2021 — Present
Head, Department of Land Management
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Overview
Thirty years of teaching and researching at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
I joined UPM as a tutor in 1995 and now head its Department of Land Management. My work sits where soil physics meets the weather: conserving soil and water on farmed land, and modeling how crops, above all the oil palm, respond to their climate.
I currently head the Dept. of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, UPM Serdang
Research and teaching are not separate tasks; they are one connected practice. I bring my research into the classroom so students can learn through real scientific questions.
Field of Expertise
Soil & Water Conservation
Field practices that keep soil, water, and nutrients on farmed land: silt pits, mulches from oil palm residues, and cover crops such as Mucuna bracteata. Much of this work runs on sloping, non-terraced oil palm plantations, measuring erosion, runoff, and leaching losses.
Silt Pits
Mulching
Soil Physics
Agroclimatology
How weather drives crop growth: radiation interception, evapotranspiration, water stress, and stochastic weather generation, assembled into simulation models that estimate yields today and under projected climate change.
Crop Modeling
Climate Change
Oil Palm
Career History
2019 — Present
Associate Professor
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
2008 — 2019
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
2001 — 2007
Lecturer
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
1995 — 2001
Tutor
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Education
1997 — 2001
Ph.D. (Agriculture)
The University of Reading, UK
Agroclimatology
Full scholarship awarded by Universiti Putra Malaysia
1994 — 1996
M. Agric. Sc.
Universiti Pertanian Malaysia
Soil and water conservation
International & University Recognition
- Sijil Penghargaan Anugerah Visibiliti Media Bidang Pertanian, Anugerah Visibiliti Media UPM 2025. Awarded in 2026.
- Anugerah Fellowship Naib Canselor 2024, Kategori Penganjar Cemerlang (Sains Gunaan). Awarded in 2025.
- Anugerah Visibiliti Media Bidang Pertanian, Anugerah Visibiliti Media UPM 2023. Awarded in 2024.
- 2024 Geran Putra Inisiatif: Inisiatif Permerkassan Penerbitan Jurnal Tahun 2024 by UPM. Cash award RM6,000.
- Anugerah Penulis Harapan Bidang Pertanian, Anugerah Visibiliti Media UPM 2023.
- First Place, Competition on the Best Practice of Teaching and Learning Innovation — Faculty/Centre 2016. 7 Nov 2016. Universiti Putra Malaysia.
- Excellent Service Award (cash reward RM1,000 and certificate) by UPM for 2023, 2020, 2014, and 2005.
- Excellent Service Certificate awarded by UPM for 2011 to 2019, and 2001 to 2007.
- 2012 Publication Incentive by UPM (2013). Cash award RM5,031.79, for the article published in Agronomy Journal in 2012.
- Bronze Medal for teaching excellence 2011. Putra Teaching Award for Young Lecturers 2011. Awarded 2012 by UPM.
- Shared Best Poster Award 2011. "Induction of Al³⁺ and H⁺ toxicities of oil palm seedlings and their effects on photosynthesis and nutrient uptake". SOILS 2011, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
- Shared Best Poster Award 2009. "Effects of different soil conservation practices on soil chemical properties in a sloping land oil palm plantation". MSPPC 2009, Port Dickson.
- Shared Best Poster Award 2003. "Modelling the dynamics of growth and yield in an immature-rubber, banana and pineapple intercropping system". SOILS 2003, Kota Bharu.
- Shared Bronze Medal for research 2003. "The inoculation effects of Azospirillum and Mycorrhiza on the growth and canopy architecture of maize". Pameran Rekacipta dan Penyelidikan, UPM.
- Best Poster Award 2002. "Modelling the partitioning of solar radiation capture and evapotranspiration in intercropping systems". SOILS 2002, Perlis.
- Full scholarship for Ph.D. study at The University of Reading, UK, 1997-2001. Awarded by Universiti Putra Malaysia.