Densification of ashy biochar into tablet can enhance the handling and conveyance efficiencies of biochar. It was hypothesized that fertilizer-embedded biochar tablets can slowly release embedded nutrients in synchrony with optimum nutrient uptake by crops. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of biochar tablets with and without embedded fertilizer on soil chemical properties and nutrient use efficiency of Zea mays (sweet corn). The biochar tablet (BT) was produced by blending a biochar mixture with starch followed by densification using a single punch tablet press whereas the fertilizer embedded biochar tablet (BF) was prepared using the same procedure except that NPK fertilizer was added during blending. A pot experiment with five fertilization treatments including control was carried out in an open field located in Perlis, Malaysia. Co-application of biochar and fertilizer increased soil total carbon, nitrogen, but it reduced soil electrical conductivity (EC). Additionally, the BF significantly increased leaf chlorophyll content, dry root weight, and total plant nutrient use efficiency of sweet corn. The findings suggest that BF can serve as a slow release fertilizer to improve crop nutrient use efficiency. Therefore, embedding fertilizer in biochar tablets is recommended for sweet corn production following a long term field study to confirm the findings of this pot study.

Aim: Auxin, a phytohormone secreted by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria is one of the direct mechanisms vital for plant growth promotion. A laboratory experiment was conducted to observe the effect of IAA-producing and non-IAAproducing diazotroph Bacillus cereus strains on early growth of shallot (Allium ascalonicum) and mustard (Brassica juncea) plants. Methodology and Results: Treatments evaluated were as follows: Control = uninoculated, no inoculation, UPMLH1 = IAA-producing B. cereus UPMLH1, and UPMLH24 = non-IAA-producing B. cereus UPMLH24. Inoculation with IAAproducing B. cereus UPMLH1 significantly increased shallot adventitious roots (root number and length) and shoot growth (19 to 54% increment). Inoculation of non-IAA-producing B. cereus UPMLH24 did not significantly improve growth of adventitious roots of shallot as compared to uninoculated control, except its shoot (up to 40% increase). However, primary roots and shoot growth of mustard plants significantly increased through inoculation with IAAproducing and non-IAA-producing strains (14 to 73% increment). Conclusion, Significance and Impact of Study: The results indicated that exogenous IAA secreted by B. cereus UPMLH1 might have play an important role in inducing roots of shallot bulbs and it may have a variable promotional effect depending on plant species.

Present study demonstrated the antibacterial potential of three different body parts, abdomen, carapace and cheliped of mud lobster (Thalassina anomala) which were extracted with methanol and hexane. Three test bacteria were used in this study namely Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica. Present study found that in general, methanolic and hexane extracts of different body parts had variable inhibitory responses on different test bacteria with methanolic extract had greater inhibitory response than hexane extract. In methanol extraction, B. cereus significantly had greatest negative impact (p<0.05) on growth after treated with cheliped (21 mm zone of inhibition) extract of mud lobster as compared to carapace (9.2 mm) and abdominal (8.8 mm) extracts of mud lobster. Overall, the growth of S. enterica was much affected with the presence of all methanolic body-part extracts of mud lobster. In hexane extraction, B. cereus growth was not affected with all body-part extracts of mud lobster. However, E. coli and S. enterica were affected with no significantly different (p>0.05) among body-part extracts and between them. Present study concludes that the extracts of mud lobster of all body-part in methanol possess greater inhibitory effect on bacterial growth than extracts in hexane thus the methanolic extract of mud lobster has the potential to be exploited as a natural source of antibacterial agent.

<p>To evaluate the effects of ground leaf of Misai kucing (<em>Orthosiphon stamineus</em>) as a dietary supplement on serum biochemical parameters and liver morphology. One hundred and sixty one-day old male broiler chickens (n=160) were distributed into four treatment groups, with five replicates of eight birds in each group: the control group (diet without additives); the group dietary treatments, Diet OS2 (Basal diet + 2g/kg <em>O. stamineus</em>); Diet OS4 (Basal diet + 4g/kg <em>O. stamineus</em>) and Diet OS8 (Basal diet + 8g/kg <em>O. stamineus</em>). After 42 days, 40 birds were randomly selected for serum biochemical profile analysis involving pancreatic, renal, and hepatic functions (urea, sodium, potassium, chlorine, aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, albumin, and globulins). Present study found that serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, AST, ALT and ALP were significantly lower suggesting that the <em>O. stamineus</em> ground leaf possibly do not cause kidney and liver impairment, mainly, at the higher dosage (8g/kg). Present study concluded that the broiler chicken fed <em>O. stamineus</em> ground leaf at a rate 8 g/kg was the most promising dietary supplement to enhance health without deleterious effects on serum biochemical properties and morphological components of liver. In addition, it reduces abdominal fats and serum cholesterol. This study has provide evident that medicinal plant, <em>O. stamineus</em> can potentially substituted the use of additive synthetic.</p>

Densification of biochar can reduce transportation and handling costs, as well as significantly decrease loss of biochar during soil application. Although the nutrient-rich biochar tablets may be a potential cost-effective slow-release fertilizer in soil, there is a lack of information on characterization of mixtures of rubber tree twigs and rice residues tablets with embedded NPK fertilizer. Objective of this work was to determine the physical and chemical properties of biochar tablets with and without embedded fertilizer. Biochar tablets were produced by blending of charred rice husk, rice straw, rubber tree twigs, and starch and followed by tableting. Their production with embedded fertilizer was similar to production process of tablets without it, except adding the NPK fertilizer to blending phase prior to tableting. Fourier-transform infrared spectra analysis indicates was utilized for determination of presence of ammonium and phosphorus substances in the biochar tablets with embedded fertilizer (BFs). The NPK fertilizer significantly increased tablet density and total contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The presence of higher amount of nutrients in BFs suggests that it could release nutrients for plant use.