AAR 2014 PROMOTIONS

AAR
SOCIAL NEWS
AAR Officers
Research Officer (RO) : Mr. Kumar a/l Krishnan
: Mr. Sim Choon Cheak
Assistant Research Officer (ARO II) : Miss Ee Chea Chea
: Mr. Lee Kok Yew
: Mr. Chen Zi Yan
: Encik Muhamad Ezwan bin A. Razak
: Mr. Chin ShenYang
: Cik Aida Nazlyn bin Nazari
To be Internationally Recognized as the Premier Centre for Research &
: Miss Grace Tung Hun Jiat
Development offering excellent Products and Services in Tropical Plantation
PT AARI Officers Tree Crops
Research Officer (RO) : Ibu Sita Astari
Assistant Research Officer (ARO II) : Pak Rama Rupama April 2014

: Pak Ivan Rendi bin Mustopa

ANALYTICAL

NEWS
OUTSTANDING COMMITED
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL DEDICATED
DEVOTED ASTOUNDING
STRONG
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT CREATIVE
SUSTAINABLE EFFICIENT
AA Resources AA Research
Clerical/Technical Staff (CS) Clerical/Technical Staff (CS)
MOTIVATED CRITICAL EFFECTIVE SUCCESSFUL INNOVATIVE
Research Assistant : Encik Mahadi bin Pordi
Research Assistant : Encik Rosli bin
(Grade I)
(Grade I) Hamzah
: Mdm Raja Lachime a/p IN THIS ISSUE
Research Assistant : Encik Abdu Rahman
Paramasivam
(Grade II) bin Pasarai
Research Assistant : Encik Niefleh bin Research Assistant : Encik Ahmad Zulkarnaen
NURSERY PRACTICAL GUIDE : IDENTIFYING ABNORMAL
(Grade III) Sapary @ Safari (Grade II) bin Hamdin
Research Clerk : Puan Noraini binti
Welcome to the first issue of AAR news- SEEDLINGS/ RAMETS IN THE NURSERY
: Encik Abdul Rassid bin
(Grade II) Sukran letter for the year. ∞
Mohamed
Laboratory Assistant : Mdm Kathirvee a/l
: Encik Dzulkefle bin Ismail CULLING ABNORMAL PALMS IN YOUNG FIELDS
(Grade III) Gunasegaran Baltasar Gracian once said: “Good things,
: Puan Intan binti Ab- Research Clerk : Puan Sharmie binti Minka when short, are twice as good ”, there- ∞
(Grade II) fore, in this issue, we aim to deliver
Laboratory Assistant : Puan Munirah binti Laboratory Assistant : Mdm Athi Letchumy a/p SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY POTASSIUM (K) DEFICIENCY, PESTA-
(Grade II) A.M. Nasir different messages effectively with as
(Grade III) Arumugam LOTIOPSIS LEAF SPOT DISEASE & GENETIC ORANGE SPOTTING
: Mdm Malarvili a/p Perian- little words as possible in the form of pic- (GOS)
nan torial guides. So, let’s start reading and
Laboratory Operator : Encik Junnaidi bin ∞
Non-Clerical Staff (NCS) find out more for yourself.!
(Grade II) Jamil
AA+ MULCH: A SMART WAY TO RAISE HEALTHY & UNIFORM
: Encik Norazlan bin Laboratory Opera- : Puan Azizawati binti The Editorial Team YOUNG PALMS IN THE FIELD
Zainal tor (Grade II) Mohd Aripin
: Puan Siti Farizah binti Mdm M Sarawathy a/p ∞
Surono
: Puan Nur Hasanah binti
Mangdi
AAR SOCIAL NEWS
Research Operator : Encik Amirol Faizol bin
Jali
(Grade II) Abd Razak “I WANT MY WORDS TO ILLUMINATE LIKE THE SUN, AS I GIVE MY DAILY LECTURE ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO MY HOUSEPLANTS.” JAROD KINTZ, I WANT
: Encik Norazmi bin
Please scan! Sapiansuri
 Nursery Practical Guide : Identifying
Culling and Selection in Oil Palm Nursery – Seedlings and Ramets
Objective To ensure that the best uniformly grown nursery palms that are likely to give the
highest yields are planted in the field.

Rationale Good uniform seedlings give good uniform plantings, which are pre-requisites for
high early and peak yields.
Policy  Two rounds of culling (2 and 3-4 leaf stages) in the pre-nursery
 Two rounds of culling ( 7th and 9th months old) in the main
nursery
 A round of selection in the nursery before field planting

The Newsletter Special praise goes towards our AARSC 2013 Committee members
for organising a string of memorable Company events. Expected Seedlings : Pre-nursery stage – 10-20%
Editorial Team 2013/14 President & Treasurer culling rate Main nursery stage – 5-10 %
Ee Chea Chea Ramets : Expected final culling rate at pre and main nursery – 5%
Editor Vice President & Treasurer
Cassandra Chong
Masniwati Jemali
Team Members Main characteristic of normal pre-nursery seedlings (3
Secretary
Melody Malden ● Muhamad Ezwan ● months old ):
Sarah Nadhirah
Tan Swee Sian ● Cheah Li Wen ●
Representatives:
Healthy 3-4 leaf stage with dark green foliage.
Puspita Demitria
Norizan Jaafar (Main Office) ● Nadiah Taib (P& D Lab) ● Mohamad Hazizi
Che Azmi (Field section) ● Mohamad Nor Hafizi Mat Ali (Field section) ●
Norshahira Ahmad (Account) ● Mohamad Kamal Othman (Chemistry Lab)
ABOUT THE EDITOR
● Kuppamala A/P Raja (Tissue Culture) ● Haeri Abdullah (Paloh) ● Bacho
@ Kachong Ambosappe (Sabah) ● Grace Tung Hun Jiat (Biotech)

Cassandra Chong graduated from Main characteristic of normal main nursery seedlings (9
the University of Queensland months old):
(Australia) with a B. Sc in Agricultur-
al Sciences (Hons.) in 2012. She
More than 70% of the leaves are pinnating, vigorous
joined AAR back in April 2013 as seedling and green foliage.
Oil Palm Agronomist and is one of
the many aspiring young and up-
coming researchers.
PRE NURSERY SEEDLINGS/RAMETS DISORDER Frequently asked questions
1. Why does AA Hybrida IS
appear smaller and erectish in
COLLANTE the pre-nursery?
(SEEDLING/RAMET) AA Hybrida IS is a slow growing
material. A month after plant-
CHIMEARA (SEEDLING/RAMET) ing, when foliar fertilizer appli-
Leaves are ‘puckered’ due to cation commences, a more uni-
insufficient watering. form growth in the pre-nursery
Seedling leaves showed stripes of whitish, can be observed.
cholorotic tissue.

2. Can we keep the abnormal

TRUNCATED LEAVES seedlings in the nursery?
(RAMET ONLY) No. The abnormal seedlings
should be culled. Keeping the
abnormal seedlings in the nurse-
Also known as self-pruning. It ry will result in wastage of ferti-
may recover but severely af- lisers, pesticides and watering,
GRASS LEAF (SEEDLING/ fected ramets should be culled. thus increasing nursery cost.
RAMET)

Leaves are narrow and grassy like

ROLLED LEAF (SEEDLING/

RAMET)

TWISTED SHOOTS
The leaves rolled in thus produc-
(SEEDLING/RAMET) ing a ‘spike’ appearance.

The shoots are twisted due to incor-

rectly planting the seeds upside About the AUTHOR
down.
Melody Maldon (MMP), a graduate
in Applied Science in Agrobiology
(B.Sc. Hons) from University Sains
TERMINAL INFLORESCENCE Malaysia, is one of the many aspir-
CRINKLED LEAF (RAMET ONLY) ing young researchers recruited by
(SEEDLING/RAMET) AAR. She joined the ranks of the
team of Agronomist, emphasizing on
The apical meristem of the ramet nursery management practices and
Leaves are disfigured by lines being converted to a floral bud. is also a team member of the Exten-
of transverse corrugations. sion services involved with after
sales advisory visits.
MAIN NURSERY SEEDLINGS/RAMETS DISORDER

Frequently asked questions

WIDE INTERNODE 1. Will the abnormal seedlings
The distances between the produce bunches if planted in
CLOSE INTERNODE the field?
pinnae on the rachis are
The distances between the
very wide, thus giving a Yes. However, the palms will
pinnae on the rachis are look unhealthy and erectish. It
small giving the appearance
very ‘open’ appearance.
may not produce bunches or
of frond compression. only small bunches thus giving
low yields.

2. Why does AA Hybrida 1S

materials start pinnating later
ERECTISH than other planting materials
One of AA Hybrida IS charac-
Seedling fronds set at
FLAT TOP teristic is slow height increment.
narrow angle to the
The seedlings will begin to pin-
Younger shoots are stem and growing up- nate from the 9th months on-
shorter, resulting in a right, often taller than wards.
‘flattened’ appearance. other normal seedlings.

THIN PINNAE
BROAD LEAF The pinnae are
The pinnae are very narrow and
short and wide. sharply pointed.
MAIN NURSERY SEEDLINGS/RAMETS DISORDER

CHIMEARA 3. Is there any additional nutrient

COLLANTE
The fronds display stripes of whit- requirement for AA Hybrida Is in
The fronds are ‘puckered’ the main nursery?
ish, cholorotic tissue.
due to insufficient water-
ing. The seedlings should Yes. Borate is advisable to be applied
be culled if the vigour does at 5th and 7th month in order to pre-
not improve after solving vent Boron deficiency
1g HGFB/ 10 litres water @ 500ml
per seedling on the 5th month & 7th
month.

Quotes of the day:

JUVENILE “ My grandfather used to say that
The pinnae remain undivided once in your life you need a doctor, a
in the main nursery until 9 lawyer, a policeman and a preacher
months old. TRUNCATED LEAVES but everyday, 3 times a day, you need
a farmer”
(RAMET)
Brenda Schoepp
Also known as self-
pruning. Severely affected
“If you are going to complain about
farmers, make sure you don’t talk
with your mouth full”.

MULTIPLE SHOOTS Annonymous

(RAMET)
New shoots develop after “As a farmer, you learn quick, you
transplanting. If noted in don’t get anything that you don’t
pre-nursery stage, the ramets work hard for”.
GRASS LEAF
should be split up and
Thomas Evan
The pinnae are very thin
and soft giving a very
weak appearance to the “Farming looks mighty easy when
your plow is a pencil and you’re
thousand miles from the corn field”.
President Dwight D.Eisenhower
CULLING ABNORMAL PALMS IN YOUNG FIELDS

THINGS TO TAKE NOTE!

Good nursery manage-

ment including culling
practices is important to
avoid or minimise plant-
ing runts in the field.

It is also essential to carry

ERECTISH NARROW PINNAE 100% MANTLED ABORTIVE PALMS out a field census in order
The pinnae at the rachis are thin Mantled ramets that should be culled and supplied to identify any runts that
and narrow. in the young fields. The bunches may abort and/or may have been missed out
rotten. during selection and
nursery culling. These
runts should be removed
and supplied. The photos
provided are possible ab-
normalities that may be
observed in the field.

Suspected runts should be

examined closely to avoid
confusion with symptoms
of previous pest attacks or
herbicide damage.

BROAD PINNAE FLAT TOP

The pinnae arrangement on the The new shoots are shorter, resulting in
rachis is short, close and wide. a ‘flattened’ appearance
DISTINGUISHING THE VARIOUS TYPE OF “ORANGE SPOT’’ SYMPTOMS CAUSED
BY POTASSIUM (K) DEFICIENCY, PESTALOTIOPSIS & GENETIC ORANGE
SPOTTING (GOS)
Written by Cheah LW & Tan SS

Orange spotting symptoms are now Symptoms for K deficiency: Symptoms for Pestalotiopsis leaf spot disease:
considered prevalent in oil palm and Small clear, round or slightly irregular shaped, translucent orange coloured spots Early symptoms: Small olive green circular spots (1-4mm), oily yellow halo.
previously attributed mainly to potassi- appear on the upper and lower surfaces of the pinnae. Later symptoms: Dark spots which gradually increase from 1.5 to 20 mm in diameter, changing
um (K) deficiency. Foliar desiccation and marginal leaf necrosis may occur in severe cases. from circular to elliptical lesions, surrounded with a yellow to orange-red halo.

However, pathogens which are mainly Disease intensity increases with leaf age since lesions occur most frequently on the older fronds,
of fungal origin that can cause leaf Importance: especially those becoming moribund and thus more prone to attack by weak pathogens.

spots also produce initial symptoms K deficiency has been reported to lower bunch number, bunch size and weight, as Lesions coalesce resulting in large necrotic areas in pinnae tissue.
which are very similar to K deficiency well as oil/bunch
symptoms. With oil palm, the prevalent
fungal leaf spot disease affecting our
field planted palms has been associated
with Pestalotipsis sp.
Recently, the oil palm industry was in-
troduced yet to another form of orange
spotting which in turn associated with
a viroid referred to as OS-CCCVd, and
also associated with Genetic Orange
Spotting or GOS.
Despite their close symptomatic simi-
larities, the various orange spots can
actually be distinguished apart based
on their symptoms. Cause: Importance:
By being able to identify these symp- Insufficient potassium levels Elaeis guineensis and its hybrid are prone to the disease but no reported yield reductions observed
in Malaysia apart from a marginal reduction in vegetative growth, i.e. shorter fronds
toms, fellow planters would be able to Occurrence of symptoms in the field:
decide on the appropriate corrective
Several palms or a portion of a block, depending on how widespread the K defi- Cause:
measures, for instance K fertilizers to ciency was. Palms with K-deficiency can also be infected and elicit leaf lesions With mature oil palm, the causative agent is reported to be P. theae, P. maculans and P. guepinii.
address K deficiency or culling of associated with Pestalotiopsis leaf spot disease.
GOS palms.
Occurrence of symptoms in the field:
Infection usually confined to lower or moribund fronds and under severe conditions can spread to
the middle canopy. Mostly occur over whole blocks or a large portion of a block.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Symptoms for Genetic Orange Spotting (GOS):
Cheah Li Wen (Team member of the Advisory/
Non-necrotic, translucent yellow to orange-coloured irregular spots (2-3mm) on leaves, which Agronomy/P&D Sections)
may coalesce into streaks, usually on the lower/middle canopy (though not exclusively) as also
1) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PREDISPOSING FACTORS THAT Cheah Li Wen (CLW) joined us in 2012 and he is cur-
observed on top canopy. Palms also appear bronze coloured from afar. rently undergoing training to equip himself as a competent
CAUSES K DEFICIENCY AND DISEASES?
oil palm agronomist, capable of implementing and manag-
K deficiency is likely caused by delayed or skipped manuring ing specific research programmes, conducting certain
rounds. Sometimes, sudden burst of FFB production will also agronomic field trials as well as visiting and advising es-
cause rapid depletion of K in the palm tissue. tate managers independently on agronomic matters. In
term of research, he mainly focuses on the various aspects
Palms on shallow soils with very low cation exchange capacity of Ganoderma, which causes basal and upper stem rot in
(CEC) generally require higher K too. oil palm, specifically with regards to the biological control
of this fungus.
For leaf spot disease, some of the predisposing factors are presence
of fungal inoculum (spores), high humidity, often exacerbated by
the closed canopies of young mature palms, which are closer to the
ground. Note that, Magnesium (Mg) deficiency will also increase
the risk of getting leaf spot disease.
For GOS, the predisposing factors remain unknown and epidemiol-
ogy is still poorly understood although OS-CCCVd has been asso-
ciated as one of the causes for GOS but pathogenicity in oil palm
still remain inconclusive.

2) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POSSIBLE CONTROL MEASURES?

For K deficiency, corrective manuring will prevent symptoms on TAN SWEE SIAN (Team member of the Environmental Mi-
GOS palms appear bronze from afar and often occur as a standalone palm sur- new fronds and symptoms can be corrected unless they’ve been ne- crobiology Section)
rounded by healthy palms (upper right). From belowground and against the crotic, desiccated ot moribund. Tan Swee Sian (TSS) recently joined AAR as a Graduate
light, fronds appear bright orange (upper left, below left & right)
As for leaf spot diseases, control measures are usually not neces- Research Assistant focussing on molecular microbiology.
Her research work focuses on establishing molecular biolo-
sary unless severe infection affects younger leaves. Fungicide test-
gy techniques to gain a better understanding on the interac-
Importance: ing is ongoing. General systemic fungicides such as carbendazim tion between soil microbes and plants.
or copper-based fungicides and even contact fungicides such as
GOS palms reportedly have shorter and lighter fronds with smaller leaf areas along with lower nu-
benomyl can be used if required.
tritional status.
Lastly, for GOS, at the moment, there is no available cure. Such
Can lead to either bunch abortion or yield reductions due to smaller bunch weight.
palms are normally culled in the nursery or when spotted in the
field.
Cause:
Oil palm genetic abnormalities (mutations). GOS-symptoms are thought to be a viroid similar to
coconut cadang-cadang viroid disease (CCCVd). The oil palm CCCVd viroid shares 90% similar-
ity with the coconut viroid.

Occurrence of symptoms in the field:

Usually sporadically distributed. Individual palms can exhibit severe symptoms vividly con-
trasting against healthy palms. GOS symptoms cannot be corrected with K fertiliser or fungicide
applications and are present for the life of the fronds. Generally, incidence is minimal or none as
they are considered as runts and are hence culled.
 Costing of AA+ Mulch TM System
Table 1: Comparison of costings of various mulching systems (based on figures from commercial
plantings in several estates in 1997).
Cost per ha (RM) Labour per ha (m.d)

Operations AA+
AA+ EFB
Nil EFB mulch Nil Mulch
Mulch TM mulch TM

Mulching (AA+ Mulch with

- 69 232 - 4.5 4.2
Written by manuring
Manuring (Standard 7
Tey SH, Patrick Ng & Muhamad Ezwan 38 27 - 3.5 2.5 -
rounds, EFB 5 rounds)
Weeding (Year 1,2) 269 269 131 11.4 11.4 5.9
Total 307 365 363 14.9 18.4 10.1
INTRODUCTION der the AA+ MulchTM and catch up in growth.
* including fertilizer application (excluding fertilizer costs)
 In the first two years of oil palm planting,  Use of AA+ MulchTM would ensure that fertilizers
are available throughout the first 12 months where- This was mainly attributed to the following fac- BIODEGRADIBILITY
frequent weeding and manuring are neces-
as in normal estate practice, fertilizer inputs may be tors:
sary to ensure good palm growth. AA+ The AA+ MulchTM is made of polythene. Hence, it
Mulch TM is an innovative mulching system delayed.  In areas with very low rainfall, the AA+ is not biodegradable but solar degradable and will
developed by AAR to alleviate these tedious  AA+ MulchTM reduces surface evaporation from MulchTM system was able to conserve mois- disintegrate slowly in the field. An alternative way
and laborious operations. palm circles and thus conserving moisture for ture, reduce evaporation from soil surface and to use costly biodegradable material is that users
palms planted especially in areas with low rainfall hence reduce moisture stress. can opt to remove the AA+ MulchTM when they do
(less than 1500 mm) and terraces where moisture  Reduction in circle weeding that leads to less not require them anymore. The cost of removing
THE ADVANTAGES OF AA+ MULCHTM stress is the main growth and yield limiting factor. chemical phyto-toxicity and scorching of low- the polyethene sheets is expected to be lesser than
This will result in better growth of palms. RM0.10 per palm and this will be much cheaper
 One-off fertilizer application using com- er fronds.
than using biodegradable products. This practice
pound fertilizers to last up to 14 months. Besides improvement in palm growth, the cost of of removing polythene sheets for recycling pur-
Fertilizer application is reduced to one weeding was reduced by half in the first 2 years
round for the first year of planting. Use of RESEARCH FINDINGS: VEGETATIVE GROWTH poses are carried out extensively in Japan’s plas-
of planting with AA+ MulchTM. Moreover, la- ticulture for cash crops. In addition, the amount of
costly slow released fertilizers is not neces- OF OIL PALM
bour requirement was much lower at 10.1 man- polythene used is very minimal (as AA+ MulchTM
sary with the AA+ MulchTM System. In an area with low annual rainfall of approximately day per hectare with the AA+ MulchTM system is very thin ~ 0.04 mm). Reduction on chemical
 Reduce circle weeding for the first 18-24 1500 mm per year, initial growth of the palms planted compared to 14.9 and 18.4 man-day per hectare usage is more than enough to offset the amount of
months. Labour requirement during imma- with AA+ MulchTM system was superior to those with- for no mulching and EFB mulching respectively. polythene used.
turity is thus reduced. out AA+ MulchTM under the same fertilizer regime
PRECAUTIONS IN USING AA+ MULCHTM THE AA+ MULCHTM SYSTEM
 Avoid harmful chemical phyto-toxicity and SYSTEM
scorching of palm fronds as weeding mostly The AA+ MulchTM system comprises two pieces
AA+ MulchTM system is not recommended in of the polyethene sheets for a single newly planted
carried out at AA+ MulchTM periphery. This AA+ mulch
peat and flood-prone areas where the polythene oil palm seedling to minimize circle weeding and
promotes better palm growth resulting in
sheets and fertilizers may be washed away by reduce fertilizer application rounds. For details on
high early yields. Control
water. the method of application, please refer to the next
 Reduce fertilizer losses due to surface run- two pages.
In dry areas, planting should preferably com-
off (during heavy rain) and leaching losses
mence during wet months so that soils are satu-
especially in areas with high rainfall and
rated before mulching. If palms are planted dur-
steep terrain. Thus fertilizer efficiency is
ing the onset of dry weather when the soils are
improved. Figure 1 Effect of AA+ MulchTM on frond length of 1-
year-old palms on Gajah Mati series (shallow laterit- still dry, the palms may turn chlorotic due to
 Supply palms that are scattered across the ic) soils in low rainfall region. (Source: Ng and Goh, moisture stress. This is because the little rainfall
field will receive the required fertilizers un- 2008) received during the dry months is often not
enough to wet the soils underneath the polythene
sheets.
THE MULCHING PROCEDURE A Smart Way to Raise Healthy & Uniform Young Palms in the Field

REQUIREMENTS
3. Lay the two pieces of tied mulches
 2 PIECES OF AA+ MULCH PER PALM
in the palm circles with the shining
 1 YEAR’S FERTILIZER (PREFERABLY BAGGED) side up. The palm should sit in the
centre.
 10 WOODEN/BAMBOO PEGS PER PALM
 DEDICATED TEAM OF WORKERS AND PLANTERS

1. Clear palm circle, flatten ground

surface and apply fertilizers evenly
within the AA+Mulch TM area but 6
4. Ensure all applied fertilizers
inches away from the palm base. Peg 1 are within the mulch area and
peg the tied ends to the
ground first.

Manufacturer / Distributor:

Segamat Agricultural Products (M) Sdn. Bhd. (23306-V) Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd. (90455-D)

2. Tie a double knot at each end PLO. 158, Kawasan perindustrian, Jalan Genuang, No. 11 Jalan Teknologi 3/6, Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya Selangor, D.E. Malaysia
to join two pieces of 85000 Segamat, Johor D.T.

AA+MulchTM.
T: +603-61517924 F: +603-61517081 E: aarsb@aarsb.com.my
T: +607-9433118 F: +607-9432118 E: sapmsb@tm.net.my
 7. On sloping land, ensure
that the sheets are over-
lapped following the ex-
pected flow of water. For
Peg 2 better results, staple the 2
pieces together.
Peg 3 Peg 1
Peg 4
8. Overall view of an area mulched with
AA+MulchTM. Note that the area must
not be flooded. About the AUTHOR(s) (from left to right)
5. With both ends pegged down (Peg 1 and 2), peg the collar (Peg 3 and
Our Principal Research Officer, Patrick Ng Hong Chuan
4). Collar should be as snugly pegged as possible to prevent weeds (PN) has been with the company since 1998. Besides offering
growth. advisory services as an agronomist, he is also responsible for
overseeing the AAR’s oil palm agronomy research pro-
gramme, GPS/GIS mapping including height and relief survey
(using land survey equipment), AAR’s land evaluation and
soil survey department.

Peg 5 Tey Seng Heng (TSH) , Principal Research Officer, has been with
Peg 6 the company for almost 25 years . He is currently an oil palm and
rubber agronomist. He also specializes in GPS (Global Positioning
System) mapping and GIS (Geographic Information System) for desk-
Peg 7 top feasibility studies, yield mapping and planning of effective drain-
age system for oil palm plantations.

Muhamad Ezwan Abd Razak (MEAR) has been with us since 2011. His cur-
rent duties now are to offer advisory services to various estates independently,
6. With the centre line pegged down, peg down to implement and manage specific research programs/agronomic trials . He is
with another 3 pegs on one side of the mulch also involved in offering technical advices for AA+ mulchTM.
and then move to the next side.

In the close up view of pegs at the corner,

twirling of pegs with the mulch could be a
useful technique.
 came from all our sub-stations from Paloh down
South to Batu Lintang in Kedah. TEAM BUILDING TRIP 2013

AAR SPORTS CLUB NEWS PALOH FAMILY & SPORTS DAY

AARSC HIGHLIGHTS 2013 APRIL 2014 EDITION
August 2013
HARI RAYA CELEBRATION
AARSC Paloh sub-station organised a family and
sports day to treat their employees
Various "exciting" games were planned out for the
day to entertain the crowds, as evident by the jeering
and cheering to support the different teams. It must be
AARSC ORGANISED EID MUBARAK OPEN HOUSE for the day, with our Director of Research Mr. Goh Kah said that such events often helps weave ties of friend-
Joo officiating the feast by lighting candles. Authentic ship and trust to build on the bond of unity.
August 2013
biryani rice served with dhalcha, aloo goobi, mutton and After a whole day event of fun filled, energy-draining
AARSC hosted a Hari Raya feast for its employees at chicken curry, puppodums and much more was served to activities, dinner was served to help replenish the ex-
the AARKD Café. Members contributed with home the crowds. haustion. It was truly a great night for everyone in
cooked meals pleasing the tummies of the masses.
Paloh.
With no one left hungry and no leftovers, the proud
chefs and organisers were thrilled. AARSC President AARSC CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION!
Ee Chea Chea was quoted saying “Sedap kan! Penat
December 2013
kita masak semalam”.
To the likes of AAR employees December brought with
it another festival feast. In the spirit of good tidings and
AARSC DIWALI CELEBRATION! sharing, employees congregated once again at AAR KD
to celebrate Christmas by doing what we do
November 2013
best...feasting. Entertainment came from the likes of an
AAR employees were entertained with not just one adorable 4-year old Ernest Goh (son of Dr. Goh You
but two feasts in conjunction with the Diwali celebra- Keng) that just charmed his way into the hearts of the
tions. The first feast was organised by AARSC. The crowd.
café was decked with decorations symbolic of the fes-
tival of lights and the aroma in the air tempting the
taste buds to indulge in curry and rice. Committee AAR Sabah’s Annual Trip to Borneo Paradise Eco
members were dressed in Punjabi suits and saree’s Farm
and greeted guests with the welcoming words of September 2014
Nameste. Then came the second Diwali celebrations
in the office. Mdm Lectumy Devi (Accounts Manager This year, AAR Sabah substation organised a trip to
for AAR) along with our Malaysian Indian employees Borneo Paradise Eco Farm. There were many activi-
organised a second event during the festival of lights. ties planned for the day – flying fox, volleyball com-
Brass decorations and a Pooja thali was brought in just As opposed to the typical X’mas meal one would expect, petition, karaoke competition and fishing competition.
the tummies were tempted with even more tempting It was a day filled with fun and food. AARISC 2013 Highlights
food...the King of all fruits, durians galore along with This year, the new President, Pak Mohamad Amarul-
many other local fruits. lah, and Vice-President, Pak Ramadhani Rahman
TEAM BUILDING TRIP A SUCCESS! Kusumah, of PT AARI’s Sports Club held their first
event together during the fasting-month Ramadan. Ta-
July 2013
bles were laid and people gathered for a short lecture
A much anticipated trip for the employees was organised while waiting for the sun to set. After a day of tolerat-
to Desaru, Johor. Themed as a team building trip, organ- ing hunger and thirst, the fast-breaking dinner tasted
isers managed to round up the employees on a fun-filled undoubtedly divine.
2-days trip packed with activities centred around friend-
ship and unity. Masses totalling close to 250 employees