By: Nurul Ezzaty Mohd Azhari
Photo: Mozaid Idris
SERDANG, July 20 – The PadiU Putra researcher who is also the Director of the Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security (ITAFoS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Prof. Dr. Mohd Rafii Yusop, received the Putra Academia Special Award, a premier award of the Vice Chancellor’s Fellowship Award at the Majlis Gemilang Putra 2023 (MGP 2023) here today.
He actively researches the breeding and genetics of food crops and plantation crops such as rice, vegetables, and oil palms. He expressed joy in receiving this award on top of the Excellent Service Award (APC) at the ceremony.
He said the double success obtained today is not solely due to his effort but is the result of collaboration, teamwork, and tolerance among his co-workers.
“I did not expect to receive two awards simultaneously. I suppose the contributions made to UPM, the grants obtained, and my publications have moved UPM to present me with this premier award.
“However, this was not an individual effort but a collective one which my colleagues also contributed to,” he said when met after the MGP 2023 ceremony at the Dewan Besar UPM, here today.
The seventh of 12 siblings, he has always strived to contribute his expertise in agricultural research to ensure good national food security in his 20 years of service with UPM.
He also advised young lecturers to give their unwavering commitment to research and teaching to produce new products that would bring societal and national benefits.
One of his research’s impactful social and commercial innovations is the high-yield and blast-resistant PadiU Putra1 rice variety.
Besides, he has also successfully produced the PadiU Putra2, a submergence-tolerant rice variety that could withstand flood, together with other vegetable varieties. - UPM
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