Bio-deterioration of wood products by micro-organisms and insects is a major problem. The current trend in the development of wood preservatives is to use biocide combinations which include both inorganic-organic and organic-organic binary mixtures.
Salamah S. and Salmiah U.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong 52109, Selangor, Malaysia
Email: salamahs@frim.gov.my
New developments in wood preservation have been mainly in the area of new preservatives. The selection of wood preservatives, formulations, and treatment methods are dependent on the product and type of protection required. Dipping or spraying is for temporary or short-term protection and pressure processes are for longer term protection.
Bio-deterioration of wood products by micro-organisms and insects is a major problem inducing commercial wood preservative formulations to contain chemicals toxic to micro-organisms and insects. In order to be commercially viable wood preservatives, chemical formulations should be cost effective, have good permanence in the wood, no significant effect on the strength properties of wood, low corrosivity to metal fasteners, good penetration properties and safe to handle and use.
Three types of wood preservative are available globally; oil-, water- and light organic solvent-based preservatives with water-based preservatives as the most popular world wide. Copper-chrome-arsenate (CCA), a water based preservative is the most important wood preservative and widely used for timber in construction work and outdoor application including some light organic solvent based preservatives followed by boron based compound for indoor application.
The current trend in the development of wood preservatives is to use biocide combinations which include both inorganic-organic and organic-organic binary mixtures. Another approach to wood preservation is by the chemical modification method. Existing Malaysian Standards have been revised lately to comply with the latest requirements of the timber based industries and government regulations which include the new treatment process, product specification, preservative formulation and quality control. These standards are being coordinated by the Malaysian Wood Preserving Association as Standard Writing Organization for wood preservation.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: mdnor@frim.gov.my
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Using Biotechnology in tropical forests for wealth generation
This paper highlights the research into developing conservation strategies, curbing illegal logging through forensic forestry, developing forest conservation strategies using molecular marker technology, molecular breeding to advance the breeding of specific traits, in vitro conservation of plant species and new drug discovery programs.
Krisnapillay B., Marzalina M. and Razak M.A.A.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-62797806
Email: baskaran@frim.gov.my
Biotechnology R&D in FRIM has grown gradually over the past 22 years from basic seed technology, tissue culture and isoenzyme studies to cryopreservaton, genetic engineering, DNA marker technology, population genetics, protein and small active molecular compounds that have potential for new drug development. To ensure the research being done is current and in par with those in the developed world, FRIM’s has made significant investments into purchasing state of the art equipment for its laboratories and in training the appropriate manpower for such research. Incidentally, in the 9th Malaysian Plan (period from 2006-2010) the Government too has identified Biotechnology as a new thrust area and a new source of wealth creation for the nation. Indirectly FRIM’s investment and manpower development prior to the 9th Plan apparently has augured well with the Government’s aspiration to tap the natural resources in a sustainable way to generate new wealth using the modern tools of Biotechnology. The mission of the Biotechnology program also seeks to develop cross-cutting research over all the programs in the Institute and also to offer such services to other agencies, through the utilization of these modern tools. This paper highlights some of the strategies, research and findings that have been utilized into producing improved quality planting materials developing conservation strategies, curbing illegal logging through forensic forestry, developing forest conservation strategies using molecular marker technology, molecular breeding to advance the breeding of specific traits, in vitro conservation of plant species and new drug discovery programs.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: mdnor@frim.gov.my
Krisnapillay B., Marzalina M. and Razak M.A.A.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-62797806
Email: baskaran@frim.gov.my
Biotechnology R&D in FRIM has grown gradually over the past 22 years from basic seed technology, tissue culture and isoenzyme studies to cryopreservaton, genetic engineering, DNA marker technology, population genetics, protein and small active molecular compounds that have potential for new drug development. To ensure the research being done is current and in par with those in the developed world, FRIM’s has made significant investments into purchasing state of the art equipment for its laboratories and in training the appropriate manpower for such research. Incidentally, in the 9th Malaysian Plan (period from 2006-2010) the Government too has identified Biotechnology as a new thrust area and a new source of wealth creation for the nation. Indirectly FRIM’s investment and manpower development prior to the 9th Plan apparently has augured well with the Government’s aspiration to tap the natural resources in a sustainable way to generate new wealth using the modern tools of Biotechnology. The mission of the Biotechnology program also seeks to develop cross-cutting research over all the programs in the Institute and also to offer such services to other agencies, through the utilization of these modern tools. This paper highlights some of the strategies, research and findings that have been utilized into producing improved quality planting materials developing conservation strategies, curbing illegal logging through forensic forestry, developing forest conservation strategies using molecular marker technology, molecular breeding to advance the breeding of specific traits, in vitro conservation of plant species and new drug discovery programs.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: mdnor@frim.gov.my
DNA Marker Technologies for conservation and sustainable forestry in Malaysia
Conservation of these forest genetic resources is the best means to guarantee their availability for the use of present and future generations. Therefore, information on population genetics of forest plant species is essential for the successful implementation of conservation and tree improvement programmes.
DNA MARKER TECHNOLOGIES: IT’S APPLICATION TO THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF MALAYSIAN FOREST TREE SPECIES
Norwati M., Lee S. L., Kevin, N. K. S, Lee, C. T., Siti Salwana, H., Ng C. H. and Tnah, L. H.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-62797144
Fax: 03-62804614
Email: norwati@frim.gov.my
Forestry and forest genetic resources are important to the livelihood of mankind. Genetic diversity of forests is seen not only as a natural reserve but also as a potential resource. Human intervention on the natural forests has put a great pressure on the ecosystems.
Many species of interest have depleted very rapidly from their natural habitat and some suffer potential extinction. Therefore conservation, sustainable use and management of Forest Genetic Resources are crucial for present and future generation.
At FRIM, most of the time genetic materials or germplasm from the forests are used by researchers and breeders for selection to increase a tree's resistance to a disease, improve the quality of its products, or make it more suitable for use in agro forestry.
Conservation of these forest genetic resources is the best means to guarantee their availability for the use of present and future generations. Therefore, information on population genetics of forest plant species is essential for the successful implementation of conservation and tree improvement programmes.
In conservation programmes, this information would be useful in designing sampling strategies for ex situ conservation and sustainable forest management. At the same time such information can be used in tree improvement programmes to provide adequate guidelines in designing sampling strategies, clone identification and tracking desirable genes for early selection in tree improvement programme.
At the Genetic Unit, the issue of conservation of important tropical species is approached through two notable issues, which are a) Genetic diversity evaluation of species based on their status (such as endemism, rare, threatened or endangered etc.) and; b) effect of logging on genetic diversity. For the former, some of the species studied include Aquilaria malaccensis, Dyera costulata, Shorea lumutensis, Hopea bilitonensis, H. subalata, H. odorata, Neobalanocarpus heimii. As for the effect of logging, some of the species studied include Shorea leprosula, S. ovalis, S. curtisii and S. macroptera. For these purposes, Genetic Unit has developed various types of genetic markers such as isozymes, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) and microsatellite. This paper addresses FRIM research findings from these studies.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: mdnor@frim.gov.my
DNA MARKER TECHNOLOGIES: IT’S APPLICATION TO THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF MALAYSIAN FOREST TREE SPECIES
Norwati M., Lee S. L., Kevin, N. K. S, Lee, C. T., Siti Salwana, H., Ng C. H. and Tnah, L. H.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-62797144
Fax: 03-62804614
Email: norwati@frim.gov.my
Forestry and forest genetic resources are important to the livelihood of mankind. Genetic diversity of forests is seen not only as a natural reserve but also as a potential resource. Human intervention on the natural forests has put a great pressure on the ecosystems.
Many species of interest have depleted very rapidly from their natural habitat and some suffer potential extinction. Therefore conservation, sustainable use and management of Forest Genetic Resources are crucial for present and future generation.
At FRIM, most of the time genetic materials or germplasm from the forests are used by researchers and breeders for selection to increase a tree's resistance to a disease, improve the quality of its products, or make it more suitable for use in agro forestry.
Conservation of these forest genetic resources is the best means to guarantee their availability for the use of present and future generations. Therefore, information on population genetics of forest plant species is essential for the successful implementation of conservation and tree improvement programmes.
In conservation programmes, this information would be useful in designing sampling strategies for ex situ conservation and sustainable forest management. At the same time such information can be used in tree improvement programmes to provide adequate guidelines in designing sampling strategies, clone identification and tracking desirable genes for early selection in tree improvement programme.
At the Genetic Unit, the issue of conservation of important tropical species is approached through two notable issues, which are a) Genetic diversity evaluation of species based on their status (such as endemism, rare, threatened or endangered etc.) and; b) effect of logging on genetic diversity. For the former, some of the species studied include Aquilaria malaccensis, Dyera costulata, Shorea lumutensis, Hopea bilitonensis, H. subalata, H. odorata, Neobalanocarpus heimii. As for the effect of logging, some of the species studied include Shorea leprosula, S. ovalis, S. curtisii and S. macroptera. For these purposes, Genetic Unit has developed various types of genetic markers such as isozymes, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) and microsatellite. This paper addresses FRIM research findings from these studies.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: mdnor@frim.gov.my
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