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Abstract |
Studies to Improve the Low Temperature Performance of Palm Oil Products
The
objectives of this research were to find some additives suitable for
reducing the pour points and cloud points of palm oil products and hence,improve
their low temperature performance.All the additives used showed satisfactory
results,with greater reduction in the pour points and cloud points in
POME, PKOME, POMEPOo, POMESOo and PKOMESOo.The biggest depression in
pour point was about 7.5 ºC (addition of 1.0% DHFA to POMEPOo)and the
biggest reduction in cloud point about 10.5 ºC (addition of 1.0% DHFA
and 1.0% PP to POME)
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Enhancement of Cold
Stability of Palm Oil Methyl Esters
As with palm oil,palm oil methyl esters (POME)have poor cold stability.This drawback has limited their use
in low temperatures.The objectives of this research were to identify some additives suitable for reducing the
pour point and cloud point of POME to improve its low temperature performance.Of the additives used,EP
produced the most promising results.The biggest reduction in pour point was about 15.0 ºC (addition of 2%
EP to POME)while the biggest depression in cloud point was about 6.4 ºC (addition of 4%EP to POME)
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Stress Development and its Detection in Young Oil Palm in North Kedah, Malaysia
Various methods of detecting and
quantifying stress in oil palm are briefly reviewed. Stress is defined
loosely as any environmental condition leading to reduced productivity
and loss of yield.Common environmental stresses include those induced
by water deficit, water logging,low atmospheric humidity, high temperatures,
nutrient deficiency and low radiation.Different stress-inducing factors
are frequently combined;e.g.water deficit and high temperature stress,
water deficit and nutrient stress; high temperature and low atmospheric
humidity stress. Results are presented of measurements made on young
field palms planted in a dry region in north Kedah, Malaysia.The measurement
period spanned wet and dry seasons. Short-term stress responses evaluated
were:i) changes in canopy surface temperatures relative to air temperatures,ii)
changes in spear leaf extension rates,and iii) changes in the ratio
of actual to potential evapotranspiration. The responses are related
to soil water supply, solar radiation, atmospheric vapour pressure deficit
and potential evapotranspiration rate.The potential for using canopy
surface-air temperature difference (DT)and
spear leaf extension measurements as a means to monitor irrigation need
is discussed.
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Modelling
Seasonal Variation in Oil Palm Bunch Production Using a Spreadsheet
Programme
Annual cycling in oil palm bunch
yield is an almost invariable phenomenon even in regions that lack marked
seasonal changes in climatic factors, such as radiation or rainfall,
likely to have a large influence on yield. Furthermore, such cycles
persist even under irrigated conditions. While yield-based endogenous
feedback mechanisms have been invoked to partly account for such behaviour,
the likely time-lags involved are not generally consistent with the
regular annual cycles that are frequently observed. Using data obtained
from a long-term trial on a peat soil with a good year-round water supply,the
role of various developmental factors in contributing to the resultant
yield patterns,was examined.The factors were: a)frond emergence interval
(FEI), b)rate of inflorescence and bunch development (FEBR; defined
by the number of days from frond emergence to bunch ripening), c)the
proportion of nodes with bunches (NWB; mainly a function of sex ratio
and abortion incidence) and d)single bunch weight (SBW). Frond emergence,
male and female inflorescence numbers, abortion and single bunch weight
all exhibited regular annual variation in the trial. Yields were simulated
using a spreadsheet with the aim of dissecting out the contribution
and relative significance of each factor. Even with all factors held
constant, there was variation in monthly yield, although it was erratic
and failed to result in the single annual peak characteristic of observed
yield patterns. Regular annual peaks were,however,obtained by introducing
sinusoidal oscillations in the amplitudes of the four factors either
individually or in combination.Amplitudes were tested that represented
a range of probable behaviour from mild to maximum variation.The best
agreement between simulated and observed yields over an 8.5-year period
(r2 = 0.6) was obtained by varying NWB (using an amplitude
of 50%) while similarly good agreements were achieved by appropriate
variations in FEI and in FEBR. SBW had only a small effect. Combining
factors did not appreciably improve the correlations over those obtained
by the factors individually,although in some cases it resulted in similarly
high correlations being achieved using lower amplitudes. These findings
show that all the developmental processes examined played some role
in accounting for annual yield cycles but the results still leave open
the question of what factor(s) are responsible for the cycling of each
of the underlying processes.
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A Study on
Thermal Characteristics of Phase Change Material (PCM) in Gypsum Board
for Building Application
Using fatty acids
as phase change materials (PCMs), it is possible to store a large amount
of thermal energy in a small mass and with a narrow temperature transition.Passive
solar heating and cooling can be done by three methods – simple immersion,
direct incorporation and encapsulation. This study investigated the
effect of using a lauric-stearic acids eutectic mixture at 75.5:24.5
w/w as PCM in gypsum board. The eutectic mixture had a melting point
of 34.1 ºC and latent heat of 171.1 kJ kg -1 respectively. Gypsum boards
were immersed 1 hr in PCM and the thermal characteristics before and
after immersion were investigated. The 12.5 mm board absorbed 38.0%
PCM and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the melting
point and latent heat were 34.0 ºC and 50.28 kJ kg -1 ,respectively.For
6 mm board,PCM absorption was 39.2%with the melting point of 34.0 ºC
and the latent heat of 52.87 kJ kg -1 .From the results,the thermal
characteristics of the PCM-gypsum boards were similar to those of the
PCM.
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Palm Diesel:
An Option for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in the Energy Sector
The fast diminishing
energy reserves coupled with increasing energy consumption as a nation
develops and greater environmental awareness have led to an intensified
search for viable alternate sources of energy. Natural and renewable
resources such as vegetable oils can be chemically transformed into
clean-burning biodiesel. Biodiesel is a fuel substitute that is biodegradable
and can contribute to alleviating environmental pollution. Research
and developmental efforts have demonstrated that palm diesel (palm oil
methyl esters) is a good source for energy production. Palm diesel produced
using patented PORIM/PETRONAS production technology has been extensively
tested as a diesel substitute in a wide range of diesel engines including
stationary engines, passenger cars, buses and trucks. Palm diesel exhibits
fuel properties comparable to those of petroleum diesel and can be used
directly in unmodified diesel engines. The production and usage of palm
diesel has great environmental impact with its closed carbon cycle.
A fuel switch from fossil fuel to palm diesel will contribute greatly
to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that lead to global
warming. Therefore, palm diesel production, because of its contribution
to lower GHG emissions, can generate carbon credits under the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol 1997. The financial
incentives, like the attractive carbon credit scheme, would bring about
an additional positive impact on the economic viability of palm diesel
production as a renewable fuel. Furthermore, exhaustive field trials
have also shown that diesel engines running on palm diesel do not emit
black smoke. There are also reductions in carbon particulates, carbon
monoxide and sulphur dioxide. The effort and initiative to utilize palm
oil as an alternative energy source are also in line with the Malaysian
Government ’s five-fuel diversification policy to include renewable
energy as the fifth fuel.
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Environmental
Factors Affecting the Population Density of Oryctes rhinoceros
in a Zero-Burn Oil Palm Replant
The environment (abiotic
and biotic factors) influences the survival of an organism. This study
revealed several significant relationships between the population of
Oryctes rhinoceros and the environment and physical characteristics
of its habitat in an oil palm replant. Firstly, lower populations of
O.rhinoceros occurred in areas with high cover crops over the decomposing
chipped trunks. Secondly, high moisture content in the trunks was essential
for the survival and satisfactory development of O.rhinoceros. Thirdly,
there was a negative relationship between the number of developing pupae
against the hardness of the trunk chips. This indicates that most of
the pupae developed in the softer, decomposing chips. The larval population
hastened the release of the trunk nutrients to the soil, especially
K and Mg. Higher soil pH indirectly reduced the larval population of
O.rhinoceros , possibly by promoting the growth of the entomopathogenic
fungus, Metarhizium , which infected the larvae. This was reflected
by the low number of adult beetles which emerged from the plots with
high pH. Finally, rainfall induced the breeding of O.rhinoceros as shown
by the high positive correlation between rainfall and the number of
early instar larvae. Knowledge of some of these factors would enable
planters to manipulate the habitat and its microclimate in order to
manage the pest more effectively.
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Illegitimacy in
Oil Palm Breeding - A Review
Shell thickness and molecular marker
data indicate that illegitimacy and contamination are more widespread
in oil palm breeding programmes than is usually acknowledged. Before
the discovery of the mode of inheritance of shell thickness, no markers
were available to detect illegitimacy. Once shell thickness could be
used as a marker, it became clear that control of pollination needed
improvement. However, in present day programmes anomalous segregation
ratios and contamination with the wrong fruit forms still occur from
time to time, and work with molecular markers shows that illegitimacy
may occur even when fruit form segregation is correct. Where there is
illegitimacy, family selection will be unreliable, and inadvertent inbreeding
may take place. Now that molecular markers are widely available, it
should be standard practice in oil palm breeding to test all crosses
for legitimacy. The requirements for this are discussed.
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