The physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization of the constituents of magnesium-rich synthetic gypsum produced in a rare earth-refining plant located in Gebeng, Pahang, Malaysia was conducted through elemental chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX)-analyzer, thermal analysis, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. The crystalline nature of the by-product was studied using FTIR spectroscopy. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of Ca and Mg, which are essential macronutrients required by plants and this Ca alongside the high pH (9.17) of MRSG may confer on the material a high acid neutralization capacity. From the result, it was observed that the studied by-product is a heterogeneous crystalline material comprising of gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O) and other major components such as calcium (magnesium) compounds (hydroxide, oxide, silicates, and carbonate) and sulfur. These aggregates may contribute to give an acid neutralization capacity to MRSG. The XRD study of MRSG indicated a high content of gypsum (45.4%), shown by the d-spacing of 7.609 Å (2-theta 11.63) in the diffractogram. The infrared absorption spectra of MRSG indicate close similarities to mined gypsum. The results of the characterization indicated that MRSG has valuable properties that can promote its use in amending soil fertility constraints on nutrient-deficient tropical acid soils.

Knowledge of plant growth dynamics is essential where constraints such as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have limited its field establishment. Thus, modeling can be used to predict plant performance where field planting/monitoring cannot be achieved. This study was conducted on the growth dynamics of rubber planted on two acid soils treated with either dolomitic limestone (GML), kieserite or Mg-rich synthetic gypsum (MRSG) to supply the Mg required by rubber seedlings. To understand the effect of applied treatments on the changes in rubber growth, data on plant height, stem diameter and biomass were regressed against months after transplanting (MAT) using the equation y = A/ (1+be^-ct), and its derivative dydt=Abce−ct(1+be−ct)z was utilized for estimating the growth rate of the parameters. The dynamics in plant height, stem girth and plant biomass were modelled using an exponential function of y = Ae^bt and their rate of change was derived using dx/dy = Abe^bt. The experiment indicated that the logistic growth curve model expressed as y = A/ (1+be^-ct), closely described the growth in terms of each parameter against months after transplanting. A high probability level (a = 0.0001) was recorded in the model for all the treatments in the study. The growth of rubber seedlings in the glasshouse was improved by MRSG treatment in the two studied soils (Ultisol and Oxisol), giving comparable results to other Mg fertilizer treatments. The plant performed better on the Ultisol compared to the Oxisol. The results indicate the potential of using MRSG to replace conventional Mg-fertilizers to sustain rubber seedling growth.

Malaysia plans to produce 80% of its rice requirement by 2030. To achieve the plan, new agronomic approaches have to be put in place to enhance the fertility of rice soils in the country. One of the options is to turn the infertile acid sulfate soils endemic in the low-lying coastal plains of Peninsular Malaysia into a new granary area. Using traditional agro-techs, rice yield in the area is below the national average of 4 t/ha/season. The low yield is due to soil acidity stress (pH < 4) together with Al³⁺ and/or Fe²⁺ toxicity. The critical pH for rice is 6, while the respective critical Al³⁺ and Fe²⁺ concentrations are 5.2 µM and 14.6 µM. The adverse conditions contributing to yield reduction can be resolved by applying appropriate soil amendments known to raise water pH, eliminating the toxic cations. The recommended agronomic practice is to apply ground magnesium limestone (GML) or ground basalt, or better still, apply GML or ground basalt in combination with bio-fertilizer, fortified with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB). The PSB increases water pH as well as helps rice plants secrete organic acids that reduce the toxic effects of Al³⁺ and Fe²⁺ via chelation. When pH rises >5, the toxic metals are precipitated, forming inert hydroxides. Ultimately, rice yield can be increased from 3 to 5 t/ha/season, which can last more than three consecutive cropping seasons. If this agro-tech is adopted throughout ASEAN, food security in the region will be sustained.

This research delves into the innovative integration of two emergent digital collaborative platforms, Miro and Padlet, within higher education pedagogy, concentrating on their application in design-centric courses at Sunway University, Malaysia. The study encompasses two distinct student cohorts: one, a collective of seventy-three students from the Design Enterprise module, engaging with Miro and enrolled in Academic Paper published by IAFOR under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Attribution Non Commercial International