SOIL MUSEUM, A VITAL STEP TOWARDS ENHANCING MALAYSIA'S FOOD SECURITY - SOIL SCIENTIST

By Previnna Thuraisingam

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- It is high time and essential for Malaysia to have a soil museum for students and the general public to learn more about the importance of soil, beyond its texture and smell, according to a soil scientist.

The former head of the Soil Science Department and lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Prof Ahmad Ebon said that the establishment of a soil museum in the country is also a vital step towards enhancing the country’s food security.

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“Soil is crucial for life and agriculture, yet often overlooked as development progresses. This could impact the production of agricultural goods.

“It is important to understand the fertility of soils so that we can take care of it and harvest quality as well as a sufficient amount of agricultural products,” he told Bernama at an exclusive press conference here on Sunday.

Joining him was the advisor of the soil museum project Datuk Seri Diraja Syed Razlan Ibni Syed Putra Jamalullail and the four committee members, namely UPM Dean of Agriculture Faculty Prof Dr Loh Teck Chwen, former dean Prof Dr Khanif Yusop, former professor of agriculture Prof Dr Shamshuddin Jusop, and UPM Head of Land Management Department Assoc Prof Dr Christopher Teh Boon Sung.

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Ahmad the soil museum, which was proposed to be built in UPM, spans 1,500 square meters and was scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, requiring funding of RM30 million.

There are 400 different types of soil all over the country, he said, and 100 soil monoliths, a vertical slice of soil, will be showcased at the museum during the initial stage. 

“We are going to make the soil monoliths of all the soil series found across Malaysia from Perlis to Johor and from Sarawak to Sabah,” he said.

Meanwhile, Teh emphasised that soil scientists have made a significant effort to establish Malaysia's first soil museum to facilitate research collaboration among local and international researchers simultaneously, train students on how to be soil experts and give them a better understanding of the subject.

“There are approximately 40 soil museums worldwide, many of which are government-funded. The largest soil museum is in Russia, followed by another prominent one in the Netherlands, which features soils from around the world, including Malaysia,” he said.

In the meantime, Loh said UPM is an ideal location for the museum as it would be easily accessed by students and the public.

“We would like to set it up in UPM as it is an academic centre for agriculture and in line with the food security blueprint that was launched recently by our Vice-Chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah as he mentioned that food security is a part of the core business of UPM.

“When discussing food security, we normally forget about the soil and its fertility. Setting up the museum is vital to ensure that the productivity of our agriculture will be better,” he said, hoping the government would support their initiative, which promises significant positive impacts on society.

-- BERNAMA