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Malaysia has focused its self-sufficiency policy on rice and paddy production, which are the country's primary staple food and food crop. Throughout the Eleventh Malaysian Plan (2016-2020) and National Agro-Food Policy (2011-2020), Malaysia continues its proactive and progressive measures to promote paddy and rice sector development. The impacts of climate change, however, are projected to exacerbate challenges in increasing paddy yields and achieving food security in the future. Hence, this paper attempts to discuss climate change impacts on rice production and food security in Malaysia succinctly. Using Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope, our analysis exhibited the increased minimum (T min ) and maximum (T max ) temperature in the granary areas, ranging from 0.3°C to 0.5°C and 0.2°C to 0.3°C, respectively, in every decade. At the same time, precipitation has shown an increasing trend, ranging from 133 mm to 200 mm. Apart from the trend analysis, we conducted a literature review to substantiate our discussion. The findings signified that climate change poses a severe threat to paddy production, which eventually will affect food security as they are highly interrelated. Thus, it is high time for Malaysia to revamp its paddy and rice intervention strategies by giving due attention to enhancing the adaptive capacity of paddy farmers to cope with climate change.

In Pakistan, the control of stored-product insect pests mainly relies on the use of phosphine gas along with other control tactics. The aim of this study was to determine the level of phosphine resistance among ten differently located populations of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae), the granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and the khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). Laboratory-susceptible populations of all insect species were also considered in the experiments. Concentration–response bioassays were conducted for each species. All of the tested populations (10 out of 10) of each species were found to be resistant to phosphine, but varied in their level of resistance. Probit analysis estimated LC50 at 2.85, 1.90, 2.54 and 2.01 ppm for laboratory-susceptible populations of R. dominica, S. granarius, T. castaneum and T. granarium, respectively. Against R. dominica, the highest and lowest resistance levels were observed in the Rahim Yar Khan (LC50 at 360.90 ppm) and Rawalpindi (LC50 at 210.98 ppm) populations, respectively. These resistant populations were 126.67- and 74.02-fold more resistant than the laboratory population. The Multan and Lahore populations of S. granarius exhibited the maximum (LC50 at 122.81 ppm) and minimum (LC50 at 45.96 ppm) resistance levels, respectively, i.e., they were 64.63- and 24.18-fold more resistant than the laboratory population. The Layyah population of T. castaneum showed the maximum resistance level (LC50 at 305.89 ppm) while the lowest was observed in the Lahore population (LC50 at 186.52 ppm), corresponding to 120.42- and 73.43-fold more resistant than the laboratory population, respectively. Regarding T. granarium, the Layyah population showed the maximum resistance level (LC50 at 169.99 ppm) while the Lahore population showed the minimum resistance (LC50 at 74.50 ppm), i.e., they were 84.57- and 37.06-fold more resistant than the laboratory population, respectively. Overall, R. dominica presented the highest resistance level, followed by T. castaneum, T. granarium and S. granarius. The current study suggests that the application of phosphine may not be an adequate control strategy for the management of the above tested insect pests in Pakistan.

Climate change is a global problem since many countries worldwide are becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. Numerous climate models in various studies project a decline in agricultural productivity that will mainly be due to excessive heat in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia. As a Southeast Asian country, Malaysia is no exception to this problem. Hence, the present study aimed to examine the impact of climate change on rice yields in Malaysia. A panel data approach was adopted using data from 1987 to 2017 on eight granary areas in Peninsular Malaysia. The main objectives were to assess the impact of climate variables (i.e., minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation) on rice yield and the variance of the impact during the main season and off-season. Our regression results indicate that precipitation was not statistically significant in all model specifications for both the main and off-season. While the maximum temperature was found to be negatively associated with yield during the off-season, the minimum temperature showed a positive effect in both cropping seasons. We used the HadGEM3-GC31 N512 resolution model based on the high-emission Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 8.5 scenario (SSPs-8.5) from the High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project (HighResMIP) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to project future climate change in 2030 and 2040. The projected results indicate that rice yield would show a more positive trend by 2040 when compared to the previous decade, ranging from −0.02 to 19.85% during the main season and −2.77 to 7.41% during the off-season. Although rice yield is likely to increase in certain areas, other areas are projected to experience negative effects. Hence, adaptation at the farm level remains crucial, specifically during the off-season, since climate change could widen the gaps in rice yields between cropping seasons and among granary areas.

In order to meet the great demand for green grain storage and low carbon emissions, paraffin, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and expanded graphite (EG) were used to produce shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) plates, which were then used to reconstruct building walls for existing granaries. A new type of SSPCM plate was then prefabricated with different thermal conductivities and a high latent heat. This plate could be directly adhered to the existing granary walls. In order to evaluate the thermal regulation performance of these phase change granary walls, experiments and numerical methods were established, specifically for the summer condition. The thermal behavior of the SSPCM granary wall was compared with that of the common concrete granary wall to obtain the optimal parameters. It was concluded that increasing the thickness of the SSPCM layer can reduce the temperature rise of the wall. However, the maximum latent heat utilization rate and energy storage effects were obtained when the SSPCM thickness was at an intermediate level of 30 mm. The thermal conductivity of the SSPCM had a controversial effect on the thermal resistance and latent heat utilization behaviors of the SSPCM. Considering the temperature level and energy saving rate, a 30 mm thick SSPCM plate with a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m·K provided a superior performance. When compared to the common wall, the optimized energy-saving rate was greatly enhanced by 35.83% for the SSPCM granary wall with a thickness of 30 mm and a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/m·K.

The use of thermal insulation material in building envelopes is closely related to economic benefits, energy-savings, and carbon reduction of buildings. The construction forms of different components in building envelopes have an important influence on the optimization design of thermal insulation in building envelopes. In this study, an integrated optimization approach is proposed to search for the best solution of thermal insulation in external walls and the optimal combination scheme of different construction forms of envelope components in granaries. The integrated optimization approach consists of an orthogonal experimental design (OEDM) method-based determination module of an optimal combination scheme of different construction forms of components, an assessment model-based quantitative analysis module, and an integrated assessment indicator-based selection module of the best solution of external wall insulation. Firstly, the OEDM method is used to determine the optimal combination scheme of different construction forms of the foundation wall of an external wall, thermal insulation material, external window, roof, and floors in buildings. Secondly, integrated economic, energy, and carbon analysis models are developed to analyze comprehensive performance of external wall insulation. Finally, an integrated assessment indicator consisting of an energy balanced index, a carbon balanced index, and weight coefficients is presented to determine the best solution of external wall insulation. The applications of this optimization approach in different ecological grain storage zones in China demonstrated that the outdoor air temperature characteristics could affect the comprehensive performance of external wall insulation in granaries, significantly. The best solution of external wall insulation in granaries in Turpan city, Daqing city, Kaifeng city, Changsha city, Anshun city, and Danzhou city was expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) with a layer thickness of 0.078 m, 0.048 m, 0.083 m, 0.089 m, 0.062 m, and 0.131 m, respectively. The greatest difference in the lowest entire construction cost and the lowest carbon emission of external wall insulation among different typical climate regions in China was 12.987 USD/m2 and 6.3 kgCO2e/m2, respectively.

Rapidly global urbanization and economic growth in the past several decades have resulted in a sharp contraction of arable areas worldwide. However, food supply requirements are quickly increasing due to higher living standards and larger populations. Therefore, food crises are still a major threat to human society. The conflict between farmland areas and the increasing need for essential supplies is becoming acuter in China. Therefore, we suggest that a novel strategy would address the issue, in which temporal and spatial arrangement of wheat sowing dates would be highly focused.

In 1892, the French resident general in Tunisia launched the first state-sponsored colonization effort in the Tunisian protectorate. Based on Paul Bourde’s study of ancient Roman agriculture, the colonization plan explicitly sought to remake Roman prosperity in central Tunisia by fostering the cultivation of olives. Examining Bourde’s study of the ancient past and his work as director of agriculture in Tunisia, this article explores the connections between the study of the Roman Empire and the development of colonialism in North Africa. In tracing this history, this article highlights how the study and use of Roman ruins in French Tunisia inspired an appreciation for the role that technology and material development played in supporting the spread of Roman civilization and culture.

Income inequality between rural and urban areas is a persistent issue that has been frequently studied and discussed with the hope of introducing or improving schemes that would lead to closing the gap between these two areas. Traditionally, paddy farmers have been mired in poverty and their livelihood has largely relied on on-farm income. In rice granary areas, on-farm income has played an important role in providing rural livelihood among paddy farmer households. Since on-farm income has played an important role in the rural livelihood, it is important to comprehend the influential factors determining on-farm income of the paddy farmers and find solutions to improve their income level and enhance future agricultural developments on the main granaries. We attempt to find out confronting problems in relation to on-farm income in the paddy sector by concentrating on paddy granary areas in Kedah, Selangor and Terengganu. This paper tries to grasp the characteristics of farm management and reveal influential determinants of gross return per hectare in value term in the three paddy granary areas while computing the benefit-cost ratio. The sample farmers were interviewed to gather information on the individual farm management practices in each area and farm management analysis was employed to analyze the obtained information. The Cobb-Douglas production function was used to indicate the significant factors influencing the farmers' income. The result shows that there are different characteristics of gross return from paddy in each studied granary area. The usage of pesticide, fertilizer and seedling method directly influence the gross return per hectare from paddy farming. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Underground granaries offer natural insulation for long-term grain storage, yet spatial heterogeneity in temperature and humidity can drive condensation and degrade grain quality. To address this issue, mechanical ventilation is commonly employed, yet evidence remains limited on whether pretreating the inlet air before ventilation can further reduce the risk of condensation. In order to bridge this gap, a custom-designed small-scale underground granary was employed, in which temperature and relative humidity of the grain pile, surrounding soil, and ambient air were monitored at 28 sampling points. The effectiveness of mechanical ventilation and ventilation pretreatment in reducing condensation was also assessed. Results demonstrated that during static storage, the granary was minimally affected by external conditions. Yet, a high temperature and humidity area developed at the top of the grain pile over the 24-day period of static storage. Under mechanical ventilation, local relative humidity decreased but grain temperature still responded to ambient conditions. In contrast, ventilation pretreatment stabilized inlet air, lowered peak grain temperature by 1 °C, and improved relative humidity reduction from 6% to 12%. This produced a more uniform temperature–humidity profile and markedly reduced condensation risk.

The paddy farmer’s performance and ability to improve productivity are driven by their level of farm management practices. Knowledge on the nature and level of sustainable farm management (SFM) practiced provides opportunities for supporting the competitive advantages of paddy farmers to sustainably break away from the poverty cycle. Little attention has been given to measuring the performance and impact of SFM on the improvement of paddy farmers livelihoods in Malaysia. Without understanding SFM, it is difficult to make policies and provide targeted, impactful support to paddy farmers. This study aims to evaluate the level of Sustainable Farming Management (SFM) among paddy farmers by applying the Sustainable Farm Management Index (SFMI), in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Rice Check (RC) by the Department of Agriculture. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the key factors and their impact on enhancing paddy yield in Malaysia’s main granary areas. A set of structured questionnaire was designed to capture the eleven elements of farming practices based on the RC and was then distributed to 500 paddy farmers in Malaysia’s main granary areas, namely Muda Agriculture Development Authority (MADA), Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority (KADA), and Integrated Agriculture Development Authority Barat Laut Selangor (IAD-BLS). Each practice was given a score to determine whether the guidelines were followed. The index ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 being unsustainable and 100 being highly sustainable. A multiple regression analysis was employed as well to estimate the effects of SFM adoption on farmer livelihoods. The findings show that adopting SFM has a positive and significant effect on farmers’ livelihoods. The paper therefore recommends that farmers should be educated on the importance of sustainable farming practices, as this is essential for the sustainable livelihood development of the poor farmers who rely on government subsidies.