National Priorities for Sustainable Soil Health and Nutrient Management in Malaysia by Theeba Manickam

1. National Priorities for
Sustainable Soil Health and
Nutrient Management in
Malaysia
Paper presented by,
THEEBA MANICKAM
CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER,
MALAYSIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, MARDI
https://mardi.gov.my
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health
Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

2. Status of soil resources in Malaysia
33%
67%
LAND USE
Agriculture others
Source: Department Of Agriculture, Malaysia 2015Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

3. Issues of soil health
•Cameron Highlands, Lojing (P. M’sia); Kundasang
(Sabah) – > 1,000 m asl (steep slope)
•Main temperate vegetables and cut flowers
production area in Malaysia
•Excessive cutting of slope caused severe erosion, lake
sedimentation and siltation
•Continuous use of chemical input under netter
structure caused high soil salinity and decline in soil
fertility
Agriculture
production on
environmental
sensitive area
(Highland )
•Excessive fertilizer inputs to achieve high crop yield
production for and application of fertilizers at blanket
rates specially for rice without altering soil pH
causing high accumulation of chemicals in soil and
decline in soil microbial population
•Heavy mechanization on flooded rice system disturbs
the hard pan layer and causing soft soil problem
Intensive
farming
practices
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

4. Issues of soil health
•Development on acid sulfate soil – Over drained ,high
acidity, Al and Fe toxicity (100,000ha)
•Development on sandy soil –high drainage, fertilizer
leaching ,low soil pH and low CEC- (155,400 ha)
•Development on peat soil - Over drained, subsidence,
fire (newly developed area) -2.7 mil ha
•Inefficient management causing further soil
degradation, chemical pollution and low crop yield
production
Agriculture
production
on
marginal
land area
(Acid
sulphate,
peat and
sandy soil )
•Heavy rainfall causing flood, severe erosion,
Siltation, destroy infrastructure, affects crop
production
•Prolonged draught causing decline in soil living
organism, microbial population, destroys soil
structure and upset the crop production
Climate
Rice and oil palm cultivation under acid sulphate soil
Sweet potato cultivation
under sandy soil Pineapple cultivation
under peat soil
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

5. National priorities and strategies for sustainable soil health
and crop nutrient management
MyOrganic scheme and
certification for zero
chemical inputs, increase
organic matter, carbon and
soil ecosystem sustainability
Biofertilizer as part of
government fertilizer subsidy
scheme for rice production
to rejuvenate microbial
population in soil
MyGap certification to
reduce chemical inputs in
commercial farms
Mapping of soil carbon and
organic matter for rice
ecosystem and development
of Environmental Impact
Assessment tools
Transformation to
Living soil
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

6. Improved soil carbon, organic matter and microbial population
through application of long term vermicmpost and compost
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

7. Application of green fertilizers for agriculture
production
Development of new fertilizer subsidy scheme
for rice production incorporating bio fertilizers
and green fertilizers ( year 2018)
1) Organo- mineral with humic acid, zeolite and
silica
2) Coated urea and NPK granule
3) Urea fertilizers with urease inhibitors
4) Biofertilizers with beneficial microbes for
Nitrogen fixing, Phosphorus & Potassium
solubilizing
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

8. Soil pH, CEC and
nutrient
mapping
Development of site
specific fertilizer
recommendation
tool as DSS for
agriculture
production
Recommendation of
organic fertilizer for
pH and CEC
improvement based
on soil fertility
mapping
Sustainable crop
nutrient management
through precision
agriculture for rice
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

9. Development of DSS tool for site specific nutrient,
organic matter and lime recommendation for rice
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand
Fertilizer recommendation maps

10. Strategies for soft soil management in rice
Sampling for soil
mechanical analysis
Mapping of soil bearing
capacity
Recommendation on
type of suitable
mechanization
according to location
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

11. Problematic soil management by improving organic matter content
Application of biochar based compost in acid sulphate soil
for rice cultivation 5t/ha
Application of biochar based compost in sandy
soils (BRIS) for low land cabbage cultivation at
10t/ha
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

12. Research and Development by FRIM on rehabilitation mangrove
forest and reforestation of ex mining soil
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

13. Involvement and initiatives by various
agencies in soil health management
Agencies Initiatives
DOA, DOF, DVS Malaysia Good Agricultural Practices (myGAP)
DOA,MARDI, DOF,
DVS
Malaysia Organic Certification Scheme (myOrganic)
MARDI and DOA 1. Soil profiling and site specific nutrient management
for rice in Malaysia
2. Mapping and management of soft soil problem in rice
in Malaysia
3. Revision of rice fertilizer subsidy scheme with site
specific nutrient rates & incorporation of
biofertilizers and green fertilizers
MARDI, DOA, FRIM,
TROPI and
Universities
Problematic soil management ( peat, sandy and acid
sulphate, ex-mining)
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand

14. THANK YOU
Regional Conference on Role of Soil and Plant Health Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Asia
Pacific, 21-23rd November 2018, Bangkok, Thailand