Composting of yard waste is one of the waste management approaches in the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. The yard waste inventory was developed in the headquarters’ area and a pilot-scale study was performed on the potential compost product. The total amount of yard waste generated from June 2017 to December 2017 was 16.75 tonnes with an average generation of 0.60 tonnes per week on the dry weight (d.w.) basis. The collected yard waste consisted of three major characteristics, namely dry leaves, fresh green leaves, and grass cuttings, and a waste estimation technique was applied to determine the composition of these three elements. The acquired information was used to formulate the initial compost mixture. The wastes were then mixed with an appropriate amount of livestock manure and other wastes to obtain the optimum initial C/N ratio, which was then found in the analysis to range between 25:1 and 42:1. Meanwhile, the C/N ratios obtained from the matured compost product were from 10:1 and 15:1. Moreover, most of the compost yield ranged between 50% and 70% (w w−1 d.w. basis), while the percentage of the seed germination in the compost was over 95%. The viability of the project was indicated from the economic analysis, with benefit to cost ratio (BCR) values of more than 1. The results also suggested that the large scale composting of yard waste in MARDI was feasible and its applicability is continuous. This technique also fulfilled the objective of producing quality compost, which was suitable for agricultural use.

Biochar production is an effective approach to managing abundant agricultural wastes. Pruning wastes from trimming the branches of trees such as carambola and mango, as well as coconut shells, are among the agricultural wastes that have reutilisation potential, which would simultaneously reduce the space required for disposal. In this study, the potential use of these wastes by converting them into biochar was investigated. The data presented in this study highlight the design of a pyrolysis system for a low-temperature slow pyrolysis process, as well as the characterisation data of the biochar produced using this system. The data collected included the elemental composition, porosity, as well as surface and adsorption characteristics of the biochar. These data indicate that the biochar produced had certain qualities that would enable its use for specific agricultural and industrial purposes. Meanwhile, the design indicated that it could facilitate small farms with specific outputs. In brief, these data can be used as references for developing a small-scale system for agricultural waste management using different types of crops.

This article highlights the implementation of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) in the agricultural industry and its potential for future improvement. A systematic literature review was employed, whereby a total of 186 articles on the LCSA across all sectors were analysed. Of these, 22 (12%) were related to the agricultural sector and studied further to ascertain the methodology used, including the techniques used to define sustainability. In addition, the integration of current LCSA approaches and various methods of measuring sustainability were explored to provide a more comprehensive technique to define sustainability. Within each specific context, environmental issues like climate change, air quality deterioration, and eutrophication were among the indicators of interest, together with high production costs (economic) and issues related to workers and local communities (social). For the benefit of future researchers, the authors also discussed the challenges and prospects of adopting new technologies such as the use of artificial intelligence for effective implementation of sustainability assessment in the agricultural sector.

Rice straw is one of the most abundant biomass wastes derived from rice cultivation activities. The current rice straw management practice during the wet (rainy) season in Malaysia involves the integration of straw into the soil. This practice offers both advantages and disadvantages to rice farmers and the environment. Straw integration may improve nutrient availability while concurrently causing high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the increase in soil carbon activity. In this work, the use of microbial substrate to enhance the degradation of straw was compared to an existing technique that used no additional inputs during soil integration. The data collected consisted of overall microbial enzyme production, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen content, seasonal greenhouse gas emissions, plant characteristics, and crop yield. In brief, these data can be used as means of demonstrating the effects of improved straw degradation during the pre-season on the overall GHG emissions during the planting season.

Objective: Currently, methane (CH4) emissions from rice cultivation in Malaysia are calculated using the regional’s methane emission factor (EF) of 1.60 kg CH₄ ha⁻¹ day⁻¹, as Malaysia has not yet developed a national emission factor. The objective of this study is to generate a country-specific EF of CH4 emission from rice cultivation in Malaysian rice fields. The EF generated would then be used in future emission estimates and the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Theoretical Framework: The establishment of a national GHG emission factor for rice cultivation in Malaysia is critical for accurate GHG inventory reporting and effective climate change mitigation. This study utilizes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines to derive a country-specific emission factor, enhancing Malaysia’s compliance with international climate obligations and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Method: A new national EF was developed from eleven rice planting seasons in rice granary areas (IADA Pulau Pinang, IADA Barat Laut Selangor, MADA and KADA) and non-granary area (Sik, Kedah). The EF was calculated from methane emissions from the new data sets, published journals and unpublished data from MARDI. For the new data set, methane gas (CH4) was measured using a static chamber method (Minamikawa et al., 2015). Sampling of GHG from the gas chamber is carried out in the field every 2 weeks and gas was analysed by a GC System Agilent 7890A gas chromatography. The daily methane flux and methane emission follow the methods by Habib et al. (2007), Fauzi et al. (2023) and the Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories for Cropland (IPCC, 2006a). Results and Discussion: The national EF calculated from CH4 gas emissions over eleven rice planting seasons in Malaysia between 2012-2024 was 1.80 kg CH4 ha-1 day-1, which is higher than the current regional EF used (1.60 kg CH4 ha-1 day-1). However, the value is within the range of the default value of 1.30 kg CH4 ha-1 day-1 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 and 2.00 kg CH4 ha-1 day-1 (IPCC, 1996). Research Implications: The use of this new EF resulted in 12.49% increase in the national GHG inventory from the rice cultivation sub-sector as compared to using the current regional EF. This initiative is part of a comprehensive plan to enhance and strengthen GHG inventory reporting for Malaysia's agriculture sector, aiming to meet IPCC requirements and progress to Tier 2 status.

Empty and partially filled grain (EPFG) from rice milling factories is usually discarded to landfill. Converting EPFG to valuable products could increase the waste value, improve Malaysia’s rice milling waste management, and prevent environmental problems. Utilising the existing and accessible...