In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp.) to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixture of biochar and compost increased total phosphorus, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions (soluble inorganic phosphorus, aluminium bound inorganic phosphorus, iron bound inorganic phosphorus, redundant soluble inorganic phosphorus, and calcium bound phosphorus), and organic phosphorus. This was possible because the organic amendments increased soil pH and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminium, and exchangeable iron. The findings suggest that the organic amendments altered soil chemical properties in a way that enhanced the availability of phosphorus in this study. The amendments effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus, thus rendering phosphorus available by keeping the inorganic phosphorus in a bioavailable labile phosphorus pool for a longer period compared with application of Triple Superphosphate without organic amendments.

The rehabilitation or intensified use of lmperata grasslands will require a much better understanding of their area, distribution, and characteristics. We generated estimates of the area of Imperata grasslands in tropical Asia, and suggested a typology of Imperata grasslands that may be useful to define the pathways toward appropriate land use intensification. We conclude that the area of lmperata grasslands in Asia is about 35 million ha. This is about 4% of the total land area. The countries with the largest area of Imperata grasslands are Indonesia (8.5 million ha) and India (8.0 million ha). Those with the largest proportion of their surface area covered with Imperata are Sri Lanka (23%), the Philippines (17%), and Vietnam (9%). Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh evidently all have similar proportions of their land area infested with lmperata (about 3 to 4%). Malaysia (< 1%), Cambodia (1%), and the southern part of China (2%) have but a minor proportion of their total land area in lmperata. The species was found widely distributed on the full range of soil orders. It occupied both fertile (e.g. some of the Inceptisols and Andisols) and infertile soils (Ultisols and Oxisols) across a wide range of climates and elevations, lmperata lands fall into four mapping scale-related categories: Megagrasslands, macro-grasslands, meso-grasslands, and micro-grasslands. The mega-grasslands are often referred to as 'sheet lmperata'. They are the large contiguous areas of Imperata that would appear on small-scale maps of say 1:1,000,000. We propose that this basic typology be supplemented with a number of additional components that have a key influence on intensification pathways: land quality, market access, and the source of power for tillage. The typology was applied in a case study of Indonesian villages in the vicinity of lmperata grasslands. We propose an international initiative to map and derive a more complete and uniform picture of the area of the Imperata grasslands. This should include selected studies to understand conditions at the local level. These are critical to build the appreciation of change agents for the indigenous systems of resource exploitation, and how they relate to local needs, values, and constraints.

Earthworms extract showed effective inhibition of tyrosinase, elastase and MMP-1 activities. Therefore, this experiment further rationalizes the traditional use of this worm extracts which may be useful as an anti-wrinkle agent.

Application of urea in lowland rice fields leads to ammonia (NH3) volatilization and environmental pollution, and diminishes nitrogen recovery by rice (Oryza sativa L.). Amending urea with biochar could reduce NH3 loss from urea as well as improve chemical properties of acid soils. An incubation study was conducted using a closed-dynamic air flow system to determine NH3 volatilization from urea and chemical properties of an acid soil (Typic Paleudults). The soil was mixed with three rates of chicken litter biochar (20, 40, and 60 g pot−1) and 1.31 g urea. Mixing an acid soil with biochar (60 g pot−1) in waterlogged to stimulate conditions in paddy condition significantly reduced NH3 loss and total titratable acidity. Biochar application also increased soil pH, total nitrogen, available nitrate, organic matter, total organic carbon, total carbon, available phosphorus, and exchangeable cations. Thus, chicken litter biochar can be used to reduce urea-N loss and ameliorate chemical properties of acid soils. This aspect is being embarked on in our on-going field experiments.

The high costs of nitrogen fertilizers have necessitated best-developed practices to optimize nitrogen fertilizers use whilst minimizing nitrate losses. Ammonium adsorption inhibits loss of nitrogen in the form of nitrate thereby increasing nitrogen availability for crops. Due to the negatively charged properties of nitrate, it moves freely in the soil solution and not adsorbed onto soil particle surfaces. In this study, clinoptilolite zeolite was used in soil leachingand ammonium adsorption and desorption studies to determine: (i) soil total nitrogen availability, exchangeable ammonium, and available nitrate, and (ii) the capacity of clinoptilolite zeolite to adsorb and desorb ammonium from different rates of urea. Different rates of urea amended with clinoptilolite zeolite significantly reduced ammonium and nitrate release from urea compared with urea alone. Clinoptilolite zeolite enhanced retention of soil total nitrogen, exchangeable ammonium, and available nitrate due to the high cation exchange capacity of the mineral to adsorb ammonium, thus, improving nitrogen availability through temporary retention on the exchange sites of the clinoptilolite zeolite. The availability of nitrogen can be enhanced if urea is amended with clinoptilolite zeolite.

This study was conducted to determine the LD 50 and effect of gamma ray on germination percentage, plant height, survival percentage, root length, root dry weight and shoot dry weight of seedlings derived from seeds of long bean (Vigna sesquipedalis). Seeds of this crop were treated with 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800 Gy gamma rays at Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology (MINT). The treated seeds including control were sown in sand beds in size 4.6 x 0.7 m 2 in a greenhouse at Horticulture Unit, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB). After germination, plants were transferred into polybags. Each polybag contained 1.2 kg blended growth medium with top soil, sand, and processed chicken dung ratio of 3:2:1. Standard procedures were used to observe and record the variables studied in this research. The experiment was designed as a 4 x 6 factorial Completely Randomized Design with 3 replications. Lethal dose 50 % of population (LD 50 ) was assayed. The study revealed that germination percentage, plant height, survival percentage, root length, root dry weight and shoot dry weight decreased with increasing dose of gamma ray. The 800 Gy gamma ray dose in particular had a pronounced effect on these morphological characteristics probably because of injury it might have caused to the seeds of the long bean. As a result, poor growth and development was noticed. The LD 50 for survival and height ranged between 600-800 Gy and 400-500 Gy, respectively. Generally, higher gamma ray doses particularly 800 Gy significantly affected the morphological characteristics of long bean seedlings obtained from irradiated seeds.

Tropical soils such as Ultisols fix phosphorus (P) because of their characteristically high contents of aluminium and iron. Organic amendments could be used to mitigate P fixation. This study aimed to: i) improve soil P availability, nutrients uptake, and yield of Zea mays L. using biochar and pineapple leaf residues compost; and ii) determine if the use of biochar and pineapple leaf residues compost could exert a residual effect on P. Two cycles of field trials were carried out and the test crop used was Zea mays L. hybrid F1. At harvest, the plants were harvested, partitioned into leaves and stems, and analysed. Soil samples were also collected and analysed. The results suggest that the soil total P, available P, inorganic P, and organic P recovered from the treatments with the organic amendments were higher compared with the nonorganic amendments. The availability of soil macro-nutrients in the soils and Zea mays L. yield were higher in the treatments with the organic amendments in the first and second field trials. Amending chemical fertilisers with organic amendments have a larger residual effect than chemical fertilisers only and can be used to ameliorate P fixation of acid soils to improve maize production on acid soils.

Leaf hairs may assist in maintaining high leaf water use efficiency in tropical secondary forest tree species. We compared leaf temperature, transpiration, photosynthesis and water use efficiency between hairy and depilated leaves in Mallotus macrostachyus (Euphorbiaceae), to determine the role of leaf hair in leaf water use efficiency (WUE) in tropical degraded secondary forest in Malaysia. Measurements were made on five mature individuals growing in sun-exposed conditions and five in shaded conditions. The hair dry weight per unit leaf area was significantly greater in sun leaves than in shade leaves. The transpiration rate (Tr max ) of depilated leaves in sunexposed conditions was slightly higher than in hairy leaves in both morning and afternoon measurements. In contrast, Tr max in the shade leaves was almost identical in hairy and depilated leaves. Leaf stomatal conductance (g s ) in the morning showed almost the same value among leaf types and light conditions. In the afternoon, g s slightly decreased from the morning values in both sun and shade conditions. In the morning, the leaf water use efficiency (A max /Tr max ) in both conditions did not differ significantly between hairy and depilated leaves. However, in the afternoon, WUE in the depilated leaves was significantly lower than in hairy leaves in sun-exposed conditions. These observations suggest that leaf hairs in M. macrostachyus contribute to the high leaf water use efficiency in drought conditions, such as high vapor pressure deficit experienced at midday in degraded tropical secondary forests.