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(An official Newsletter of Faculty of Agro Industry and Natural Resources)

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Potential for CultivatingJatropha as

Biofuel Plant

1

UMKs Promotion to Matriculation

Colleges

2

Pre-Science Preparatory Programme 2

New Staff

Academic Events 3

Rafflesia of Lojing Highlands: Call

for Conservation!

4

Knowledge Enrichment Seminar 5

Dean List Ceremony 2008/2009 6

Deans Meeting with Students 6

Soil Survey Field Trip 7

Soil Laboratory Analysis at DOA

Kelantan

7

Students News 8

Next Issue

FASAFASA INFOL INKINFOL INK J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9V O L U M E 4 I S S U E 1

P A G E 1

In our continuing programme

on learning enrichment forstudents of agro industry andnatural resources, the Facultyheld the second in its series ofentrepreneurial talks on 7 Feb-ruary, 2009. While the first in

October 2008 covered naturalresources specifically on bio-

diversity and conservationeloquently delivered by WWFMalaysia, this time around thetopic chosen was related more

to agro industry particularly onthe potential ofJatropha as

biofuel crop.

The physic nut, Jatropha cur-cas (L.) has been invariablydescribed as the Next Fron-tier Bioenergy Industry or

even as the Miracle Crop.

Jat-

ropha as abiofuel crop

has severaladvantagessuch as be-ing non-edible oil; being hardy

and easy to

grow evenon marginaland de-graded

soils; purportedly resistant to pests and diseases; and as anindustrial crop that contributes

to socio-economic wellbeingof the rural populace by creat-ing jobs and income via itsmultifarious economic activi-ties. In some countries, itmeets the rural needs of en-

ergy. However, despite theeuphoria surrounding it, onehas sobering concerns withregards to the lack of knowl-edge on the technical know-how on the

crop. This isessentially dueto the fact theJatropha, al-though has long been endemicto this country,

has not beenfully domesti-cated to realizeits full potential

or otherwise. Essentially, itsagronomic performance andeconomic feasibility has not

been ascertained and there arealso specific issues pertainingto labor requirements espe-cially for harvesting and main-tenance. Although there arenumerous foreign information

sources on these aspects, thesehave to be verified under localconditions.

Against the backdrop of com-mercially-driven interests, thekey question raised was - howmuch of these information are

factual? In this context, bridg-ing the gaps in information is amajor endeavor. Dr Sivapra-gasam from the Rice and In-dustrial Crops Centre, MARDI

spoke at length on Potential for cultivating Jatropha curcasin Malaysia and its uses as

biofuel: Recent advances.Continue on page 2

POTENTIAL FOR CULTIVATING Jatropha curcasIN MALAYSIA AND ITS USES AS BIOFUEL:RECENT ADVANCESDr A. Sivapragasam, Rice and Industr ial Crops Center, MARDI

A talk delivered at the CeramahBiokeusahawanan Siri ke2

www.umk.edu.my

From The Chief Editors Desk

The issue of unemployed graduates has been dis-cussed ad nauseam by all concerned parties. Some

argued that today's graduates lack the necessary

skills such as in communication and good personalimage. In two years time, the first batch of students

will graduate from UMK. Will they face the same

predicament? Will the students be ready to face thechallenges of a highly competitive and globalised job

market?

Various activities have been organized by the

Faculty in order to address this issue. Activities such

as Students in Enterprise Programme (SIEP), Bio-

entrepreneurial Talks and Learning EnhancementProgramme are designed to add values to the overall

learning experience of the students. The Faculty also

welcome suggestions and proposals from students onways to enhance the programmes/activities further.

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PROMOTION OF UMKS COURSES AND PROGRAMMES TO MATRICULATION STUDENTS

P A G E 2

By Marinah MuhammadTwo academic staffs of FASA Ms.

Marinah Muhammad and Mr. ZakiMohd Yusoff together with our photog-

rapher Mr. Abdul Khaliq Zakaria was atKolej Matrikulasi Perlis, Arau and KolejMatrikulasi Pulau Pinang, Kepala Batas

on 30and 31 January 2009, to promote

FASA as well as UMK. This was thefirst promotion exercise organized by

the Faculty. Ms Marinah representingFASA delivered an hour-long briefingon the thrust of University as a wholeand also those courses offered by theFaculty to about 200 matriculation sci-

ence students. The response from thesestudents were very encouraging based

on the questions and answers session that followed. These ranged from questions on the universityitself but particularly on courses offered and the seven programmes made available. Of course many

more were interested on the job prospects for students who graduate from UMK.

A similar visit was made to another college, Kolej Matrikulasi Pahang, Gambang on 2 February to-

gether with Ms Asanah Radhi where about 100 students benefited from the promotion exercise. Twomore colleges were targeted, viz. Kolej Matrikulasi Kedah and Kolej MARA Kulim on 21 and 22 Feb-

ruary and Ms. Nor Anida Yusoff in tow to assist.

As with all the colleges that we visited we found that the students were receptive, gained insight into

what the role, mission and vision of UMK is and in particular what FASA could offer them for theirtertiary education.

By Aweng Eh Rak

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)has started a good move towards pre-

paring students to be enrolled in themain degree programme offered by the

university for the next intake in July2009. On 3 January 2009 a total 31 ofstudents selected from the Program

Wawasan UMK-KPM-KPTM heldearlier from 15 to 22December 2008

registered for the one-semester Pre-Science preparatory programme. The

students are from the states of the EastCoast Economic Region (ECER), viz.

Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and

Johor comprising 18 male and 13 fe-male students. The students are each

paid an allowance of RM 150.00 per month for their stay on the campus for the duration of six monthsthey would be here.

In the first two months (January & February), they are taught English Language I, Japanese Language I,Basic Management and Co-Curriculum I followed by the next two months in March and April withcourses on English Language II, Japanese Language II, Basic Management, Basic Entrepreneurial and

Co-Curriculum I. During the last two months (May and June), they will be exposed to English for Sci-ences, Japanese Language III, Basic Entrepreneurial and Co-Curriculum II. For the one full semester

they would have covered in all 5 core subjects.Those students who obtained a full certificate from their 2008 STPM Examination will be offered a

place for their degree programme in UMK.

A pep talk and dialogue session between the Dean and the students was held on 23 February 2009. Thepurpose was to gauge how the students were fairing in their studies, find out about their welfare andthose problems related to their course and stay on the campus. The students were also advised to give

full attention to their studies and not to assume their six month stint here as a honeymoon period. Healso encouraged all of them, those that get through with their STPM Exam, to continue for their degree

program at UMK this coming academic year and those who are not fortunate enough should considerthe six months they spent here as training ground for them to venture into something productive in theoutside world.

PRE-SCIENCE PREPARATORY PROGRAMME

Continued from page 1.

A good 90-minutes of the presentation cov-

ered the current research initiatives under-taken at MARDI for Jatropha along the

production value chain and shared experi-ences on the various agronomic and man-agement aspects on the crop. These in-

cluded: (i) the evaluation of selected acces-sions ofJatropha based on yield and oil

content; (ii) examining the effect of soil and

light requirements; (iii) the influence ofcultural factors such as topping, and densityon yield, harvesting and mechanization and

(iv) the impact of pests and diseases.

He concluded his talk by underscoring the

future scenario and pertinent needs for asuccessful Jatropha-based biofuel crop inMalaysia. These included questions such as

- IsJatropha really a high margin source forbio-diesel?; How does it compare with palm

oil prices, process, economics and quality?;How sustainable are the revenue models for

Jatropha-based projects?; Is the regiongeared for large scale plantation ventures?;

When will Jatropha oil or methyl ester beavailable in large quantities for trading?

These, undoubtedly, are some thought pro-voking issues that will have to be addressed

before one venture into commercial scale production of this ubiquitous plant. Untilthen more studies are being conducted to

gauge their full potential in this country.

Article contributed by Ahmad Anwar Ismail

PROMOTION OF UMKS COURSES AND PRO-

GRAMMES AT KOLEJ POLITEKNIK MARA

Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Che Omar was at MARAPolytechnic College (KPTM) at KotaBharu on 10 February 2009 for the purposeof introducing FASA and promote its vari-ous courses and programmes to staff andstudents of the college. The briefing deliv-ered by the Dean was on the overall objec-tive of the establishment of the faculty toexplore, develop and expand knowledge inthe fields of sciences of natural resourcesmanagement, science through learning,teaching and high quality research, integrat-ing information and communication tech-nology. Undoubtedly he was there to alsosell the various academic courses offeredby the Faculty and the degrees that will beawarded after a 4 yr study at UMK. He alsoinformed that the university will also beintroducing several new courses to be of-fered for the next academic year beginningJuly 2009.

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Academic Events

INSIDE FASAINSIDE FASA

P A G E 3

Willkommen an Bord ! NEW STAFF

Status of

Name of Staff Title of Conference / Seminar Date Venue Participation

rof. Dr. Ibrahim Che

OmarBriefing for Pre-Science Students at UMK 03 January 2009 UMK Speaker

Talk on AUKU by KPT 07 January 2009 Renaissance Hotel, Kota Bharu Participant

Ministerial Leadership Lecture Program Build-

ing Human Capital Development for the Future:Catalyst for Economic Development by

AKEPT, KPT

30 January 2009 Hotel Marriot, Putrajaya Participant

Mesy JKuasa Pendidikan Tinggi (JKPT) 03 February 2009 Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi, Pu-

trajaya

Participant

Taklimat Program Pengajian UMK oleh KPT 16 February 2009 Canselori, UMK Participant

Hari Informasi MAPCU 2009 26 February 2009 Kompleks Masyarakat

Penyayang, PenangSpeaker

Dr. Hishamudin Rahmat Bengkel Pemurnian Peraturan Akademik UMK 2830 January 2009 Bukit Kluang Beach Resort,

Besut, TerengganuParticipant

Dr. Noor Azlina Ibrahim Mesyuarat Ke 20 Majlis Dekan Pengajian

Siswazah IPTA

0911 January 2009 Rumah Universiti, UNIMAS,Sarawak

Participant

Kursus Induksi Umum 1822 January 2009 Kampus Kesihatan USM,

Kubang KerianParticipant

Mesyuarat Khas Lembaga Pengarah Universiti 31 January01 February

2009PNB Darby Park Hotel, KL Participant

Cik Marinah Muham-mad Artificial Intelligence with Neural Networks andFuzzy Logic 1112 February 2009 Universiti Malaya, K. L. Participant

Aweng a/l Eh Rak Mesyuarat Pembentangan KajianEnvironmentalImpact Assessment(EIA) Bagi Pembinaan Uni-

versiti Malaysia Kelantan Kampus Jeli

19 January 2009 Cawangan Alam Sekitar &

Kecekapan Tenaga, Ibupejabat

JKR, K. Lumpur.

Participant

Brainstorming on Kenaf (LTKN) 17 February Renaissance Hotel, Kota Bharu Panel

Prof Dr. Mudjtahid Ahmad Djojosu-

gito

Designation: Visiting Professor

(Animal Anatomy & Physiology)

Reported for Duty: 01 February 2009

En. Zulhazman Hamzah

Designation: Senior Lecturer

Reported for Duty: 01 January 2009

Field of Studies: Forest Management,

Remote Sensing/GIS

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The Rafflesia is truly an awe-some flower! It is the most magnificentand largest flowers in the world. InSoutheast Asia, it is rapidly becoming anicon for tourism attraction and promi-nent symbol for nature conservation.

Simultaneously blooming in Lojing! It is very rareto find three or more Rafflesia flowers in bloom

next to each other.

Presently, a total of eight Rafflesia spe-

cies are found in Malaysia. They are R.cantleyi, R. kerrii, R. hasselttii, R.azlanii, R. tengku-adlinii, R. pricei, R.keithii and R. tuan-mudae. Two of themoccur in the State of Kelantan; R. can-tleyi and R. kerrii. In Kelantan, the dis-tributions ofR. cantleyi are restricted toa few areas such as Kuala Koh NationalPark. However, the distributions of R.kerrii are widely distributed throughoutthe Main Range of the Kelantan State.

The latest findings ofRafflesia in Kelan-

tan were discovered during the LojingHighlands Scientific Expedition 2008.The expedition was co-organized byUniversiti Malaysia Kelantan, SouthKelantan Development Authority(KESEDAR) and Kelantan State For-estry Department. Rafflesia populationsfound in Lojing is from the species ofR.kerrii. A total of 26 populations ofR.kerrii have been noted in three differentsites; Kg. Cedau, Kg. Kuala Rengi andKg. Gedik. Therefore, Lojing is believedto be among the highest R. kerrii popu-

lations found in Malaysia.

Developing bud ofRafflesia kerriiwaiting tobloom!

The highest populations ofR. kerrii spe-cies were found in the private land nearKg. Gedik, Post Brooke. A total of 20populations have been identified. Anaverage of ten to 15 buds or flowers arecounted in each population. This area isthe most popular destination amongtourists in Lojing Highlands. An averageof two vans or ten to 15 internationaltourists mostly from Cameron High-

lands was noted to make a stopover tothis area on daily basis. Several habitatsof Rafflesia have been badly damageddue to uncontrolled trampling by tour-ists.

Kg. Gedik, Post Brooke is the most popular andaccessible hotspot to see Rafflesia in the Lojing

Highlands - improper tourism planning and con-gested with visitors.

At present, a total of four tourist opera-tors based at Cameron Highlands is ag-gressively promoting Rafflesia at Lojingas one of their main tourism activity.They claimed through their publishedpamphlets that the Rafflesia found inLojing are those of Rafflesia of Cam-eron Highlands without giving due ac-knowledgment to Lojing.

The most densely area where R. kerriibuds wasfound near to Compartment 53 of Sg. Berok F.R.

There are six populations located close to oneanother, where an average of 15 to 20 buds were

noted in each hotspot.

Currently, there are no proper manage-ment planning and specific guidelineson how to conserve the Rafflesia in theLojing Highlands. During the expedi-tion, it was found that most of the Raf-flesia areas visited are located outsidethe protected area or forest reserve. Ob-servations on the field showed that sev-eral habitats of Rafflesia are seriouslydisturbed due to improper planning ontourist traffic and other less healthy hu-man activities.

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan took theinitial step to conserve this area by orga-nizing the Lojing Highlands ScientificExpedition in May 2008. The findingsfrom the expedition were presented at aSeminar in December 2008 in KotaBharu. One of the proposals arisingfrom the panel discussion is the urgentneed to gazette an area of 500 ha in Lo-jing as the Centre for Research and Con-servation ofRafflesia. This proposal arein the process of being submitted to theState Government of Kelantan and otherrelevant agencies for further delibera-tions. It is hoped that something con-crete will emerge from this solemn en-deavour as we all have a stake to play inensuring that Rafflesia remained withus in Lojing for the benefit of our futuregeneration.

RAFFLESIARAFFLESIA OF LOJING HIGHLANDS:OF LOJING HIGHLANDS:

CALL FOR CONSERVATION!CALL FOR CONSERVA TION!

P A G E 4

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P A G E 5

WHATS BEYOND THE RAINBOW?By Nik Raihan Nik Yusoff

K N O W L E DGE E N R I CH M E N T TA L K SK N O W L E DGE E N R I CH M E N T TA L K S

Puan Nik Raihan, the sen-

ior most tutor with FASAkicked off on 8 January,

the first in a series of talksaimed at encouraging aca-

demic staff to share withfaculty members and stu-

dents scientific knowledgeof some interest underwhat is dubbed as the

Knowledge EnrichmentPrograme (Program Pembudayaan Ilmu). This is a weekly 1 hour eventand is held every Thursday at noon. The first talk was a presentation on

Whats Beyond the Rainbow. She gave an overview by reminding theaudience that light is a form of electromagnetic radiation. The rainbow of

colors from red to violet is the spread of different wavelengths that makesup visible light. Of course, there is more to the story as she went on to

dwell on the theory part of it which was actually hard science.

All forms of electromagnetic radiation (radio waves, microwaves, infrared,visible light, ultraviolet, x rays) are really the same basic physical phe-

nomenon: They are waves of electric and magnetic fields. But they behave

very differently. There are two big differences between different parts ofthe spectrum: Wavelength and energy. The red end of the rainbow corre-

sponds to long wavelength and low energy; the violet end of the spectrum,short wavelength and high energy. And the electromagnetic spectrum be-yond the rainbow is even more extreme. Beyond the violet is the range of

very high energy. The photons of ultraviolet light are so energetic that theycan damage cells. X rays are even worse, of course; thats why you need to

limit exposure. Beyond the red is a much mellower place. The photons ofinfrared are so wimpy that they can only warm you up. Radio waves are so

weak that they can actually go right through you.

We usually noticed the sequence of colors in a rainbow without realizing

that the variety of colors can be obtained from the mixing of 3 primarycolors which are red, blue and yellow. Surprisingly when we write the

color sequence in a clockwise circle a color wheel is created that can beused for teaching the proper techniques of mixing colors. As we are allaware, color is one of the most important elements in art thus, whenever a

colorful rainbow is seen in the sky we should also give some thought notonly to the physics of it but also its art form. The rainbow colors could be

taken a step further and use them as a guide for our daily meal. Food itemsof various colors could be eaten as they may contain a variety of nutrientsand the darker the colors the more nourishing it could be. This idea of col-

ors in food items can be used to attract children to eat a variety of fruitsand vegetables.

On 5 February, Ms Asanah ,one other tutor from the Faculty spokeonIonizing Radiation and Living

Things. According to her, human beingslive in a sea of radiation and in recent

years people have learned to fear theeffects of radiation. They don't want to

live near nuclear reactors. They areafraid of the leakage from microwave

ovens, or the radiation produced by their television sets. To understandthe biological effects of radiation we must first understand the differ-

ence between ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation.Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy so that

during an interaction with an atom, it can remove tightly bound elec-

trons from the orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged orionized. Forms of ionizing radiation include: Gamma rays, X rays, Alpha particles, Beta particles, Neutrons. Radiation exposures come

from many sources. Natural background radiation also contributes tothe radiation exposure. Examples of natural background radiation are

Radon (natural Internal Exposure), medical exposure, earth gammaradiation (Natural external radiation), cosmic rays, food/water and

others (all man-made sources). Ionizing radiation is dangerous. A dose

of only 300 joules of x-ray or -ray radiation is fatal for the averagehuman, even though this radiation raises the temperature of the body

by only 0.001C. -particle radiation is even more dangerous; a doseequivalent to only 15 joules is fatal for the average human.

IONIZING RADIATION AND LIVING

THINGS

PHOTO DETECTORBy Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff

WORKSHOPWorkshop on Syllabus Preparation for Upcoming ProgrammesA one-day workshop on the preparation for new syllabi required by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) took place on 08 Febru-ary 2009 at the Meeting Room of the Chancellory.The workshop which was attended by all the Deans and those lecturers identified to

prepare their respective syllabus focused on the inclusion of the learning outcomes and the generic skills students are expected to ac-quire at the end of the course or programme. The workshop chaired by Deputy Vice Chancellor ( Academic and International Affairs)was conducted by Associate Professor Dr. Wahid from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM). As for FASA the syllabi for four pro-

grammes which are to be offered for the next academic year beginning July 2009, viz. Sustainable Science, Geo-science, Product De-velopment Technology and Veterinary Science were duly completed for submission to MOHE for scrutiny and approval before thesecourses could be offered next semester.

The second talk had En.Mohd Zaki, anothernewly recruited tutor,

making his maidenpresentation on Photo

Detector on 22 January2009. He started off

with the definition ofwhat photo detector was

all about and this wasfollowed by types ofphoto detectors, princi-

ple of operation, and the material components involved. Their appli-cations in our daily lives were also touched upon.

Sadly there was a small number of attendees especially students asmany of them were on their way back to their hometowns or were

making plans to go back for mid-term semester break.

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P A G E 6

DEAN LIST CEREMONY 2008/2009By Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusof

On 15 January 2009, the Faculty organized a presentation ceremonyto students who qualified for the dean list award, i.e. those who obtained aCGPA 3.5 and above. There were 18 students from year 1 and year 2 whoqualified. The brief ceremony at Lecture Hall 3 & 4 was officiated by theDean, Prof.Dr. Ibrahim Che Omar himself at 12.00 noon with full attendancefrom academic staff and students.

The recipients of the dean lists were , Nor Faziela Dorman (3.50); Nur IzzatiSalleh (3.73); Sharifah Aisyah Syed Omar (3.74) and Wong Hie Ling (3.77)from the Applied Sciences Natural Resources (SBN) programme. From theApplied Sciences Bio-Industry (SBT), four students made it and they wereAlex Chew Sheng Hsien (3.63); Chew Ting Ann (4.00); Kumeraintharen a/lMurugiah (3.65) and Liew Siew Hui (3.67). The recipients from the the Ap-plied Sciences Animal Husbandry Science (SBH) programme were Ranjani

Muniandy (3.72),Siti Zubaidah

Hamzah (3.52); Daniel Anak Gello (3.65) and Lee Lam Hong (3.51). The lastgroup of recipients were those from Agro Technology Entrepreneurship (SBS)programme, viz., Lim Jin Hui (3.94); Hiew Yeap Seng (3.56); Leong Hong

Yeng (3.55); Pang Shene Ru (3.61); Yap Ee Ting (3.79) and Fan Li Ying(3.62).

In a short speech before the presentation, the Dean extolled them to continueto excel in their studies and at the same time encouraged those that have yet toget into the deans list to improve their academic performance and follow thefootsteps of those that have achieved excellence as their role models.

DEANS MEETING WITH STUDENTSBy Muhammad Arif bin Din (SBH)

A full scale meeting between the Dean, and the facultys studentswere held on 15th of January 2009, a tradition put into practice at the begin-ning of every semester. This event is considered important as the students are

given an opportunity to make suggestions, ask questions and seek furtherinformation on academic matters with staff members.

The meeting began with a rather long speech from the Dean which ispacked with some good advice and encouragement for students to give fullattention to their studies and also participate in all co-curricular activitiesorganized by the University, particularly those organized by FASA. The

Dean made special mention of a new batch of 31 students who is currentlyundergoing a six-month stint under the Pre-Science Preparatory Programme.

He welcomed them as the latest addition of members to Kelab FASA. He

mentioned that these students will be the pioneer for a new course that will beoffered by UMK for the coming academic year. He also touched at greatlength about the facultys long-term plans encompassing academic pro-grammes, staff development and intake, classroom and laboratory facilities

and the permanent site in Jeli where the faculty will eventually be located.

Prof. Ibrahim also dwelt on how the students ought to study and spendtheir time fruitfully while they are here for four years. University life is some-

thing that not many people is given the opportunity to go through and thereforehe reminded the students to make best use of their 4-year stay here so that whenthey leave at the end of their studies they would have not missed all the experi-ences, pleasant or otherwise, that they go through. In short he was telling the

students that learning should be done the smart way so that it becomes enjoyablerather than a drag. The faculty do not want to produce graduates who are zom-

bies, indifferent and self-centred but rather quality and knowledgeable graduateswho are able to contribute to society and the nation at large.He wished all the new students a happy stay in the campus and to contributemeaningfully to the facultys activities and programmes that are designed for

their benefit.A question and answer session followed at the end of the meeting and packed

lunch was served soon after that.

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P A G E 7

SOIL SURVEY PRACTICAL(FIELD TRIP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE)By Rozidaini Mohd Ghazi

On 19th January 2009, Faculty of Agro-Industry and

Natural Resources (FASA) organized a field trip to theDepartment of Agriculture at Lundang, in Kota Bharu,Kelantan. The main objective of this trip was to allow

the second year students taking the Soil Science

Course (BPT2093) a better understanding on how soilsurvey and soil sampling is carried out and how soil

mapping is documented. Students were given briefingson the scope and work of the Soil Science Unit. This

was followed with field demonstrations on proper soilsampling methods using the auger and other tools and

how identification of the physical characteristics ismade. Students were also given hands-on training on

how to carry out sampling and use colour charts toidentify soil types. The guidance and assistance of Mr.

Affandi bin Yusoff, Penolong Pegawai Pertanian Catatan Tanah was most helpful in this respect.

Briefly, soil survey is the process of classifying soil types and other soil properties in a given area and geo-

encoding such information. The objective of soil survey is none other but to collect all relevant information on soil in a

given area. These information are then compile and kept as inventory on soil properties in one particular area. Accord-ing to Mr. Affandi, there are generally three steps when carrying out a soil survey, i.e. (i) preparatory work in the of-

fice, (ii) making a field trip to a designated area, and (iii) preparation for mapping. Usually before taking any soil sam-ple, one must ensure there is no disturbance in that area that is to be studied to ensure quality soil information is ob-tained. One has to be equipped for field work with tools and equipments such as compasses, GPS, clinometers, Mun-

shell book and the soil auger. A compass is essential to locate the area to be surveyed, clinometers is useful to obtainthe gradient of the slope in that area. The soil auger, this can be of different sizes, is needed to penetrate and lift the soil

while Munshell Book is required for soil classification. With respect to soil mapping, the students were given a talk bypersonnel from the Mapping Unit. A few slides and maps were shown followed by question and answer sessions. From

the trip the students came off quite well versed with what soil sampling, survey and mapping was all about.

A VISIT TO THE SOIL LABORATORY DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTUREEan Wee Chen

On 16th February 2009, all SBS 2students taking the Soil Science subject BPT

2093 had the opportunity to visit and con-duct and run soil analysis at the Departmentof Agriculture Soil Laboratory in Lundang,

Kota Bharu. Whilst there the students wereled to the meeting room and were given a

short briefing by Pn Zamilah Seman, fromthe soil analysis department. Three groups

were formed as the laboratory was not ableto handle all 44 students at one go.

We were taken to the corridor to

see the preparation of the soil sample. The

process is not allowed to be done in the

laboratory itself as fine soil could easily

damage some sensitive equipments. We were told that soil preparation is usually done at the soil store. Soil

samples, usually taken from designated agriculture areas in bulk of about 1 to 2 kg depending on the soil

types gathered. The sample are dried in the oven at 105C or in some instances is dried under direct

sunlight for 3 days. After drying, the large aggregates obtained are reduced in size by pounding using the

hardened steel mortar. The hardened steel mortar is used instead of soil grinder to avoid the grinding proc-

ess producing very fine particles. In other words, what is required for analysis are soils of their characteris-

tic sizes and what the foregoing process does was just to destroy the forces between the soil molecules and

not to destroy the molecules themselves. The prepared soil is then sieved to coarse soil which is 30 mesh(2mm) and to fine soil which is 60 mesh (0.25mm). The aim of sieving the soil sample is to ensure more

accurate results are obtained when conducting the soil analysis.

Dr Hishamudin Rahmat, who waswith us since June 2008, has left

for AIMST University in Sungai

Petani, Kedah. Over the ninemonths he was here, as the Coordi-

nator for Bio-industry Technology

Programme, he was instrumentalin assisting and developing the

course for the Product Technology

Development Programme for the

Faculty a new Bachelor of Ap-plied Science Honours Degree

Course which will be offered next

academic year. He was responsiblefor giving a new and refreshing

look to Infolink FASAs bi-

monthly newsletter as the Editorand has also assisted in many ways

with academic development and

some co-curicullar activities of the

Faculty.

We wish him well in his new

found job.

MOVING ON

DEMONSTRATIONSOF HIGH PERFORM-

ANCE LIQUID CHRO-

MATOGRAPHY (HPLC)

EQUIPMENT

Three laboratory equipment suppliersshort-listed namely DKSH, Asas Ki-

mia and Lanjut Pertiwi gave a demon-stration of their HPLC product sepa-rately to FASA on 12 February 2009.

The purpose of the demonstrationswas to introduce their latest producton HPLC which can be used forteaching and research. The Dean andthe relevant teaching staff were pre-sent to evaluate the HPLC equipmenton offerviz. Vavian model demon-strated by DKSH, Bionex by AsasKimia and Shimadzu by Lanjut Per-tiwi. HPLC is a form of columnchromatography used frequently inbiochemistry and analytical chemistry

to separate, identify, and quantify

compounds.

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Dwelling Into the World of The Unfortunates By Nur Eastiharah Mohd Hairin

Malaysia is the 26th largestagricultural export market for theUS. In 2005, about $422 million ofagriculture, fish and forestryproducts were exported to Malay-sia. $36 million of it was US soy-bean and corn shipments, whichcontain genetically modified organ-isms (GMOs). GMO means animals,

plants, microorganisms and theirproducts whose genetic material hasbeen altered using biotechnologytechnique (genetic engineering) in-

cluding agriculture product. On April28, 2005, the prime Minister of Ma-laysia launched the new NationalBiotechnology policy. The NationalBiotechnology was re-emphasizedin the Ninth Malaysian Planlaunched on March 13, 2006. TheNinth Malaysian Plan and the Na-tional Biotechnology Policy which

aims to promote agrobiotechnologyas an important tool to propel theagriculture sector into the frontlineof Malaysias economy. Under theNinth Malaysian Plan (2006-2010),

government of Malaysia allocatedUSD550 for biotechnology develop-ment including agrobiotechnology(Raymond, 2006). Agrobiotechnol-ogy refers to a group of technolo-gies using properties of living organ-isms for production of goods andservices in agriculture related activi-ties. Beside the GMOs, transgenic

crops, crops produced via tissueculture and other products an in-volvement by farmers and othercompanies called as agrobiotech-nology products.

P A G E 8P A G E 8

Postgraduate Studies

at UMK

The Faculty of Agro Industry andNatural Resources offers Master ofScience and Doctor of Philosophyprogrammes via research mode toqualified prospective students. Formore information, please contactthe Faculty office at 09-7717226.Graduate Assistantships are avail-able to qualified applicants.

EMINAR ON REVIEWING OFAUKU (UNIVERSITY AND UNI-VERSITY COLLEGE ACT)Kamarul Aripin b. Kasmori

(Translated and edited by William Ng)

The seminar at the Renaissance Hotel,

Kota Bharu held to inform the undergraduatesabout the review being made of the Universityand University College Act 1971. This seminar

initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education in-volved student representatives from 4 institutes of higher learning, namely UMP, UMT, UDM and last

but not least, our own UMK. The Faculty sent 9 representatives comprising students from the first andsecond year. The objective of the seminar was to review the previous Act as well as implementing new

laws and regulations to suit changing times and the demands of ever increasing undergraduate popula-tion. According to the faculty representatives the talk was informative and was an eye-opener . They are

now better informed regarding the Act.At the seminar, the students were given the opportunity to ask questions on any clause or regu-

lations that were now irrelevant and should be removed. The student representatives came back very

much enlightened as they felt that their contributions were duly acknowledged and that they also have arole to play in the present review of the 1971Act.

STUDENTS SPORTTOUNAMENTKamarul Aripin b. Kasmori

(Translated and edited by William Ng)

On the 6th - 12th of February 2009, UMK organ-

ized an inter-faculty sports event. Six gameswere opened for competition, and our facultysent some of our finest athletes and sportsmen to

compete. For the netball competition, FASA sent2 teams, but neither team A nor team B won any

medal. The top spots were taken by team B ofFTKW and FKP Team A. For badminton andbowling, FASA also sent 2 teams to compete, in

which they achieved quite a good standing. FASA TeamA took second place in badminton and bowling for the

mens event and the ladies for Team A took the gold inbadminton.

Our faculty also sent a team each for netball, sepak tak-raw, volleyball and futsal (both ladies and mens team)

competitions but failed to bring home any medal.Throughout KRISMA 2009, new sporting talents were

discovered while for some, they are the best at what theydid. But at the end of the day, all athletes, be it from our

faculty or not, showed the true spirit of sportsmanship.There are no hard feelings or animosity between the com-peting athletes even though they have lost in some of thecompetition. Overall, the athletes from FASA did quite

well; but it is hoped that at the next KRISMA the athleteswould bring more honour to the faculty by reaping in more

medals.

Training Course On

Vermiculture

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan

27 - 28 May 2009Secretariat

Training Course on Vermiculture

Faculty of Agro Industry and Natural Re-

sources, UMKDr Ahmad Anwar Ismail: 09-771 7234Ms Raihan : 09-771 7235

AnnouncementAnnouncement

SIMPOSIUMKEBANGSAAN

KEUSAHAWANANECER 2009

1516 June 2009

SecretariatPusat Kecermelangan ECER - KPT -UMK, Fakulti Agro Industri danSumber AsliUniversiti Malaysia Kelantan

En. Mohd Badrul Hisyam Muhamad Alias

Tel: 09-7717245 E-mail: hisyam@umk.edu.my

En. Zulhazman HamzahTel: 09-7717246 E-Mail: zulhazman@umk.edu.my

COME AND JOIN US

Faculty Agro Industry and Natural Re-sources, UMK invites suitable candi-dates for the post of Tutor (DA41), Lec-turers (DS45), Senior Lecturers (DS51),

Associate Professors (DS54) and Professors

(VK7)

Interested candidates please write to:

Dean,

Facult y of Agro Indust ry & Nat ural Re-sources,Universit i Malaysia Kelant an,Locked Bag 36, 16100 Pengkalan Chepa,Kota Bharu, Kelant an.

or e-mail to Ibrahim@umk.edu.my

Editorial Board Members

AdvisorAdvisorAdvisorProf Dr. Hj. Ibrahim Che Omar

MembersMembersMembersAweng Eh Rak (Chief Editor)Dr. Ahmad Anwar IsmailDr. Hishamudin RahmatZulhazman HamzahAsanah RadhiRozidaini Mohd GhaziSuhaimi Omar

Editor FASA INFOLINKFaculty of Agro Industry and Natural Resources,Universiti Malaysia KelantanLocked Bag 3616100 Pengkalan ChepaKelantan, Malaysia

24 January 2009Nik Raihan Nik Yussof & Mohd Faizal Ya-hya

CONGRATULATIONONE DAY WITH ADI PUTRA

Adi Putra the touted mathematical genius aged 10yrs old and declared an icon for mathematics bythe Department of Mathematics, Universiti PutraMalaysia was invited under the auspices ofECER-KPT-UMK Center of Excellence to give a talk andshow off his prowess. Students from 20 primaryand secondary schools (and their parents) fromaround Pengkalan Chepa were invited to the showon February 28 at Sekolah Menengah PengkalanChepa 1.

The 3-hr programme chaired by Assoc Prof DrFarok Zakaria included an introduction of the boy

genius, solving of some mathematical and formu-lae problems and followed by question and an-

STUDENTS NEWSSTUDENTS NEWS

mailto:Ibrahim@umk.edu.mymailto:Ibrahim@umk.edu.mymailto:Ibrahim@umk.edu.my