http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss <p><strong>Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS)</strong> is published by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Jeli Campus and managed by <span style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Faculty of Agro based Industry (FIAT). </span><span style="font-size: 0.875rem;">The editorial office is located at FIAT, UMK Jeli Campus. Experts from various academic backgrounds contribute ideas, time and expertise towards successful and quality publication of Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science. There is no </span><em style="font-size: 0.875rem;"><strong>Article Processing Charge (APC)</strong></em><span style="font-size: 0.875rem;"> for the Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science.</span></p> UMK en-US Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2462-2389 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1352 The nearshore reefs play several important ecosystem functions in marine environments, especially in coastal areas. Six relatively unknown nearshore reef sites were surveyed in the southern Kuantan coastal waters using the coral video transect (CVT) technique between April 2021 and September 2022 to estimate coral reef benthic components. Data analysis on coral reef benthic components indicated that these uncharted nearshore reefs have ‘fair’ coral cover with an average percentage of 39.4 % ± 17.8 in which ST 1 recorded the highest live coral cover coverage with 68.06 %. Abiotic components (sand and rock) were the second-most abundant and the coverage of dead coral was relatively low at all stations. A total of 33 coral genera were recorded in this study in which Porites, Acropora and Montipora mean percentage cover dominated most of the reef sites. Bathymetry data indicated that some of these uncharted reefs were located on submerged shoals with a depth range between 12 – 17 meters. The variation in benthic community composition observed among reef sites highlights the importance of location-specific management and conservation strategies. Nurazidah Kamarudin Nik Aisyah Ilnani Nik Asbullah Amira Nasuha Azmi Mohd Zaini Mustapa Muhammad Faiz Mohd Hanapiah Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 1 6 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1352 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1359 Marine environment is a harsh and severe environment for a metal structure like vessel, oil rigs and port infrastructure. A regular survey or monitoring is needed to reduce a structure failure due to the corrosion. To be seaworthy, a vessel should undergo a regular survey under specified timeframe. This survey is time consuming and costly. An alternative approach is required to predict the structural integrity of a vessel. Artificial Neural Network is one of the current methods that can be used to predict the deterioration rate of a structure. Corrosion integrity of RV-Discovery was determined via plate thickness measurement, coating thickness measurement and potential measurement. The data obtained from these measurements were used in artificial neural network to predict the deterioration rate. The results indicate that the plate and coating thickness reduction percentage is within minimal range while the average potential changes show that the structure is in passivation state. It implies that the structural integrity is in a good state with no or minimal maintenance required. The prediction of deterioration rate also shows that Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG) training algorithm was able to predict with over 95% of confidence and low mean square error. Mohammad Fakhratul Ridwan Zulkifli Mohamad Ashraf Adlin Suriani Mat Jusoh Samsuri Abdullah Mohd Sabri B Mohd Ghazali Wan Mohd Norsani Wan Nik Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 07 11 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1359 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1360 Across the globe, vector-borne diseases (VBD) are causes of health and economic concern, particularly for companion animals such as dogs and cats. The common clinical presentation ranges from subclinical to acute infection even a proportion with symptomatic manifestation. The diagnosis of asymptomatic animals with VBDs is quite challenging since veterinary practitioners do rely on presenting clinical signs to inform the choice of diagnostic plan. In Malaysia, blood smears (thin and thick) are employed in the diagnosis of VBDs such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis, theileriosis and trypanosomiasis. This method is readily available and inexpensive; however, the sensitivity and specificity are low as the diagnosis is strongly dependent on the experience of the examiner. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the other hand is used in larger veterinary clinics and hospitals in Malaysia and is only utilised when there is a suspicion of VBDs. This study attempts to compare the thin blood smear method and conventional PCR in the diagnosis of of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. platys, Babesia canis, B. gibsoni, Ehrlichia canis in dogs in Malaysia. Thirty clinically healthy dogs (17 males and 13 females) averaging 2 years of age were randomly selected from clinic walk-ins to screen for VBDs with both blood smear and conventional PCR. In general, the conventional PCR was 2.5 times more sensitive and specific than the blood smear in the detection of VBDs including Babesia canis, Babesia gibsoni and Ehrlichia canis in the asymptomatic sampled dogs. The detection rate for blood smears was 20% (6/30) in comparison with 50% (15/30). Therefore, it is imperative to conduct screenings for VBDs in dogs, even when they present as asymptomatic, in order to avert the oversight of potential health emergencies. Conventional PCR emerges as the recommended methodology for screening asymptomatic dogs for VBDs. Tan Jun Jie Ruhil Hayati Hamdan Ibrahim Abdul-Azeez Okene Nadiah Syuhada Roslan Nur Atikah Hashim Faqihah Ibrahim C.W. Salma C.W. Zalati Tan Li Peng Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 12 18 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1360 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1361 Red flesh pitaya (Hylocereus sp.) is a highly perishable fruit with a high content of bioactive compound. It has short shelf life due to high moisture content and water activity. In this study, red flesh pitaya (RFP) powder was produced via foam mat drying method (FMD) with egg albumen (EA) and whey protein isolate (WPI) as the foaming agents. This study aimed to investigate the effect of foaming agent types and its ratio with RFP puree on physicochemical properties of foam-mat dried RFP powder. RFP fruit was incorporated and foamed with EA and WPI at 0 %, 5 %, 15 % and 30 % w/w concentrations. The foam was dried at 65 ?C for 5 hours. The powders were analysed for its moisture content, water activity, solubility, density, colour, fiber and total soluble solid (TSS). Decreasing the puree concentration from 85% to 55% while increasing the concentration of foaming agents (0% to 30%) has decreased the value of moisture content, water activity, crude fiber and colour properties. Meanwhile, the solubility, density and TSS of the foam-mat dried RFP powder was increased with increasing the concentration of both foaming agents (decreasing the ratio of RFP puree) used. The quality of powder foamed with WPI has produced the lowest in moisture content (2.86 %) and water activity (0.18), high in solubility (71.03 %), densities (0.56 g/cm3 and 0.84 g/cm3) and high in TSS (9.61). Meanwhile, the quality of samples foamed with 5% EA and 80% of RDF puree observed high in fiber content (3.38 %) and mostly retains the colour properties. FMD technique may be applied as the preservation technique of fruit powder as it has produced the powder with low moisture content and good colour properties within a short time and is more economical. Tengku Nur ‘Aisyah Afifah Tengku Ahmad Akman Norzaida Yusof Nurul Zaizuliana Rois Anwar Tengku Farizan Izzi Che Ku Jusoh Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 19 27 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1361 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1362 This study studies the complex relationships between maize growth, soil organic matter, and soil physico-chemcial properties, with an emphasis on biochar. It examines how soil organic matter affects pH, bulk density, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), porosity, and nutrient levels. Biochar and soil organic matter increase soil pH by decomposing organic anions. With biochar, increasing soil organic matter concentration reduces bulk density, improving soil structure, porosity, and water retention. By increasing Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), biochar and soil organic matter improve soil nutrient retention and delivery, which is essential for soil fertility. As a soil organic matter component, biochar provides macro and micronutrients, boosting soil production. The study also highlights the importance of soil porosity in plant growth, with sandy soils having high porosity and leaching susceptibility and soil organic matter. However, loam soils, made of sand, clay, and silt, have a balanced porosity and soil organic matter concentration that makes them ideal for agriculture. These data show how organic matter, and biochar, affect maize growth and soil physico-chemical properties. This finding has major implications for protecting the environment and sustainable agriculture. Nazhatul Syahirah Sulaiman Nur Maizatul Idayu Othman Farah Adila Abdullah Nur Nabiella Ain Zamri Nuraimi Syamimi Bismi Ana Ariana Zulaiqa Sahar Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 28 35 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1362 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1363 Hydnophytum formicarum Jack is an epiphyte also known as “pokok sarang semut” or “pokok kepala beruk”. It is a traditional herbal remedy for hepatitis, rheumatism, diarrhoea, and lung cancer. There is a lack of information about the presence of phytochemicals in this plant, particularly those from Malaysia, and different extraction protocols indicate the presence of different chemicals. For this study, H. formicarum tuber were extracted using hexane, methanol, and ethyl acetate and the chemical compounds were identified using GC-MS. The extracts of H. formicarum tubers yielded 28 different compounds. The tuber of H. formicarum contains a wide range of chemical compounds with potential medicinal values. Rivitra Vintisen Kumara Thevan Krishnan Krishna Veni Veloo Heera Rajandas Sivachandran Parimannan Manickam Ravichandran Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 36 46 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1363 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1364 The production of leafy green vegetables in hydroponic systems within greenhouses has gained global prominence in the fresh vegetable production industry. Hydroponic systems, particularly Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), are highly effective due to their soilless nature and efficient nutrient and water circulation. However, maintaining ideal greenhouse temperatures can be challenging. One strategy to reduce energy costs is to heat or cool the nutrient solution instead of the entire greenhouse environment. By regulating the root zone temperature through nutrient solution management, growers can provide more favourable conditions for temperate leafy greens. These conditions are critical because temperatures above 23°C can inhibit plant growth, while temperatures exceeding 35°C can significantly reduce plant metabolism efficiency. This study investigates how lettuce responds to nutrient solution cooling. Importantly, this research focuses on Malaysia, an equatorial country with a consistently warm and humid climate. In such environments, controlling nutrient solution or air temperature to match the crops' optimal growth requirements is crucial. The study employed Butterhead and Romaine lettuce varieties in a hydroponic NFT system. The EC (Environmental Cooling) treatment involved cooling the nutrient solution, while the RZC (Root Zone Cooling) treatment utilized environmental cooling. The results demonstrated that maintaining a consistent nutrient solution temperature within the range of 14°C to 18°C (as observed in the EC treatment) led to superior plant growth and quality, particularly in the early growth stages. In contrast, the RZC treatment showed temperature fluctuations, causing plant stress and inhibiting growth. Wan Fazilah Fazlil Ilahi Nur Syaffiqa Izleen Rosdi Azmi Ahmad Tajri Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 47 50 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1364 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1365 Water use for agricultural production in water scarcity regions requires precise irrigation water for sustainable irrigation management. The correct amount of irrigation water should be applied to ensure the survival of plants. Currently, farmers apply irrigation without considering the actual amount of the crop water requirement (ETc), which may lead to over or under-irrigation. These problems may cause water logging, crop stress, reduced yield and inefficient farm management. Durian (Durio zibethinus) is an important economic crop of Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Lately, durian plantation has been increasing in Malaysia with innovative and sustainable approaches through irrigation or fertigation. The growth of durian is highly affected by water and nutrients given to the plants. This paper highlights the effect of precise irrigation through durian water requirement. Hence, this study aims to compare the difference in growth performance between existing practices (irrigation without ETc) and irrigation based on ETc. The study was conducted in the durian plantation at Sri Lalang, Kluang, Johor. There were two treatments tested on the durian, which are treatment 1 (T1) existing practice (irrigation without ETc) and treatment 2 (T2), irrigation based on ETc. The experimental design for this experiment is a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four (4) blocks, and four trees for each treatment per block. The data collection includes the height of the tree, canopy width, girth’s diameter, node distance, leaf length and leaf weight. These data were analysed using ANOVA and LSD. Data was collected from April until November 2020. There was a significant difference in node distance from April until September. However, there were no significant differences for other growth parameters, suggesting precise crop water requirement can save water and minimize cost for the whole irrigation management. Wan Fazilah Fazlil Ilahi Nur Syaffiqa Izleen Rosdi Muhammad Faris Zulkapli Nik Norasma Che’ Ya Ahmad Suhaizi Mat Su Tan Ngai Ping Shairul Izan Ramlee Ong Choon Hock Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 51 56 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1365 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1366 Fertigation technology system has emerged as an assisted technology to ease the farmers' jobs in the field. This technology has been popularly used by chilli, cucumber, and eggplant growers as it can minimise farm labour use. However, due to the high installation and maintenance costs, farmers refuse because they cannot afford it on their farms. Additionally, this system may appear to have technical problems such as blockage, and the skilful person must attend to it. So, this study aims to examine farmers' acceptance level in Kelantan on the fertigation system technology. About 100 respondents from Kota Bharu, Tumpat, Pasir Mas and Bachok were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and simple random sampling was used as a sampling method for this study. The descriptive analysis has also been used to identify the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and the acceptance level towards the fertigation system. The mean score was categorised into three categories: low (1 to 2.33), moderate (2.34 to 3.66) and high (3.67 to 5). The findings demonstrate a high mean score, with 70% of the farmers accepting the fertigation system to assist them on the farm. In conclusion, most farmers have opened their minds and are ready to get the fertigation system technology to generate more profit. It is hoped that more collaborations between government agencies, non-profit organisations, and investors will notice the need for this technology to boost farmers' livelihoods and Malaysian food security. Farah Adila Abdullah Abdullah Nurul Aine Mohd Nasir Nur Maizatul Idayu Othman Wan Noranida Wan Mohd Noor Tengku Halimatun Sa’adiah T. Abu Bakar Mohd Fauzie Jusoh Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 57 60 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1366 http://journal.umk.edu.my/index.php/jtrss/article/view/1367 Plantlets or clones’ regeneration in Cucurbitaceae species can be performed in vitro by applying the tissue culture techniques. Hypocotyls, cotyledons, leaves, cotyledonary nodes and petioles can be used as the explants or starting materials to initiate the regeneration under laboratory condition. BAP (Benzyl aminopurine) and TDZ (Thidiazuron) were among the well-known cytokinin used in tissue culture as plant hormones to regulate the plant growth in vitro. The effectiveness of BAP and TDZ was investigated in this study to determine the effect of different types of cytokinin hormone on C. melo explants since both hormones might show differences in their activity towards C. melo explants. This study found that BAP was superior at all used concentrations compared to TDZ during most of the growing stage of the explants (cotyledons and hypocotyls). Based on this finding, the experiment was repeated by using different types of explants which were nodal explants, petioles and young shoots along with cotyledons and hypocotyls, by using BAP that showed excellent plantlet regeneration. Cotyledon and nodal explants successfully regenerated plantlets with excellent height and significant number of shoots compared to the rest of the explants. The plantlets from cotyledons and nodal explants were regenerated via direct regeneration without any formation of callus. The direct shoot regeneration was the preferred method for mass production via tissue culture because the chances of somaclonal variation is low. Contrarily, the hypocotyls, petioles and shoot tips mostly developed callus and only several treatments formed very small plantlets. Fadzlin Qistina Fauzan Arifullah Mohammed Ahmed Mahmood Ibraheem Raimi Mohamed Redwan Suhana Zakaria Dwi Susanto Mohd Razik Midin Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) 2024-06-30 2024-06-30 12 1 61 68 10.47253/jtrss.v12i1.1367