Aims: Arbuscular mycorrhizal is an obligate mutualistic symbiosis fungus which survives by forming endomycorrhizal on plant roots. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are not host-specific, allowing them to form a mutualistic symbiosis with a wide range of host plants including oil palm. In Malaysia, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are used as a growth enhancer for the oil palm: Elaeis guineensis. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are introduced only during transplantation to the field when the ages of the seedlings are approximately one year old. As such, this study is designed to investigate the ability of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to form colonisation with pre-nursery oil palm seedlings. Methodology and results: Here, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were introduced at the pre-nursery stage oil palm seedlings. After inoculation, the seedlings were harvested on different days, i.e. on day-3, day-7, day-14, day-21, day-40 and day-60 to determine the colonisation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We found that the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are able to form a mycorrhizal association with the oil palm seedling at the pre-nursery stage after 40 days of inoculation, and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that formed the association are Glomus sp. and Scutellospora sp. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study suggested that the oil palm seedling can be made into a mycorrhizal plant as early as the nursery stage before transplanting them into the plantation.

The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons of Shisha smoking among teenagers in Ipoh, Perak. Data was collected using in-depth face to face interview. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select volunteer respondents from one of the Shisha restaurant located at Ipoh. The interviews were conducted for 15-20 minutes, recorded using video tape. The data obtained was transcribed and coded for the purpose of thematic analysis. All respondents were influenced by peers in their first attempt in Shisha smoking. Other reasons attracting them to continue smoking Shisha include appealing smell and the flavoured taste of Shisha, easy to access, perceived that Shisha was not addictive and its’ cheaper price. In terms of perception on health risk, all respondents believed that Shisha was less harmful compared to cigarette smoking. More educational programme, health talk about risk of Shisha should be developed and conducted to rectify the misconception about health risk of Shisha smoking. The target population should be focus on male teenagers who smoke Shisha in order to control the widespread Shisha smoking in Malaysia.
Smoking ; Adolescent ; Behavior ; Risk ; Health ; Peer Group