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Improving crops: Putting Biotech to Work |
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Acacias
are fast-growing trees which are rather easily grown due to their high
adaptability to various soil and environmental conditions. Native to
Australia, they have shown promise as a commercial plant growing in
Malaysia, capable of providing wood pulp, timber and biochemical products.
Associate Professor Dr. Wickneswari Ratnam from the School of Environmental
and Natural Resource Sciences, UKM, understands the potential of Acacia
and is currently focusing her research on genomics and breeding to improve
the quality of the plants for commercial utilization. |
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The
research is aimed at the genomic study, mapping population, molecular
markers, and genetic mapping of the species. This leads to selectively
identifying and breeding trees with ideal genetic traits that may increase
the economical value of the species and also investigating the viability
of micropropagation in developing the planting materials commercially.
“The acacia project is currently aimed at enhancement of wood
pulp quality,” says Dr. Wickneswari. “For example, if there
is too much lignin in the wood, it will give paper produced by its pulp
a yellowish colour. Here, what we hope to do is to cultivate species
with less lignin and with better growth rates.” |
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| Picture 1: Acacia sp. | ||||||
However, this is not the only project that Dr. Wickneswari is handling, she is simultaneously leading projects in producing rice with better quality and yield and also another on the genetic diversity of ramin, Gonystylus bancanus. |
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How
does she manage so much? “With efficient time management, obviously,”
she chuckles. “However, I also enjoy good working relations with
my co-workers and students on the projects. I structure the projects
so that at least one of my post-doctoral students will be on hand to
assist me with compilation of progress reports for each project and
meet up every week with project leaders to discuss the progress of the
projects. Every three months we also have meetings with our collaborators
to keep them updated on our progress.” |
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“Basically,
what I do is generally provide close supervision and also do a lot of
networking to expedite timely delivery of the projects. Networking is
important as it keeps us abreast with the latest technology in the field.” |
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Speaking on biotechnology in Malaysia, Dr. Wickneswari acknowledges that there is much to be done before we are able to hold an edge in the industry. Speaking of her experiences accumulated from years in the field, she observed that there is a constant lack of facilities or access to them, which is crucial to her work in the field. The constant presence of bureaucratic red-tape hinders the work of many researchers. Similarly, there is a need for researchers to think out of the box in their research to be able to scale to greater heights. She asserts that we are products of our culture, and if we keep ourselves trapped within the limitations of our culture, progress would be stifled. |
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Picture 2: O. sativa cv. MR219 |
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However, not all is as bleak as it sounds, she maintains.
“We should take the limitations of our surroundings as a challenge.
Only then can we move forward. This piece of advice has served me very
well so far. ”
With relation to future plans, she informed that the Acacia project will be ready to progress into Phase II, to produce the crops for field trials and commercial production of the planting materials. There is a possibility of collaborating with the timber industry as companies from Sabah and Sarawak have expressed their interest in supporting her field trials. “And we’ll see what goes on from there,” she said
with an air of finality. |
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For more information |
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| By K. C. Liew for MABIC | ||||||
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