Agriculture and Aquaculture Newsletter June 2012

7/31/2019 Agriculture and Aquaculture Newsletter June 2012

1/11

1

Issue 8 June 2012

Introduction

THE AGRI & AQUA CULTURING NEWSLETTER is prepared with the intention to provide the reader with information

about the agriculture and aquaculture industry in Malaysia, while gathering insights and information on industry

development and practices, as well as training opportunities offered by the Government and Private sector. TheNewsletter seeks to gather like-minded individuals who are willing to share ideas and experiences in the field.

If you have itchy fingers for writing articles about

Agriculture or Aquaculture, and wish to contribute

your knowledge and experiences, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer:

Reasonable care have been utilised in the preparation of the content and text of the Agri & Aqua Culturing Newsletter (henceforth referred as the

Newsletter). Notwithstanding this, due to constant changes and advancement in the agriculture and aquaculture industries, we are not able to ensure

the accuracy or reliability of the information provided in the Newsletter. For this reason, the reader is advised to undertake necessary due diligence on

the information before relying on the same for any purpose whatsoever. The publisher, key contributors, and related associates disclaim any and all

liability whatsoever and howsoever occasioned relating to the information provided in and content of, the Newsletter. We do not endorse any opinion,

advice or statement published in the Newsletter

Permissions and reprints: All rights reserved. Reproduction without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. To request permission to

republish in any form whatsoever, please contact:[email protected]

To Further Malaysias Agriculture & Aquaculture Industry

CONTENT OF THE JUNE 2012 ISSUE:

The Importance of Soil pH by KW Beh 2

Sugar Cane Planting by Johnny Lak 3

My Little Farm 7 by Raymond 4

My Diarrhea Cure by Rice Water

by Senny Ong 6

Aquaculture Part 6 by MJ Joel 7

Upcoming Events 10

So, the Bioeconomy Initiative Malaysia Lab Session has

ended.

What that means is that many new opportunities have

just become available for the bio-industry, which

includes agriculture. If the list of 42 projects released by

Agensi Innovasi Malaysia (AIM) is anything to go by,

there really are huge areas of opportunity for the

agriculture and aquaculture community to tap into!

Stay tuned for next few newsletters, as we delve further

into opportunities in the agriculture and aquaculture

industries!

FROM THE CULTIVATORS COUCH:
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/11

Issue 8 June 2012

2

The Importance of Soil pH

The soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity in

soils. pH is defined as the negative logarithm (base 10)of the activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in solution. It

ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. A pH below 7

is acidic and above 7 is basic. Soil pH is considered a

master variable in soils as it controls many chemical

processes that take place. It specifically affects plant

nutrient availability by controlling the chemical forms

of the nutrient. The optimum pH range for most plants

is between 6 and 7.5, however many plants have

adapted to thrive at pH values outside this range.

Nutrients and Their Classification

Nutrients needed in large amounts by plants are

referred to as macronutrients and include nitrogen (N),

phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca),

magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S). Elements that plants

need in trace amounts are called trace nutrients or

micronutrients. Trace nutrients are not major

components of plant tissue but are essential for

growth. They include iron, (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc(Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), and

boron (Bo). Both macronutrient and micronutrient

availability are affected by soil pH. In slightly to

moderately alkaline soils, molybdenum and

macronutrient (except for phosphorus) availability is

increased, but P, Fe, Mn, Zn Cu, and Co levels are

reduced and may adversely affect plant growth. In

acidic soils, micronutrient availability (except for Mo

and Bo) is increased. Nitrogen is supplied as

ammonium (NH4) or nitrate (NO3) in fertilizer

amendments, and dissolved N will have the highest

concentrations in soil with pH 6-8. Concentrations of

available N are less sensitive to pH than concentration

of available P. In order for P to be available for plants,

soil pH needs to be in the range 6.0 and 7.5. If pH is

lower than 6, P starts forming insoluble compounds

with iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al) and if pH is higher

than 7.5 P starts forming insoluble compounds with

calcium (Ca).

Most nutrient deficiencies can be avoided between a

pH range of 5.5 to 6.5, provided that soil minerals andorganic matter contain the essential nutrients to begin

with.

Nutrient availability in relation to soil pH

Article by KW Beh


3/11

Issue 8 June 2012

3

Sugar Cane Planting

In this article I will be talking about the Sugar Cane

planting and where in Negeri Sembilan is it

planted.

Area Size ofLand(ha)

TotalOutput(RM)

Averageper ha

Seremban 7.8 527,900 67,679Jelebu 36.62 1,182,948 32,303Rembau 6 37,540 6,257PortDickson

5.8 126,100 21,741

KualaPilah

17.8 418,740 23,525

Jempol 4 90,954 22,739Total 78.02 2,384,182 174,244

Sugar cane scientifically called Saccharum

officinarum is the worlds largest crop. This crop is

estimated to be planted on about 23.8 million

hectares in more than 90 countries harvest

amounting to 1.69 billion tons. The major

producers are Brazil, India, China, Thailand,

Pakistan and Mexico.

Sugar cane is planted using nodes taken from the

mother plant. Sugar Cane that are extracted for

their sugar properties are NCo 310, F156, Q172 &

Ragnar. While those for juicing are Tebu Kuning

& Tebu Telur

Tebu Kuning had segments that are long and big

while the Tebu Telur their segments are short. It is

estimated that to get 1.5L of Sugar Cane juice

from Tebu Telur you need 5kg of it.

There are 4 phases in sugar cane planting.

1. Sprouting from the nodes which will take

7-10 days and forming individual stalks

takes place in 30-35 days.

2. Formation of Shoots will take place 40-

120 days

3. Growth of the sugar cane will take place

from 120-210 days

4. Maturing by 210-270 days

Sugar cane grows well in tropical & sub-tropical

regions. Rainfall of between 1,100 1,500mm peryear is needed. Its grows well in weather of 21

34 C and it loves a lot of sunlights. Open area are

the best for them.

Planting distance recommended is 2m x 1m. 2m

between rows and 1m between plants. While the

planting size hole is 45cm (L) x 45cm (W) x 30cm

(Depth). With 5000 holes per hectare.

Fertilizer requirements are as follows :-

1) Liming 5 tonne per hectare

2) Basic Fertilization (This is to be done 7-10

days BEFORE planting)

Organic Matter Fertilizer 5 tons per hectare

Phosphate (TSP) 1 tons per hectare (200gm /

hole)

1) Day 30 Urea @ 20gm per hole

(100kg/ha)2) Day 60 12:12:17:TE @ 25gm per hole

(125kg/ha)

3) Day 90 12:12:17:TE @ 25gm per hole

(125kg/ha)

4) Day 120 12:12:17:TE @ 25gm per hole

(125kg/ha)

Harvesting is done 8-9 months later after planting

and you can expect to harvest 3 times within 2

years. The first harvest will get you about 30,000

stalks, while the second harvest will be 25,000

stalks and the last harvest will be 20,000 stalks.

Happy Farming.and my next month harvest will

be DURIAN SEASON..

Article by Johnny Lak


4/11

Issue 8 June 2012

4

My Little Farm 7

Lets take a break from plants and share with you a

Pressure Pump that we had just bought. Its a petrolengine driven piston pump. The engine side is basically

a 4 stroke 5.5 hp petrol engine with pull start. The

engine drives the pump via belt. Pump side is

crankcase pushing 3 pistons. The manifold connects to

a pressure gauge, pressure regulator and a pressure

stabilizer tank.

We are playing with it and found it to be useful. We

had tried it on herbicide, fertilizer, pumping water and

even high pressure car wash.

We are still thinking of ways to maximize the potential

of this pump like more uses, and reducing operatingcost. The mixing concentration has to be re-adjusted.

We are trying not to shift the spraying station as to

save on residue herbicide. We may try to add a mobile

liquid tank to the light truck. The frame was the first to

give way, during transportation on rough tracks. A little

welding and it is stronger now.

GPS

Use for locating your land, boundaries marker and

getting the attitude of your location. I have an

economy set that serves this purpose. With the co-

ordinates, we can super impose it on google map and

even check out the surrounding area. I find this gadget

to be very useful when checking out new potential

land. At times when you go back to the same spot, its

overgrown with shrubs. Do take note that sometimes,

the GPS dont work, especially in a deep ravine or

heavy forest. It cannot capture the signal and give you

false reading. A useful program is track log, activate iton the way in, and its navigate you on the way out. No

more getting lost, even at night.

Camera

My favorite most used gadget. I use a compact pocket

camera that I carry with me daily. I choose a compact

type for ease of carrying. This is my second set as the

previous one broke down, most probably due to the

dust and moisture. I use the camera to document myfarms progress. I take lots of pictures to seek for

advice. All these pictures, I transfer and store in my

computer.


5/11

Issue 8 June 2012

5

Mobile Phone

Ah, something we cant do without. Do make sure its

fully charged. For farm use, we need one that is robust.

Dirt, soil, moisture do pose a lot of challenge. For

remote farm, the blind spot shall be ravines or out of

coverage areas. When surveying new place, do keep

someone close informed as it may not be in a signal

covered area.

Truck

One thing I love about this is that we get to drive 4X4

most of the time. Our truck is a Toyota Hilux 4X4. I

belief its an 80s model and it rides on leaf springs

front & rear. This makes it very suitable for hardcore

off road. This is one of the very reliable truck. Ouroperation take us through tracks that are at times not

accessible. Steep incline, steep side angle, makes me

feel that it may topple over. There is just a couple of

shallow stream on the way to our farm, so no deep

water crossing experience.

Article by Raymond


6/11

Issue 8 June 2012

6

My Diarrhea Cure by Rice Water

I am here to share my own experienced of diarrhea.

This evening I got serious diarrhea, firstly I guess itmust be my digestive tract problem or due to excessive

consumption of coffee with empty stomach for the

whole day. After I recalled back what I had taken this

morning. Discovered that is the contaminated food I

took this morning in one coffee shop.

The sharp pain of my stomach really killing me, it

comes every 20 minutes so to find out whats the

cause of my diarrhea, I have watery bowel movements

every 10 minutes. Alternatively I am trying to stop thediarrhea by home remedies by self-healing method.

Partly it is in the middle of the night. if really worst

then I decide to search doctor consultation later.

But then to hold on my pain and quickly searching for

the home remedies from my kitchen, because I dare

not try any herbs due to empty stomach. Then I

remember I received one email from a friend long time

ago. There is one home remedies by Taking rice

water to stop the diarrhea.

This simple recipe is quite easy to prepare. I quickly

take a cup of brown rice and boil with 6 cups of water

for 15 minutes, add a little bit of salt. Pour off the rice

water only. Let it cool.

This is what I had taken in the picture.

Immediately after I took 2 cups of rice water and

surprisingly my diarrhea stop within an hour and less

pain.

Well, this is a real experience I had gone through with

rice water home remedy, what I am trying to share

with you all is Rice water for curing diarrhea" really

....really works wonders to me.

After all I keep taking more rice water or rice porridge

to replace back the fluid for my body.

Note: Diarrhea can be dangerous as it can cause loss of

fluid and dehydration. If your diarrheas still cannot cure

or serious diarrhea, please try to consult your doctor

instead of using home remedies if serious.

Article by Senny Ong

http://sennyong.blogspot.com

Disclaimer:

Most important is to understand what is right for your health condition, although herbs are safe for some people, if you wish to try it is advisable

for you to consult with your holistic health practitioner or doctor first. No matter what type of healing herbs or alternative healing method, we

still have to be careful in consumption, start off slowly and minimize it to prevent overdoses with it.
http://sennyong.blogspot.com/http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pnWNHWmLR6k/Sorat--INsI/AAAAAAAAAaY/5pG4S1bJqcU/s1600-h/rice_water.gifhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pnWNHWmLR6k/Sorat--INsI/AAAAAAAAAaY/5pG4S1bJqcU/s1600-h/rice_water.gifhttp://sennyong.blogspot.com/


7/11

Issue 8 June 2012

7

Aquaculture Part 6: Marine Fish for Pond Culture

Last month we covered freshwater fish species for

pond culture. The following is specific information on

some of the more popular marine pond fish species.

Do note that marine pond culture means just that:

marine species being cultured in earthen ponds, and

not cages or pens.

MULLET

There are more than 80 species of mullet in the world,

which are commonly found in coastal temperate and

tropical waters. Some species even occur in

freshwater. Mullets regularly feed on detritus and

zooplankton, and are considered a sustainable fish for

farming. The most commonly found species in Asia are

the striped mullet, flathead mullet, and grey mullet.

The whole egg-sacs from these fish are commonly

preserved in Taiwan through sun-drying and soldworldwide as a popular appetizer and beer snack.

Mullet can grow to huge sizes, ranging between 30cm

to above 1.2m in length, and up to 4kg in weight. They

have good flesh, and are a popular food fish wherever

they occur.

ASIAN SEABASS

Also known as barramundi in Australia and sea perch

elsewhere, the Asian seabass is one of the most

popular and affordable marine food fish around. It is

also one of the most common pond cultured marine

fish species, with Southeast Asia and Australia being

the top producers of the fish. Asian seabass, like many

brackish water fish species, are capable of being

adapted to freshwater ponds and intensive cultures,making this species a very ideal aquaculture species.

Domesticated forms can be easily raised on pelleted

feed.

GROUPERS

One of the most popular food fish in Asia, groupers are

one of the most prized aquaculture species. However,

most groupers have very strict water parameter

requirements, and need highly oxygenated water.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Panther.grouper.arp.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Panther.grouper.arp.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Panther.grouper.arp.jpg


8/11

Issue 8 June 2012

8

Hence, most grouper cultures take place on floating

rafts in pristine coastal waters, where water exchange

is very high.

Of all the groupers cultured, the humpback grouper

stands out the most, due to its tolerance towards

water parameters and culture requirements. Indeed,

humpback groupers, also known as panther groupers,

are regularly caught near estuaries and river mouths by

anglers. The humpback grouper is also known for it

very fast growth rate, easily reaching market sizes

within 8-12 months, compared to 16-18 months

experienced with most other grouper species.

MANGROVE SNAPPER

Mangrove snappers are another popular food fish that

is regularly culture in earthen ponds. Although a

brackish water fish, mangrove snappers cannot live in

pure freshwater for long periods at a time. Typically, a

greyish-red with bronze to olive green sheen on its

back, the mangrove snapper is one of the most

appealing looking pond cultured fish. However,

extreme care needs to be taken when handling this

fish, as it has formidable fangs capable of inflicting

serious wounds.

Most mangrove snappers are farmed to around 700g in

weights, although they can typically grow to 3kg or

more in ponds. In the wild, mangrove snappers have

been found to weight up to 13kg or more.

Although a very good tasting and marketable fish,

mangrove snappers are very slow growers, putting on

as little as a few hundred grams a year. It often takes

18-24 months of on-growing before the fish reaches

marketable weights.

PANAEID SHRIMPS

Panaeid shrimps are the worlds most cultured and

harvested family of marine shrimps. Many

economically important species of shrimp fall under

the panaeid shrimp family, including tiger prawns,

white shrimp, banana prawns, Kuruma shrimps, pink

shrimp, brown shrimp, etc. Asia is the worlds largest

producer of marine shrimp, and demand continues to

rise despite challenging economic conditions

worldwide. Prices for panaeid shrimps have also been

increasing in tandem, in part due to the repercussions

of diseases such as white spot impacting shrimp farms

in Asia. Nonetheless, with proper aquaculture

practices, marine shrimp farming can become asustainable and highly profitable business.

Potential new aquaculture species

Craving for something different? Consider the

following species as a potential aquaculture species:

BLOWFISH

Wait a minute Blowfish?! Arent they deadly???

Well, yes and no. Most blowfish (also known as

pufferfish) are poisonous, but some are perfectly fine

for eating. That saying, dont go out buying pufferfish

for dinner tonight, expecting all to be well.

Only a very few species of pufferfish can be eaten

without much worry. One of them is the Long Island

(US) blowfish, as seen in the picture below.


9/11

Issue 8 June 2012

9

Residents on Long Island have been including blowfish

tails in their daily diet for many generations, simply

because they are so abundant. Those who do consume

blowfish tails comment that it taste somewhat like

two jumbo shrimps fused onto a piece of bone.

What blowfish tails look like:

(Ctrl+Click on photo to reach original document)

Blowfish, while alive:

A CLOSING NOTE ON MARINE FISH

With the exception of the blowfish, all these fish are

heavily cultured in fish ponds around the world.

However, as stated before, they are not the only fish

which can be grown in ponds. In every area there are a

number of fish in natural waters that could be grown in

fish ponds. So it might be a good idea to work around

whats available. Or better still, engage your local

Department of Fisheries for the best results.

Article by MJ Joel
http://www.playingwithfireandwater.com/.a/6a00e54fcc29da88340153908d0c9e970b-pihttp://www.playingwithfireandwater.com/.a/6a00e54fcc29da88340153908d0c9e970b-pi


10/11


11/11

Issue 8 June 2012

13

Contact Point:

For more details about what we do, please refer to the Lowyat Forum Thread: Venturing into Agriculture& Aquaculture

For further information or clarification please contact us [email protected]

Meet Our Team!

MJ Joel

What do you get when you cross a potato with corn? That s thesort of questions this bookworm and plant breeder seeks to

answer. And its definitely not what you think it is, dirty fellow!

Mr Farmer @ Raymond

Agriculture entrepreneur and passionate about living life with asense of purpose, our friend owns a farm in Keningau over at the

Land Beneath the Wind, Sabah.

Senny Ong

Our resident Chinese Herbal Specialist with a passion for the

bitter stuff. Enjoys helping people seek a healthier path in

everyday life. Now say with her: Bitter herbs are our friends

Johnny Lak

Businessman. Innovator. Activist. But not necessarily in that

order. Keen entrepreneurial skills, and a great passion towards

agriculture and knowledge. Operates farms in Pajam and Mantin.

KW Beh

Fertility, fertility, fertility. Thats what our UPM Grad constantly

has on his mind while working for Twin Arrows Fertilizer. Want to

improve crop production? Look him up for the solutions!
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlhttp://www.deshow.net/flowers/2009/Green_leaves_344.htmlmailto:[email protected]

Agriculture and Aquaculture Newsletter June 2012

Documents

Transcript of Agriculture and Aquaculture Newsletter June 2012