in parasitic plants
- Protein degradation pathway and low oxygen sensing
- Defense Mechanisms in Plants and Algae
- Rice transgenics
Insect, Pest and Disease Management
- To identify pests and disease of ecological, economical and medical importance
- To understand the underlying interactions and mechanisms between insects, pest and microorganisms with hosts in management of natural resources
- To develop strategic plans for management of ecological, economical and medical important insects, pest and disease
- To become a regional reference for insect studies (CIS)
- To improve the visibility of the pest and disease group for work done in agricultural sciences
- Digestive physiology in orthopteroid insects, phasmids and insect pest, Elaeidobius kamerunicus & Metisa plana
- Effect of commercial insecticides against the oil palm pollinator, Elaeidobius kamerunicus
- Sublethal effect of farnesyl derivative against oil palm pest, Metisa plana
- Characterization of Wolbachia on Oil Palm Pollinating Weevil
- Characterization on the defensive glands of stick insect (phasmid)
- Effect of Wolfar (Wolbachia synthetic peptide) on red palm weevil immune system
- Ecological factor influence the Hymenoptera parasitoids in GAP and non-GAP system
- Effect on biology, physiology and genetic on gamma Irradiation on insects
- Effect of Food Source on Genetic and Fertilization Ability of Hetrotrigona itama (COCKERELL) Towards Mass Rearing Programme
- Screening the Allelopathic activity of Cymbogon nardus and Tridax procumbens to suppress the weedy rice and weeds growth
- Weeds resistance management
- Understanding the influence of predatory insects diversity in the rice field and its surrounding ecosystems
- Acoustic study on pest species
- Effect of Submergence and Drought on Soil Microbial Communities in Two Farming Environments
- Functional Characterization of Chitin Receptor Molecules Involved in the Induction of the Plant Immune System
- Identification and Expression Profiling of MicroRNAs in Compatible and Incompatible Rhizoctonia solani - Oryza sativa Interactions
- Understanding the Influence of Transposable Elements on Genome Evolution In Three Rice Pathogens
- Durable resistance against rice pathogens
- Entomopathogenic fungi
Biodiversity and Systematics in Agriculture
- Morphometric comparison of the Oil Palm Pollinator Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Liberia.
- Morphometric assessment of the Red Stripe Weevils, Rhynchophorus vulneratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from several localities in Malaysia.
- Taxonomic Study on Selected Species of Stingless Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) In Peninsular Malaysia
- Diversity and distribution of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in agricultural lands such as oil palm plantation and rice field.
- Integrative taxonomy and systematics of fruit fly pests (Tephritidae)
- DNA Barcoding on insect storage pests, agricultural pests and beneficial insects.
- Soil microbial diversity
- Taxonomic study on rice thrips (Thysanoptera) from the Peninsular Malaysia