An alumna of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) shared a study on purple passion fruit on May 26, 2023.
Dr. Shahidah binti Md. Nor, also a senior lecturer at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, delivered the seminar "Physical and metabolomics approaches of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) during growth and development" which is part of her dissertation requirements.
Hosted by SEARCA through its Education and Collective Learning Department, the special graduate seminar is held once every semester which highlights SEARCA scholars' outstanding research outputs from their graduate theses.
Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, said the event is the center's way of supporting the scholars' academic milestones and recognizing their capacity to produce quality research that greatly impacts agricultural and rural development (ARD).
According to SEARCA, Shahidah was motivated to help the small industries in Malaysia, especially the small-scale farmers improve their agriculture output.
It said the purple passion fruit shows great potential in strengthening Malaysia's revenue as the passion fruit grows well in tropical climates and can be mass cultivated.
However, the fruit remains underrated, and its phytochemical changes are unknown, SEARCA said, adding that Shahidah's study contributed to bridging this gap by characterizing the growth and development of the fruit.
It said her research presented the fruit's optimal harvesting stage and highlighted that the entire fruit compartment could be utilized for industrial products.
"These findings can help maximize agricultural output. Moreover, the fruit is also advantageous for small-scale farmers because it can be cultivated in a shorter period than other long-term crops and does not require a large space," SEARCA said.
In addition to her research results, Shahidah also shared her experience and journey as a multi-awarded SEARCA scholar.
She took her PhD in horticulture at the Universiti Putra Malaysia under a DAAD-SEARCA Scholarship. DAAD stands for Deutsche Akademischer Austauschdienst, also known as German Academic Exchange Service in English.
Gregorio said DAAD's partnership with SEARCA started in the Academic Year 1975-1976 through support to the center's graduate scholarship program leading to Masters and PhD degrees in agriculture.
Shahidah's awards received included her research attachment in Germany, her numerous publications, and her Chrysalis Award, which is given to individuals with remarkable contributions to Malaysia's science, technology, innovation and economic ecosystem.
Meanwhile, other learning events offered by SEARCA to scholars include the Graduate Scholarship and Institutional Development or GSID Conversations, customized training programs, and the SEARCA Scholars' Conference.
Gregorio said these activities are part of SEARCA's bigger, better, and smarter scholarship package supporting the capacity building of future leaders of ARD in the region.