p06 Environment @Forest | July-august, 2020
MPOB’s
technologies
available for
higher yield
Reopening of Indian and
European economies likely
to lead to upward stream in
demand
Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir
As the second-largest producer of palm oil in
the world, Malaysia is striving for sustainable
certification in its palm oil production for both
health and economic reasons.
Besides assuring the production of Malaysian
palm oil is sustainable, Malaysia is also
racing towards a more significant amount
of palm oil production because of a surge in
demand.
The progressive reopening of the Indian and European
economies is likely to lead to an upward stream in demand
and replenishment of inventories in anticipation of a
second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to this, there would be a need for the country’s palm
oil industry to pump up its production rate by utilising its
technologies.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has put up concerted
efforts to introduce new technologies to the palm oil
industry. Two major technologies were developed through
its research on oil palm’s whole genome sequencing,
namely SureSawit™ SHELL to reduce non-tenera contaminations
and SureSawit™ KARMA to verify somaclonal
varients or to exclude abnormal clones, which highlighting
the benefits especially on oil palm productivity.
MPOB introduced the SureSawit™ sheLL, which is
based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology that
allows planters to tell whether this seed is going to become
dura, pisifera or tenera.
Previously, breeders have to wait till the palm produces
fruits, normally after three years of planting, before they
could physically tell whether the palm is a dura (thick
shell), pisifera (without shell) or tenera (thin shell) and
will be very costly to replace them if they were non-tenera.
Previous extensive researches have demonstrated that
tenera plants can produce a higher oil yield by 30 per cent
as compared to dura plants which produce less oil and
pisifera plants which might not even provide any oil following
several years of planting.
Meanwhile, the other technology is called SureSawit™
KARMA which could verify somaclonal varients to exclude
abnormal clones derived from tissue culture technology
which requires the use of very young unopened oil palm
leaves from an oil palm plant which is then cloned into an
oil palm plant in test tubes.
More than one million seeds, including seedlings, seeds
and small plantlets, has been tested to date using both
technologies. Based on previous extensive reseachs on
tissue culture technology it has been proven that the clones
produced were able to produce 30 per cent more oil as
compared to seed derived plants.
“We have almost 212 technologies taken by about 100
companies,” said the Director-General of MPOB, Dr
Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, a veteran with more than
30 years experience in the oil palm industry.
Never forget emissions reduction
By Farhan Kamarulzaman
As the Covid-19 recovery process is
well underway in several countries,
expect the rise of carbon emissions
worldwide that will affect the environment,
health and economy.
On top of this, since the world is now
busy heading towards advanced technologies,
global warming has become
more apparent today, and all parties
should address the issue well.
Although our environmental
situation improved during the national
lockdown to combat the virus, the issue
should not be forgotten.
Also, several countries are now faced
with this reality and are searching for
the best and most effective strategies to reduce
emissions.
If we look back before the beginning of the Covid-
19 pandemic, it can be seen the air around us was
very hazardous to breathe. The planet faced rising
temperatures. The melting of glaciers and rising
sea levels, as well as environmental degradation,all
happened rapidly.
But it was reported at the start of national lockdowns
that minor environmental changes such as
the decline in nitrous oxide emissions and clear
water in Venice, for example, occurred.
It would be fantastic if the situation could be
maintained, but it was only temporary. Sadly, all
sorts of “threats” to Mother Earth resumed for global
economic survival.
However, the impact can be reduced
through effective policies and strict
implementation.
Based on the 5th Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change report, global
carbon emissions were estimated at
around 36 billion tonnes per year and
projected to increase gradually in all
countries, even when the pandemic
ends.
Recent statistics have shown China
as the world’s largest CO2 emitter,
accounting for more than one-quarter
of emissions followed by 15 per cent, 10
per cent, seven per cent and five per cent
respectively from the USA, Europe, India
and Russia.
Based on the Climate Analytics report,
Southeast Asia is among the most vulnerable regions
in the world, with large and growing populations
exposed to very high and extreme climatic risks due
to rapid growth in carbon emissions.
There is also an array of policies adopted by the
region to promote high emission levels and technical
inefficiency, such as comprehensive subsidies
for fossil fuel.
Thus, actions must be taken now to reduce emissions.
It includes all areas without exception. Strong
cooperation between countries is needed to lead
the way in global climate positioning by proposing
stringent emission reduction targets to avoid longterm
economic risks as well.
Southeast Asia needs to decarbonise its energy
systems by 2050. It is primarily by rapidly increasing
the use of renewable energy. Decarbonising enduse
sectors through electrification or direct use of
renewable energy is also required. There should
also be significant reductions in demand across all
end-use areas.
Moreover, transitions to low-carbon economic
systems are encouraged. It would provide a
foundation for a more resource-efficient, less
carbon-intensive, energy- and food-secure, and
environmentally sustainable, balanced growth path,
with the associated benefits for ecosystem resilience
and human health.
If Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand implemented
the targets set in the 2015 Paris Agreement for the
Intended Nationally Determined Contribution
(INDC), they would experience significant emission
reductions after 2030.
Experts also said Malaysia could face lower
marginal damage costs while Indonesia and Thailand
may suffer higher marginal damage costs for
2010–2050.
What is INDC?
The World Resources Institute defines INDC as the
new international agreement based on the global
climate agreement at the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of
the Parties in December 2015.
The Paris Agreement has three main thrusts to
keep the rise in global average temperature well
below 2°C, to undertake measures to restrict the
increase to 1.5°C and to reach net-zero emissions in
the latter half of this century.
Besides, the carbon emissions reduction strategies
are also in line with the 13th thrust of Sustainable
Development Goals aimed at taking urgent action to
combat climate change and its impact.
The low-carbon attempts by several Malaysian