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The food security is a very vital issue in the world and closely related to the rice industry in Malaysia. In 2008, Malaysia and other countries worldwide suffered a devastating food crisis because rice exporting countries experienced widespread natural disasters caused by flooding that destroyed paddy fields. Such incidents demonstrated the importance of enhancing food security seriously. To tackle this issue, Malaysian government had taken drastic action to boost the country's rice production through a new incentive scheme. The objectives of this study were to assess the private and economic profitability of four major granary areas in the East and West coast of Peninsular Malaysia in 2012/2013 production season using a Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM). Based on the analysis, Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) recorded the highest private profit while Ketara Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA KETARA) recorded the highest economic profit. Analysis of comparative advantage based on Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) and Social Cost Benefit (SCB) indicators showed that all areas have comparative advantage and IADA KETARA recorded the highest value. The results also showed clearly that the DRC values were higher after the new paddy incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing world demand for mushrooms as their culinary uses and nutritional benefits become more widely known. The grey oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) is an edible mushroom commercially cultivated in Malaysia. In this study, the effects of high sound intensity, bright light, low temperature (5°C) and electrical shock on the growth, yield and physico-chemical properties of the mushroom was investigated. The results showed that mushroom cultures treated with bright light, high sound intensity and cold temperature produced spawn more rapidly, requiring a shorter time for the mycelium to fill up the substrate bag as compared with the control. An electric shock was observed to be the most effective treatment that promoted the earliest emergence of pinheads and formation of fruiting bodies. Besides, mushroom treated with electrical shock treatment showed higher yield which was twice more compared to control. For the color of the mushroom, cold treatment showed the lightest color with the highest yellow intensity (b* value) compared to other treatments, whilst mushroom without any physical treatment had the highest red intensity (a* value). Different physical treatments applied did not show any significant effect on texture, moisture, ash, protein and crude fiber contents. In conclusion, among all the physical treatments, electrical shock was the best treatment as it took a shorter spawning time with the greatest yield of mushroom production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.) have more than 1000 species worldwide such as grey (Pleurotus sajor-caju), yellow (P. citrinopealatus), pink (P. flabellatus) and white (P. florida) which are cultivated on various agricultural wastes. In this study, the growth performance, yield and postharvest quality of different species of oyster mushroom cultivated on sawdust and oil palm frond (OPF) were determined. Sawdust and OPF in combination with rice bran and calcium carbonate in 100:10:1 ratio respectively was used as substrates. The growth performance in terms of mycelium growth, days for mycelium to fill up the bag, pinhead emergence and fruiting body formation were measured. The postharvest qualities studied involved color, texture, moisture, ash, protein and crude fiber contents. Yellow oyster mushroom on OPF took the shortest time for mycelium growth, mycelium fill up the bag, pinhead emergence and fruiting body formation. However, oyster mushrooms cultivated on sawdust had higher biological efficiency (29.34 to 60.76%) as compared to on OPF (21.49 to 45.08%). White oyster mushroom had the highest biological efficiency followed by yellow, grey and pink. Meanwhile, grey oyster mushroom showed darker color compared to other oyster mushroom species. OPF used as substrates provide brighter yellow and pink color in yellow and pink oyster mushrooms respectively and greater in firmness especially for pink oyster mushroom. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) found in chemical properties of different oyster mushroom species cultivated on sawdust and OPF. In conclusion, oyster mushrooms cultivated on sawdust produced better yield even though OPF gave better growth performance and physical properties of color and firmness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bagworm (Metisa plana) is an ubiquitous pest in oil palm plantations. Seven insecticides were evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling M. plana using a leaf dip bioassay. The evaluation assessed the speeds of action, susceptibility of different instars, ovicide and ovi-larvicide activity of chlorantraniliprole. The lowest LC50 (0.25ppm) was found with chlorantraniliprole and trichlorfon, followed by thiamethoxam with 0.70 ppm indoxacarb with 0.72 ppm, cypermethrin with 0.90 ppm, and for monocrotophos with 15.03 ppm. The highest LC50 ( 18.58 ppm) was found for Bacillus thuringiensis, which was approximately 74 times larger than trichlorfon and chlorantraniliprole. Meanwhile, the speed of action of these insecticides on M. plana larvae was also found to differ. Trichlorfon (1900.0 ppm), chlorantraniliprole (50.0 ppm) and cypermethrin (75.0 ppm) were among the three fastest acting insecticides evaluated, with respective LT50 values of 12.66, 17.04 and 28.63 minutes and larval mortality of 19.91,47.27 and 53.06 minutes after exposure to the chemicals. Bacillus thuringiensis (324.0ppm) was the slowest acting insecticide, requiring more than 2000 minutes to kill 50% of M. plana larvae. The first three instars of M. plana larvae were very susceptible to chlorantraniliprole, with LC50 below 1 ppm, as compared to LC50 of 1.91ppm and 9.62ppm for the 4th and 5th instar larvae. Chlorantraniliprole had low to moderate ovicidal effects on M. plana, which caused egg mortality to range from 27.50% to 72.50% but it was shown to be highly toxic on the neonates emerging from the eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]