In order to achieve the initial target for the period 2012-2020, planting activity must be intensified to 78,900 ha year -1 . The main species used in the plantation program is Acacia mangium Willd. Even though numerous studies have examined the growth and biomass production of different tree species in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, including A. mangium, information on these attributes is still very scarce in Sarawak. Furthermore, reports on the performance of tree species planted at an industrial scale are very limited in Sarawak.Acacia mangium is a fast-growing nitrogen fixer. It is an attractive species for plantation establishment because it grows satisfactorily even in unproductive sites. Average increment in diameter at breast height (d) could reach 3-4 cm year -1 on good sites (Awang and Taylor, 1993). The wood is suitable for many uses such as pulp and paper, particle board, woodchips, sawn timber, veneer, and plywood, as well as firewood (Lemmens et al., 1995).Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and is located on the island of Borneo. Most plantations in Sarawak were established in the central lowland region, which comprises elevated wave-cut platforms developed over sedimentary rocks. The Red-Yellow Podzolic soils are low in fertility and water-holding capacity. These limitations

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Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren is capable of feeding on living trees. This ability is attributed to their effective digestive system that is furnished by the termite's own cellulolytic enzymes and cooperative enzymes produced by their gut microbes. In this study, the identity of an array of diverse microbes residing in the gut of C. curvignathus was revealed by sequencing the near-full-length 16S rRNA genes. A total of 154 bacterial phylotypes were found. The Bacteroidetes was the most abundant phylum and accounted for about 65% of the gut microbial profile. This is followed by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Spirochetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, Deferribacteres, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Termite Group 1. Based on the phylogenetic study, this symbiosis can be a result of long coevolution of gut enterotypes with the phylogenic distribution, strong selection pressure in the gut, and other speculative pressures that determine bacterial biome to follow. The phylogenetic distribution of cloned rRNA genes in the bacterial domain that was considerably different from other termite reflects the strong selection pressures in the gut where a proportional composition of gut microbiome of C. curvignathus has established. The selection pressures could be linked to the unique diet preference of C. curvignathus that profoundly feeds on living trees. The delicate gut microbiome composition may provide available nutrients to the host as well as potential protection against opportunistic pathogen.

An outbreak of food poisoning in which 105 persons from various parts of Singapore were affected was traced to one type of green leafy vegetable (Brassica alboglabra) that had been imported. The clinical symptoms were generally mild and the incubation period short (median 2.5 h). The etiology was confirmed when excessive levels of two organophosphorus pesticides--methamidophos (Tamaron/Monitor; 2.4 ppm-31.7 ppm) and profenofos (Selecron/Curacron; 1.1 ppm-5.4 ppm) were detected in the implicated food, and blood cholinesterase levels of the hospitalized patients were depressed by 26.1%-81.4% based on the lower limit of the reference range. All consignments of the implicated vegetables were immediately sealed and destroyed. Monitoring of imported vegetables for excessive pesticide residues has been enhanced.

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