Sustainable Crop Management & Improvement
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 Rafflesia
- Protein degradation pathway and low oxygen sensing
- Defence Mechanisms in Plants and Algae
- Rice transgenics
- Rice biofortification
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
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT group is involved in identification, monitoring, prevention and control of insect and pest populations in the field. It endeavors to identify targets of predators and beneficial insects and plants that may be utilized in the control of economical (agriculture, medical) and ecologically significant insect pest that may reduce or replace the use of pesticides. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) does this by utilizing a variety of methods and techniques, including cultural, biological and structural strategies to control a multitude of pest problems.
Members: Choong Chee Yen, Azman Sulaiman, Norela Sulaiman, Ng Yong Foo, Salmah Yaakop, Izfa Riza Hazmi, Nurul Wahida Othman, Johari Jalinas, Wee Suk Ling
Current Research:
- Digestive physiology in orthopteroid insects, phasmids, and insect pests, Rhynchorphorus ferrugineus & 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 of the defensive glands of stick insect (phasmid)
- Effect of WolFar (Wolbachia synthetic peptide) on red palm weevil immune system
- Ecological factors influence the Hymenoptera parasitoids in GAP and non-GAP system
- Effects of gamma Irradiationon on the biology, physiology and genetics of insects
- Effects of Food Source on Genetic and Fertilization Ability of Heterotrigona itama (COCKERELL) Towards Mass Rearing Programme
- Screening the Allelopathic activity of Cymbopogon 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
- Understanding the biology and use of insects in organic waste management
- Insect pollinators of Rafflesia and Bulbophyllum orchids and their interactions in pollination success
- Biology, physiology, ecology and behaviour manipulation of insect pests for agricultural pest control and management
- Chemical ecology and volatile organic chemical interactions of insects and host plants for control and management of insects and pests
- Insect diversity (Diptera) for ecosystem health
- Use of semiochemicals in insect population management and control
- Insect sense organs and nervous system (firefly, fall army worm, red palm weevil)
- Ultrastructure, regulations and protein profile of the salivary system of bagworm larvae, Metisa plana
PLANT MICROBE INTERACTIONS group Is focused on interactions between plants and either symbiotic or pathogenic microbes, co-ordinating studies on both plant and microbial partners. This research is performed using mostly rice model where it allow us to address key biological questions concerning the determinants which control pathogenic/symbiotic associations, the mechanisms of host infection, inter- and intra-organism signaling, developmental programs, regulation of gene expression and finally the mechanisms of metabolic adaptation. Bacterial and plant genome organization is also a theme that we are actively studying using both bioinformatic and genomic approaches where we aim to understanding evolutionary and adaptative processes, and in particular concerning host specificity and the relationship between mutualism and pathogenesis.
MEMBERS: Kalaivani Nadarajah, Norela Sulaiman, Johari Jalinas, Noraziyah Abd Aziz Shamsudin, Dr. Nurulhikma Md Isa
Current Research:
- 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 fung
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