Volume 9 Issue No. 4 A monthly publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research APRIL 2008

BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

BAR 2007 BINHI AWARDEEAgricultural Newsletter of the Year

hronicleCVisit our official website at http://www.bar.gov.ph

ISSN 1655-3942Department of Agriculture

RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave.,cor. Elliptical Rd.Diliman,Quezon City 1104PHILIPPINES

Entered as second class mail at the Quezon City Central Post Office under permit no. 753-01 NCR

NEWS

BAR hronicleCDEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The Bicol region may soon beknown not only for its famous

nut but for being an activeproducer of “Asha” peanut in thePhilippines.

The Research OutreachStation (ROS) in Sorsogon, under thesupervision of the Bicol IntegratedAgricultural Research Center(BIARC), is now evaluating theperformance of peanut (CV Pn-1)in the hope of promoting thecommercialization of the technology tofarmers in the province.

peanuts, which arealmost double the size of the localvariety, were introduced in thePhilippines in 2007 and were initiallygrown in Cagayan and Isabela forpossible commercial production.

pili

Asha

Asha

Sorsogon eyes commercialization of peanutAsha

The Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR)has supported this effortjointly with the India-basedInternational Crops ResearchInstitute for the Semi-AridTropics (ICRISAT), whichintroduced peanut in thecountry.

Initial tests indicatedthat the peanut variety iscommercially viable in thePhilippines. gave 41-77percent higher pod yield thanthe farmers' varieties (UPL Pn10, and BPI Pn 9)in the Cagayan Valley region in the wetseason of 2005.

The performance evaluation andpromotion of peanut variety under

Asha

Asha

Asha

Namnama,

Asha

Sorsogon condition is being funded byBAR through its National TechnologyCommercialization Program (NTCP).(Miko Jazmine J. Mojica)

The scholars (1st row, 2nd from left): Dr. Liberty Canja, Dr. Herminigilda Gabertan, Dr.Nenita Baldo, Dr. Rosana Pinduma, Dr. Nancy Roman, and Mr. Ommal Abdulkadil areflank by Dr. Carmencita Kagaoan (left) and Dr. Virginia R. Cardenas (right). Withthem in the photo are key officials of UPLB and BAR (2nd row, L-R): Dr. CecilioArboleda, Dr. Candida Adalla, Dr. Teodoro Solsoloy, Dr. Rey Velasco, Dr. EnricoSupangco, and Dr. Roberto Rañola.

IN THIS ISSUE...

Sorsogon eyes commercialization of ............................1

Eleazar gives keynote address at Isabela State.....................2

Value-adding from mango is a booming enterpise................3

Sultan Kudarat reaps its harvest in CPAR..............................3

DA-BAR, The Royal Netherlands Embassy support..............4

Visayas Zonal Cluster refocuses and redefines.....................4

ISU embarks on sweet sorghum and pigeon pea...................5

Asha

BAR honors six NaRDSAF graduates.....................................1

Mycological Society holds 10th Anniversary..........................6

Promoting indigenous plants for the health...........................6

Usec Paras underscores hog backyard raisers’ role.............7

Confab on dryland agriculture identifies................................8

Central Visayas is source of cassava for bioethanol............10

BAR prepares e-Learning course for profitable....................10

18th PHILARM confab heightens research............................11

FEATURE: Promising potentials of rice bran........................13

FEATURE: Understanding dryland agriculture.....................14

PGMA creates FIELDS for aggie sector food........................16

BAR honors six NaRDSAF graduates for 2008

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To give due recognition to therecipients of its Degree ScholarshipProgram, the Bureau of Agricultural

Research (BAR) conducted a scholars’night for its six graduates on 24 April 2008at the Office of the Chancellor, Universityof the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB),College, Laguna.

Under its InstitutionalDevelopment Program, BAR implementsa scholarship program for the member-institutions of the National ResearchDevelopment System for Agriculture andFisheries (NaRDSAF). The program wasinstituted in support to the Agriculture andFisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) and

the bureau's mandate to strengthen themanpower capability of the whole R&Dsystem.

The scholars, who also attended the36 Commencement Exercises of UPLB on26 April 2008, are Mr. Ommal Abdulkadil ofthe Philippine Rice Research Institute (MS inPlant Pathology); Dr. Nenita B. Baldo of theCentral Mindanao University (PhD in PlantBreeding); Dr. Liberty H. Canja of thePhilippine Coconut Authority-Davao (PhD in

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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo officially announced heradministration's new food

production drive for the agriculturesector clustered into six assistancepackages. The program has beendubbed FIELDS, with each letterstanding for armers, rrigation,

ducation and training of farmers andfisherfolk, oans, ryers and otherpostharvest facilities, and eeds ofhigh-yielding hybrid varieties.

“We are going to cluster ourfood production drive in six assistancepackages, which are the essentialingredients in making food abundantaccessible and affordable,” the Chief

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PGMA creates for aggie sector food production driveFIELDSExecutive said.

The President's P43.7 B packageunder the FIELDS program will cover thefollowing:

P500 million for fertilizer supportfrom the AgriculturalCompetitiveness Enhancement Fund(ACEF), with special focus on the useof organic fertilizers;

P6 billion for rehabilitation of allirrigation systems that need to berepaired or rehabilitated by 2010;

P6 billion for farm-to-market roadsand other rural infrastructure such asroll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry portsand no frills airports for agriculturalcargo;

P5 billion for continuous training offarmers on new technologies andresearch and development (R&D) inorder to increase yields and lowerproduction costs. This includes abudget earmarked for R&D, and aportion each for capacity buildingprograms, trainers' training, and theagriculture and fisheries educationsystem;

P15 billion allotted in credit forfarmers, fisherfolk and other smallrural borrowers;

P2 billion for dryers and otherpostharvest support such as storagefacilities; and

P9.2 billion for hybrid and certifiedseed production and subsidies until2010. The target is to plant certifiedseeds in 600,000 hectares in 2008 andhybrid seeds in 900,000 hectares overthe 2009-2010 period.

President Arroyo announce theprogram at the National Food Summit held atFontana Convention Center, Clark Airbase on5 April 2008 in consonance with her agenda

. The summitaimed to fine-tune the government's ruraldevelopment thrusts until 2010.

Central issues during the summitwere focused on the five commodity clusters,

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“Pagkain sa Bawat Mesa, Negosyo saSakahan-Laban sa Kahirapan”

namely: rice, corn, high-value commercialcrops (HVCC), livestock and poultry.

The summit capped the two-month series of sectoral and regionalconsultations conducted by theDepartment of Agriculture (DA) aimed atattaining the long-term goal of nationalself-sufficiency in rice, corn, and otherfood crops benefiting consumers; boostagricultural exports; and make farmingmore profitable.

In a press statement, AgricultureSecretary Arthur C. Yap considered theregional consultations as necessary toolfor the DA to consolidate the mainagriculture-related issues and concerns atthe national and local levels and later onidentify intervention measures, includingfood-sufficiency initiatives and budgetsneeded to keep the farm sector on its highgrowth course in the medium term.

The program supports DA's fivedevelopmental pillars, namely: marketaccess, postharvest, research,development and extension (RDE);irrigation; and credit facilities.

During the summit, rice leadersand other commodity subsectorspresented their respectiverecommendations to the President and tothe Secretary on improving theproductivity and profitability of theagriculture and fisheries sector.

Strongly supportive of thePresident's FIELDS are the PhilippineFood Processors and ExportersOrganization Inc. (Philfoodex), PhilippineChamber of Commerce and Industry(PCCI), Philippine Maize Federation(PHILMAIZE), Philippine Association ofBroiler Integrators, Philippine FishingFederation, and Philippine VegetableCouncil.

During the summit, thePresident and the Secretary led the send-off for a 55-truck caravan containingtruckloads of rice, vegetables, chicken,eggs, fruits, and other foodstuff to bedistributed to DA's or drop-offcenters in Metro Manila.

bagsakan(Ma. Eloisa E.

Hernandez)

BAR promotes...from page 6

personal care, herbal foodsupplements and health services,according to Ms. Lopingco. Inaddition, these companies generated1,069 jobs or an average of 53 jobsper spa facility.

Ms. Lopingco mentionedtwo factors that serve as drivingforces in the Philippine Spa Industry.These she categorized as BabyBoomers and LOHAS (Lifestyle ofHealth and Sustainability).

Baby boomers are those aged44 to 61 years. Practically, “theyshowed traits on being self-focused,optimistic, impatient, and indulgent;want multiple choices to feel incontrol; and expect to be treatedspecial,” Ms. Lopingco said.

The Philippines has beenblessed with abundant indigenous andmedicinal plants believed to havetherapeutic benefits. The Departmentof Health has endorsed 10 of thecountry's medicinal plants, namely:

and .Also, according to Ms.

Lopingco, locally-produced oils showanti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal,and anti-protozoal properties. Goodexample is the Virgin Coconut Oil(VCO). Other plant producing oilsand local essences are ,

lang, lemon grass,and citronella.

Ms. Lopincgo concluded byadvocating a harmonized effort ofgovernment and the private sector tofurther develop the industry.

SAPI, a non-profitorganization, was established to uplift,promote, develop, and standardize thespa industry in the country. From a15-member organization in 2004, ithas 154 as of December 2007.

akapulko, ampalaya, bayabas,bawang, lagundi, niyog-niyogan,sambong, tsaang Gubat, ulasimangBato, Yerba Buena

sampaguitapatchouli, ylang-y

(Ma.Eloisa E. Hernandez)

BAR hronicleCDEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The official monthly publication of DA-BAR

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FEATURE

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RITA T. DELA CRUZmanaging editor/layout

MARLOWE U. AQUINO, PhDRITA T. DELA CRUZ

CHRISTMAS B. DE GUZMANMA. ELOISA E. HERNANDEZMIKO JAZMINE J. MOJICA

ELLAINE GRACE L. NAGPALAwriters

BAR Chronicle is the monthly publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of theDepartment of Agriculture (DA), which is mandated to ensure that all agricultural researches arecoordinated and undertaken for maximum utility to agriculture. This publication provides regularupdates on BAR’s activities as the country’s national coordinator for agriculture and fisheriesR&D.It also highlights features and news articles concerning NaRDSAF-member institutions.

RICARDO G. BERNARDOANTONIO A. CONSTATINO

JULIA A. LAPITANVICTORIA G. RAMOS

reproduction/printing

circulation

MANUEL F. BONIFACIO, PhD

MARLOWE U. AQUINO, PhD

NICOMEDES P. ELEAZAR, CESO IV

editorial consultant

head, MISD

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For subscription and inquiries please contact: , ManagementInformation and Systems Division (MISD), Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture 3/FRDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave., cor. Elliptical Rd., Diliman, Quezon City 1104 PHILIPPINESTelephone No.+63 (02) 928-8505 local 3026-3027 Fax: (02) 927-5691 or (02) 927-0227e-mail: Articles are also available online. Please visit us at:

Applied Communication Section

misd-acs@bar.gov.ph http://www.bar.gov.ph

Graduation is one of thegreat milestones in life.”

Thus stated BAR DirectorNicomedes P. Eleazar at the 30Commencement Exercises of the IsabelaState University (ISU) at AndayaStudent Multipurpose Center, CabaganCampus on 9 April 2008, as the event'scommencement speaker.

ISU was founded in 1978 andis mandated to provide advancedinstruction in agriculture, natural andapplied sciences and technology. TheUniversity is also tasked to engage inresearch and seek new technologies,promote sustainable development, andgenerate new knowledge in otherprofessions. It has a wide offering ofcourses both in the graduate andundergraduate levels.

Exactly 399 graduates from

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Eleazar gives keynote address at IsabelaState U's 30 Commencement Exercises

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ISU's Cabagan Campus, including thosein the secondary, undergraduate, andgraduate levels, were motivated byDirector Eleazar towards taking aproactive stance in building their careerpaths during his keynote address.

Out of the graduates, 55finished agriculture and agriculture-related courses, according to Ms.Melanie dela Cruz of the Office of theRegistrar.

Eleazar recognized that Isabela,dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the Northhas a lot to answer for and contribute tothe rice production in the country, beingthe biggest province in the CagayanValley Region.”

“Agriculture being the majorindustry of the people of Isabela, farminghas gone a notch higher with its highlymechanized production. And with thepresence of ISU, joint ventures and otherforeign-assisted projects have become

more viable incontributing to the highproductivity inagriculture. I challengeyou…to be part of thismission of a modernizedagriculture sector,”Eleazar told thegraduates.

“

BAR has been supportingagriculture R&D programs and projects ofISU for a long time now. The most recentof which is the “Technology UpscalingProgram for Sweet Sorghum and PigeonPea” with Dr. Romeo R. Quilang, ISU'srecently reappointed president, at thehelm.

All of ISU's 10 campuses (exceptIlagan campus) offer agriculture andagriculture-related courses with its maincampus based in Echague. Its othercampuses are located in Angadanan,Jones, Cauayan, Roxas, San Mateo, SanMariano, and Palanan. (Miko Jazmine J.Mojica)

to be a development problem closelylinked to poverty. When the soils in thedryland can no longer sustain crops, thepoor suffer especially from itsconsequences because they are highlydependent on the land's productivity fortheir livelihood. People in the drylandshave very low food production andincome generation and savingsenhancement capacities. In thePhilippines, for instance, high povertylevel could be observed in Mindanaosince it is most vulnerable to drought.

Thechallenge is creating new jobs in ruralareas and making existing livelihoodsstronger and more sustainable. Ruralareas tend to rely heavily on climate-sensitive resources (local water suppliesand agricultural land); climate sensitiveactivities (arable farming and livestockhusbandry); and natural resources (fuelwood and wild herbs). Climate changecan reduce the availability of these localnatural resources. Shifts in climate willbring different changes to differentregions. Some areas may see greaternatural resources because of increasedrainfall, but still, the poorest regions aremost likely to suffer because they areleast able to adjust to new conditions.

Continuous degradation wouldfurther lower the amount of macro-nutrients in the very near future.

The Department ofAgriculture and Natural Resources(DENR) reported in 2005 that there wereonly 6.24 million ha forest in the countrysince the dynamics of forest resourcechanged. Deforestation occurred at anannual rate of about 316,000 ha in the1980s caused by land conversion, shiftingcultivation, forest fires, and over-logging;much of the remaining forest is stillheavily fragmented. Currently, 55% ofthe population of the country is located inthese environmentally sensitive highlandspracticing shifting agriculture. Thecombination of rapid deforestation,population growth, and uncontrolledexpansion of upland agriculture hasresulted in massive soil erosion and landdegradation, which could further worsenby the emerging drought phenomena.

With the decreasing farm landswith limited access to irrigation, a strongresearch, development and extension(RDE) program must be mapped out toattain food security and reduce poverty inthe country.

Potential research areas such asthe improvement of the crop and livestockproduction could be looked upon by

Sustained Livelihood.

Macronutrient malnutritionthreats.

Forest and livelihoodmanagement.

What RDE can do?

developing drought-resistant crops.Cutting edge innovations and newbusiness and funding models onprofitable farming that could be grown inmarginal, drought-prone areas cereals(corn, sorghum, pearl millet) andlegumes (groundnut, chickpea, pigeonpea, soybean, cowpea, mungbean, foragecrops) can be developed. Generating/adapting innovations on the production,processing and utilization of biofuelcrops such as sweet sorghum withoutcompromising food security can also bedone.

Since water supply and landdegradation are also of major concern,developing sustainable watershed-soil-environment management systems withand for small-scale farmers is anotheropportunity that could be looked upon.

Equally important with doingscientific studies is the implementation ofstrategic social science and policyresearch. The formulation andimplementation of policies in the contextof global change and the market policysupport for dryland crops is a significantact. Also, capacity building, socialmobilization, and communication mustnot be forgotten.

With the aide of GeographicInformation Systems (GIS), a proactivedefense for the drylands can be carriedout while looking into the changes thatcan be caused by climate change. Moreso, the proposed Philippine DrylandResearch Institute (PhilDRI), addressesthe disadvantaged farmers in thedrylands. It will promote the science ofgrowing crops and animals underchanging climate to serve the country's

increasing populations. Moreover, PhilDRIwill promote not only farmer's education andtraining but also a full understanding inovercoming the burdens and pressures oferratic weather, soil infertility and degradedwatersheds, inadequate tools and equipment,insufficient seeds, and uncertainty of pricesand income.

The challenges in dryland arecomplex, hence, they require concertedapproaches of learning and experimenting,including multi-actors with differentperspective and frameworks, to take up theidentified challenges. In such complexsituation, the context would not only includetechnical or technological options, but mustalso consider the organizational, economic,political, social, and cultural context. Thechallenge should also be shared by adiversity of actors, and their collectiveresponse must generate a social impact, forour farmers and countrymen to benefit,while we face the challenges of climatechange.---------------References:1. Barreiro, ST. 2007. “Keon acts quickly to assist

farmers affected by drought, typhoon.” The IlocosTimes 26 August 2007. 28 April 2008.<http://www.ilocostimes.com/jul23-aug26-07/topnews_1.htm>

2. Godilano, EC and SR Obien. 2008. DrylandAgriculture in the Philippines, A consequence ofGlobal Warming: Challenges and Opportunities.Plenary paper presented at the Philippine NationalDryland Agriculture Conference sponsored by theBureau of Agricultural Research, Department ofAgriculture. Clark Airbase, Philippines. April 16-18, 2008.

3. Tejada, SQ and GIP Urriza. 2008. DrylandAgriculture in the Philippines: Challenges andOpportunities. Paper presented at the NationalDryland Agriculture RDE Conference, OxfordHotel, Clark Special Economic Zone, Pampanga.April 16-18, 2008.

courtesy of http://images.china.cn“Agriculture being the major industryof the people of Isabela, farming hasgone a notch higher with its highlymechanized production.” - Eleazar

Elezar delivers his keynote address to the399 ISU graduates.

ISU

ISU

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If I will to choose a commodity that

can compete with other products, Iwill definitely go for mango because

of the added products that I can derivefrom it increasing my production andincome.”

Thus stated Mr. Dalmacio Ormo,farmer-leader of the San Isidro CARPBeneficiary Association (SICARBA), whenasked what would be the product for

Value-adding from mango isa booming enterprise in Davao

expansion based on the

CPAR) on Mango-basedFarming System introduced ofthe DA-Southern MindanaoIntegrated AgriculturalResearch Center (SMIARC) inBago Oshiro, Davao City.

Since the firstintervention introduced in San Isidro, Sta.Maria, Davao del Sur, the farmers did nothave second thought when they wereinvolved in the CPAR project with DA-SMIARC.

Based on the gains derived fromthe mango-based farming system, thefarmers decided to proceed with theprocessing of mangoes for value-adding.These activities were supported by the

Community-basedParticipatory Action Research(

local government and farmers. Theprocessed products included mangopuree, mango juice, dried mangoes, andjam.

With these products locallyproduced by the farmers, several agencieshelped the SICARBA in its activities.The marketing was supported by theDepartment of Trade and Industry –Region 11, and the provincialgovernment of Davao del Sur for theagribusiness development, including themarket positioning of the products at theKMCC mall in Davao City.

On the other hand, DA-SMIARC continues to provide the neededtechnical assistance in the expansion ofthe CPAR project in other areas withsimilar conditions for productive mangoenterprise. (Marlowe U. Aquino, PhD)

After successfully implementingthe Community-basedParticipatory Action Research

(CPAR) on Banana-based FarmingSystem in Sultan Kudarat, the IsulanFarmer Association identified theirperformance indicators to intensifytheir project. This time, it focused onthe processing of banana into chipswhich has a demand both for domesticand international markets.

Mr. George Mariscal,municipal agricultural officer, and Ms.Epifania dela Cruz, assignedagricultural technician of the IsulanCPAR project, and their farmer groupseek to address the increasingproduction of fresh banana for chips.

“Our production tremendouslyincreased because of the strategiesemployed in our CPAR project. Wewanted to increase the value of ourproduce and for our farmers to increasetheir share of the harvest,” they said.

With the strong supportprovided by the DA-Central MindanaoIntegrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (CEMIARC) under the thenleadership of Mr. Niceto Agduyeng, theproject caught the attention of themunicipal government and agreed toestablish and build a banana processingcenter.

Sultan Kudarat reaps its harvest from CPAR project

Today, the CPAR project isclosely coordinated by Mr.Eduardo Solomon, the OICmanager of DA-CEMIARC,with his staffproviding thenecessarysupport tointensify theproject.

The projecthas been expanded to threemore areas forming a cluster ofbanana producers.

In a joint activity, theAgricultural Training Institute (ATI) ofDA-Region 12 is conducting capabilitybuilding activities such as banana chippreparation and processing, andmushroom production. These activitieswere identified during the CPARexpansion consultation with the farmersfor added livelihood projects.

Another product envisioned tobe supported through CPAR is the“ ”, a local sweet delicacyoriginally from Iloilo. It will beprocessed with the use ofwhich is produced by a local sugarcanemilling plant in Isulan.

In addition, the Isulan CPARsite and other expanded areas will

pinasugbo

muscovado,

undergo enterprise developmentcapability building under theorchestration of the Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR) whenCPAR projects are ready for the nextstage of production and managementactivities – commercialization of theagricultural product.

Based on initial marketing of thebanana chips in Isulan, the product is nowavailable in major stores andsupermarkets in the region and marketexpansion is likely to take place in otherareas using the brand name “

.” The product is believed to supportthe pressing food production,sustainability, and profitability concernsof local farmers and producers in theregion.

CrunchySaba

(Marlowe U. Aquino, PhD)

Ayear ago, the Ilocos regionexperienced an extreme droughtalong with other provinces in

Luzon. Only 50% of the total acreagedevoted to rice had been planted owingto unfavorable planting conditions.Shortage of water for irrigation wasexperienced and the scorching heat fromthe sun dried up almost every farm.Losses amounting to millions of pesoswere incurred, leaving most farmersempty handed for the next croppingseason, and their farms non-arable.

A drought is an extendedperiod of months, or sometimes years,when a region notes a deficiency inwater supply. This may be caused byabove average prevalence of highpressure systems, winds carryingcontinental air masses, i.e. reducedwater content, El Niño and otheroceanic temperature cycles, and climatechange.

The dramatic change inweather patterns, variable intensity ofstorms, frequent occurrence of drought,disappearance of glaciers and ice caps,the rising of temperature and sealevel—all of these are concretemanifestations of the occurrence ofclimate change.

The Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC) identified

Climate change and agriculture

Understanding dryland agriculture:

How RDE can make most out of Philippine's drylands

Ellaine Grace L. Nagpala

the three most important contributors toglobal warming: fossil fuels, land use, andagriculture. While the country depends onthe agriculture sector for food supply andsource of livelihood, it is the major drivingforce in the gas emissions and landuseeffect that is thought to be the cause ofclimate change. Being a significant user ofland and fossil fuel, agriculture contributesdirectly to greenhouse gas emissionsthrough practices such as rice and livestockproduction.

Climate change poses a majorthreat to food security, according to theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Changes in the air temperature and rainfall,as well as more frequent floods anddroughts will have long-term effects on theviability and productivity of world agro-ecosystems.

Dryland ecosystems are theconsequences of the increase in the averagetemperature of the earth's near-surface airand oceans. Drylands are considered areaswith limited water resources because ofrainfall variability, recurrent butunpredictable droughts, high temperature,and low soil fertility. These lands aredistributed all over the world, accountingfor roughly 47.2 percent of the global landmass, where roughly 60-70 percent are saidto have undergone some level ofdesertification.

Farming in the drylands

Despite these conditions, drylandsare habitat and source of livelihood to alarge fraction of the earth's population,most of whom suffer extreme poverty. Inthe country alone, an estimated threemillion hectares of dryland are identified,distributed in Northern Luzon, CentralVisayas, and Southern Mindanao. Theseareas are said to be inhabited by about fivemillion households. Climate change canfurther aggravate the conditions of thesecommunities.

A farmer dwelling in a drylandcommunity could be living withuncertainty of constant fear of hunger andpoverty as he faces the challenges thatdryland agriculture imposes.

Changes in averageclimate conditions and variability will havea significant effect on crop yields in manyparts of Asia and Pacific. The country hassuffered severely from natural disasters inthe past decade such as drought andtyphoons. With the changing averageclimatic conditions, it is expected thatmore provinces will be prone to droughtconditions.

Water resourcesare very sensitive to climate change. In theSouth and Southeast Asia, region, waterresources are particularly sensitive tochanges in temperature and precipitation,even with changes in tropical monsoonsand cyclones. A large increase inpopulation could further strain waterresources. As population in the drylandsincrease, especially in the urban areas,water scarcity increases in tandem.

Landdegradation is defined as the diminution ofthe productive potential of the land, whichcan be due to natural process or inducedhuman activity. Widespread landdegradation affects production of drylandagricultural and rangeland systems,threatening both livelihoods andbiodiversity. Dryland environments arefragile with few vegetative cover, makingit more prone to degradation.

Since thepoor are the most dependent on agriculturein the drylands, land degradation anddesertification are increasingly recognized

The challenges of dryland agricultureFarming in the drylands is quite

risky.

Negative impact on crop andlivestock activities.

Water-scarcity.

Land degradation.

Persistent poverty.

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The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research(DA-BAR) and The Royal

Netherlands Embassy supported thepublication of “Sea Urchin Grow-OutCulture: Coastal Resources ManagementTools.”

The manual is based on a studyon sea urchin conducted by the Universityof the Philippines-Marine ScienceInstitute (UP-MSI). It highlights thesuccess of grow-out culture technologywith variability on the growth andsurvivorship rates of chosen sites.

Sea urchins ( )are common in oceans all over the world.Locally known as “maritangtang,” it is themost commercially exploited sea urchinspecies in the Philippines.

Large population ofwas once observed in the coastalmunicipality of Bolinao, Pangasinan, untilthe local people realized the lucrativeexport market for it, particularly itsgonads or roe which is rich in glycogen,carotenoids, alanine, valine, glycine,methionine, glutamic acid, inosinic acid,and gluanylic acid.

The grow-out culture for seaurchins can contribute largely to coastal

Tripneustes gratilla

T. gratilla

BAR, The Royal Netherlands Embassysupport publication on sea urchin

resource enhancement. As it is, thetechnology on sea urchin in cages/pensfunctions as mini-reproductive reservesand a supplemental source of livelihoodfor fisherfolk.

Grow-out culture effectivelyprotects juveniles from natural predators,increasing survivorship to reproductivematurity and enhancing recovery ofdepleted natural population. As examined,the increase of sea urchin in the area hasremarkably resulted in the growth of seacucumber and other species not found inthe area prior to the introduction of seaurchins.

Sea urchin grow-out culture,being a resource management tool and agood source of livelihood at the sametime, is relatively new. Coastalcommunities in Pangasinan are moreaccustomed to open access fisherypractices. Consequently, the need forinformation on practices that canharmonize both economic and ecologicalneeds towards sustainable utilization ofthe fishery resources is important.

The studies conducted by theUP-MSI have shown that the success ofsea urchin grow-out culture is largelydependent on the particularities of a

chosen site – different growth andsurvivorship rates could be expected fromdifferent places. It is recommended thatprospective fisher-growers may need tosubject the grow-out process to initialtesting.

The publication was created tofunction as coastal resources managementtool and as an intervention strategy todisseminate data on the generalconsiderations, grow-out procedure,management and culture. (Christmas B. deGuzman)

The Visayas Zonal Cluster inAgriculture and FisheriesResearch and Development

(AFRD) held its first meeting at the CebuGrand Hotel, Cebu City on 22 April2008. The meeting, which was hosted byDA- Central Visayas IntegratedAgricultural Research Center (DA-CENVIARC), highlighted the refocusedand redefined programs and capability formore zonal coordination,complementation, and collaborativemanagement of the three regionalresearch centers in Western Visayas,Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.

The meeting agreed that thezonal programs should support andintensify the Community-basedParticipatory Action Research (CPAR)through the FARMS monitoring

and evaluation system; enhance andoperationalize the integrated laboratoryservices in the Visayas to provide theneeded support to crop, animal, andfishery production management system;enhance and strengthen the informationand knowledge management of

e-Pinoy

Visayas Zonal Cluster refocuses and redefines AFRD programs

agriculture and fisheries program throughthe inventory of zonal researches; and usethe geographic information system andsupport to the agriculture and fisheriesresearch and development informationsystem. Also, the inclusion of the fisheryR&D network in the Visayas Zonal Clusterwas formalized during the meeting.

Although, these are still in thepipeline, each region will start theimplementation of their respective regionalR&D activities in the coming months.

An increase in zonal R&Dnetworking funds was suggested to overseethe coordination and management of theseactivities for the zone to reap the gains ofagriculture and fisheries R&D.

In a related activity, the CentralVisayas-Fishery Integrated Research andDevelopment Network (CV-FIRDN) met on29-30 April 2008 in Siquijor State College,Siquijor to integrate the social dimension intheir undertakings through relevant andattuned fishery social science researches.

This was done through a seminar-workshop conducted by BAR to set the toneof quality fishery social researches, increase

awareness of fishery technical staff on thesocial aspects of fishery programs andprojects, and the responsibility andaccountability of social researchers to thepeople and community they are workingwith.

The meeting discussed issuesrelated to fishery interaction, relationships,and transformation of fishery communitiesinto more responsive and development-oriented. Also, complementation strategieswere identified for the network to act onpressing issues on fishery trends affectingcentral Visayas and the zone as a whole.In so doing, the CV-FIRDN will start withCPAR fisheries on floating net cages,cultural management, and social researchesfocusing on people's reaction andparticipation in CPAR and fisheriestechnology demonstration activities.

It was envisioned that thisinitiative will be conducted in Western andEastern Visayas since majority of theregional activities also involve fisheryactivities and most of the natural resourcesare found in marine and brackish waters.(Marlowe U. Aquino, PhD)

Rice bran and its oil may be amongthe most important sources offunctional food

components/nutraceuticals andcosmeceuticals available in the world today.This was pointed out by Dr. Evelyn B.Rodriguez of the Institute of Chemistry atthe University of the Philippines Los Baños(UPLB) at a seminar on “Food Plants asSource of Nutraceuticals andCosmeceuticals Ingredients” organized bythe Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)on 29 April 2008.

Rice bran or “darak” is to the tan,hard outer layer covering a rice kernel andis often produced as a by-product of millingin the production of refined grains. The branremoved from the rice grains is an excellentsource of nutrients, minerals, and fiber.

Since rice is arguably the world'smost important food, a staple food to morethan half the world's population, theworldwide production of rice bran is vast.But given its amazing number of nutrientsand potential for product development, ricebran, according to Dr. Rodriquez, “is largelyunderutilized and is poorly used for humanfood consumption.”

Unfortunately in the Philippines,instead of using rice bran to nourish people,it is mostly thrown away or used as feedsupplement for swine production. Swineraisers mainly use it for fiber and proteinquality which is practical in the provinceswhere rice bran is cheap. In other parts, ricebran is burned as fuel or dug back into thesoil as fertilizer.

As a functional food, rice branprovides health benefits beyond basicnutrition. Already, it is dubbed as the “newsuper food” owing to its amazing number ofnutrients.

In hope that people would look at

Rice bran as a functional food

Promising potentials of rice bran exploredRita T. dela Cruz

rice bran in adifferent view,Dr. Rodriguezmentioned someof the functionalcomponents ofthis oftensquandered foodsource.Rice bran

contains severalimportantantioxidants andastoundingquantity of otherhealth-givingnutrients.Antioxidants,according toher, are the

nutrients that fight off free radicals in thebodies. Free radicals cause premature agingand many of the degenerative diseases ofold age. This is also the reason why ricebran is an important ingredient forcosmeceutical purposes.

Specifically, rice bran containsphytosterols, polysaccharides, beta-sitosterol, fiber, Vitamin E complex, and alarge complement of B vitamins, includingB15, which is a vital antioxidant.

These antioxidants are known fortheir hypocholesterolemic andhypolipidemic effects,anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties;enhance insulin production; and protect skinagainst ultra violet rays-induced oxidativestress, among other things.

Rice bran is also rich in co-enzyme q10, omega 3, and omega 6 fattyacids and even oleic acid which are alsofound in olive oil.

With its packed of nutrients andhealth benefits, Dr. Rodriguez citedproducts that may be developed from ricebran. They may not be considered newanymore since other developed countrieshave already adopted them. The Filipinoentrepreneur however, could exploit itspotential use since rice bran is practicallyunderutilized in the country. Among theproducts she mentioned were rice bran asbreakfast cereal and rice bran oil (RBO).

Rice bran could be a solution tothe current rice crisis, an alternative for rice,Dr. Rodriguez said when asked of itspotential as a functional food. The onlyproblem she sees is how to entice Filipinosto eat rice bran.

“Eating functional food is alifestyle change. It's a whole new set ofideology,” she reiterated. In encouraging

As breakfast cereal

Filipinos to eat rice bran, there is a need to

first change their perspective on eating habit,meaning eating right.

As a food source, rice bran has ahuge potential to make it to the market scene.“It's ironic that it's the developed countriesthat are making full potential of this by-product from rice when we in the developingcountries just squander them and feed them tothe pigs.”

The idea of rice bran for breakfast isnot new at all. Since it is rich in dietary fiberand contains significant quantitities of starch,protein, vitamins, and minerals, it is oftenused to enrich breads and breakfast cereals. Infact, big companies in the United States suchas Nutracea and Kellogg Company have beenusing rice bran to make their consumers'products for years (i.e., bran breakfast cereal).

Oil products from rice bran caneither or both be used for nutraceutical andcosmeceutical purposes.

As it is, rice bran oil (RBO) alreadycontains several constituents with potentialsignificance in human diet and health. Dr.Rodriguez particularly focused on the gamma-oryzanol or g-Oryzanol, a naturally occurringmixture of plant chemicals called sterols andferulic acid esters.

In the study conducted by Dr.Rodriguez and her group, they found that theg-oryzanol in rice bran produces potentantioxidant activity, anti-cancer properties,prevents bone loss, promotes skin capillarycirculation, and increases sebaceous secretionof the skin (repairs damaged or dry skin),contains UV B screening activity and neuro-regulatory action (improves memory anddiabetic neuropathy), and acts as anabolicsteroid that increases body and muscle mass.

Another health component is -Inositol Hexaphosphate (Ins ) which aids the

body in its use (metabolism) of calcium andother minerals. Studies showed its significantactivities for anti-cancer, involved in liver cellregeneration and management of kidney andgall bladder stones; helps improve bloodcirculation and stimulate cell turnover whenused topically; reduces hair loss and stimulatehair growth; reduces plaque; and promotesskin lightening.

When Dr. Rodriguez and his grouptested the percentage of the unsaponifiablematter in rice bran, they found it higher thanthat found in sesame seeds and corn kernel.Unsaponifiables are components of oil or fatthat do not saponify. Unsaponifiables areimportant when creating a soap recipe in theprocess of soapmaking as they can bebeneficial to a soap formula owing to theirdesirable properties such as moisturization,conditioning, vitamins, and texture.

Oil from rice bran

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NEWS NEWS

BAR hronicleC12 BAR hronicleC 5

The Isabela State University (ISU)is now bent on thecommercialization of its high-

value crop-related technologiesdeveloped by its researchers andscientists in the field of agriculture.

With funding support from theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR),Dr. Romeo Quilang, ISU president andhis researchers, embarked on a two-yearTechnology Upscaling Program for SweetSorghum and Pigeon Pea in Isabela.

The program, which started lastyear, is adopting improved varieties ofsweet sorghum and pigeon pea that wereearlier found suitable in the MarianoMarcos State University (MMSU) inBatac, Ilocos Norte, and the PampangaAgricultural College (PAC), respectively.The program aims to demonstrate andpromote the production of sweet sorghumand pigeon pea to increase theproductivity and income of farmers notonly in Isabela but in other provinces ofRegion 2 as well.

In the progress report submittedto the Bureau by ISU, it stated that initialplanting were done in early July and midAugust last year in time for the rainyseason. Dr. Edwin Macaballug, projectleader for pigeon pea, and Prof. Raul B.Palaje, project leader for sweet sorghum,were allotted at least 1-ha each within theISU premises to plant their respectivecrops to produce high quality seeds fordistribution to farmers in Region 2.

The program plans to put upfive-hectare technology demonstrationfarm per crop and conduct field days tofast track the adoption of sweet sorghumand pigeon pea in the Region. Theprogram leaders believe that the

ISU embarks on sweet sorghumand pigeon pea commercialization

sweet sorghum

pigeon pea

commercial production of these crops is agood alternative to increase farmer'sincome as it will also transfertechnologies on the processing of thecrops into various by-products at thevillage level. They are also incorporatingtechnical assistance on marketing tocreate a demand for the commodity.

While the production of sweetsorghum seeds is also eyed as feedstockfor bioethanol and as grains for poultryfeed, the program leaders observed thatthe production of seeds has becomechallenging because of the critical birddamage causing significant losses ongrain yield.

“We tried bagging the panicles,which is effective and environmentallysound but it is expensive. In India, theyhave also been experiencing bird damagebut the infestation is lesser than what weare experiencing,” the program leaderslamented. To resolve this, they areplanning to replicate India's noise-makingequipment used to scare birds away fromthe crops.

To emphasize the prospects ofgenerating rural small enterprise, theprogram is promoting the production oforganic food products from sweetsorghum such as vinegar, wine, andjaggery while waiting for theestablishment of distillery by privatesectors. The program leaders reported thatactual jaggery and vinegar productionhave already been conducted in trade fairsthey have participated in the region. Onpigeon pea, the program leaders said thatit is best eaten as fresh vegetable whilethe grain could be sold as feeds assubstitute for cowpea.

“The encouraging initial finding

of the study conducted to control stemborerwith the use of predatory earwigs and bio-nutrient extracts will be integrated into thepackage of technology for the on-farm trialsbeing conducted by10 farmer-cooperators inSan Pablo, Tumauini, and San Mariano inIsabela. The vermi-compost is also used forthe balance fertilization in the production ofsweet sorghum and pigeon pea,” theprogress report says.

The program is conducted incooperation with the India-basedInternational Crops Research Institute forthe Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT),Department of Agriculture (DA) RegionalField Unit 2, farmer associations,cooperatives, non-governmentorganizations (NGOs), and localgovernment units (LGUs) in theregion.(Miko Jazmine J. Mojica)

area a contemporary strategic area forresearch and policy. He stressed: “Theadvent of biofuels may forecast well foragricultural producers due to the newmarkets that will be potentiallyavailable. However, its implications tofood security, poverty and environmentsneed to be more examined closely.Integration of its research, developmentand extension (RDE) should beimperative.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Emil Q. Javier,president of the National Academy forScience and Technology (NAST), wasconferred the 2008 Research LeadershipExcellence Award for his significantachievements and pioneering efforts inresearch which have enhanced the roleof research managers in the country.

In his response speech, theformer University of the Philippines(UP) president, stressed the importanceof a “science-based policy making” toenable the country to make a desiredand wise decision based on science. Thecurrent rice crisis, he asserted, hasbrought the agriculture sector to thelimelight, allowing policymakers to puttheir attention and focus on agriculture,particularly, on how to use and mobilizescience and technology.

Responding to Gov. Salceda'spresentation, Dr. Javier suggested threepoints to address the problem on foodsecurity, particularly with the currentrice crisis.

On the lack of agricultural

Research managers’...from page 11

PHILARM President Heraldo L. Layaoen (middle) awards Dr. Emil Q. Javier (right), the2008 Research Leadership Excellence Award for his significant achievements andpioneering efforts in research which have enhanced the role of research managers inthe country. Also in the picture is Chairperson of the Awards and RecognitionCommittee Angel S. Morcozo, Jr. (left).

lands, one solution is to increase thecropping index, Javier said. Rather thanplanting and harvesting once a year, do itthree times a year to effectively increasefood production.

He also cited the crucial role ofthe state universities and colleges (SUC),being the oasis of research and technologygeneration, in every government-initiatedprogram. Specifically, he suggested forSUCs include in their budget a proposal

for a dedicated extension unit over andabove their teaching budget and hire ablepeople whose designation is extension.This serves as a backstop to theprovincial extension offices providingthem support in planning and evaluation,and information dissemination as well asassist the Department of Agriculture(DA) and the local government units(LGUs) to achieve food security.

Lastly, he emphasized the needto target rice self sufficiency. He said,“Self sufficiency is the surrogate ofmodernization in agriculture and that byfueling the needed inputs to attainsufficiency in production we develop ourirrigation system, improve farm tomarket road, extension, postharvestfacilities and marketing system.” Giventhe constraints in government's budget,there is a need for DA to reclassify itsbudget.

Established in 1989, PHILARMis a professional organization dedicatedto the promotion and enhancement of therole of managers in improving andsustaining productivity in research. Itsvision is to become the leadingprofessional organization of research inthe Asia Pacific Region.

PHILARM is currently chairedby Dr. Heraldo L. Layaoen, vicepresident for administration, planning,and external linkages of the MarianoMarcos State University (MMSU) inBatac City. The association has nowmore than 1,000 members mostly fromthe fields of research and researchmanagement. (Rita T. dela Cruz)

“The Philippines is good in reproductionbut bad in production” - Gov. Salceda

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ELA

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Soil Science); Dr. Herminigilda A.Gabertan of the Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research andDevelopment Center (PhD inEnvironmental Science); Dr. RosanaPinduma of the Department of Agricultureand Fisheries-Autonomous Region ofMuslim Mindanao (PhD in Horticulture)and; Dr. Nancy Roman of the Aurora StateCollege of Technology (PhD in AnimalScience).

The scholars’ night started with awelcome remarks delivered by BARAssistant Director Teodoro S. Solsoloy.He congratulated the six graduates inbehalf of Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

BAR honors...from page 1He emphasized that the scholars’ night isbeing held to acknowledge the job welldone by the scholars for finishing theirdegrees. In conclusion, he left thegraduates an inspiring and challengingmessage by quoting Mohandas Ghandi,“We must become the change we wish tosee this world.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Carmencita V.Kagaoan, head of BAR-ProgramDevelopment Division, recognized andintroduced the graduates before the keyofficials of UPLB.

Giving his congratulatory address

to the graduates, UPLB Chancellor Luis

Rey I. Velasco stressed the changing of

roles that one has to undergo after

graduation from being an

to being an He

likewise commended the graduates and

encouraged them to serve more and do well

with their newly acquired degrees.

Also present in the event were

UPLB Vice Chancellor for Instruction Rita

P. Laude, UPLB Vice Chancellor for

Research and Extension Enrico P.

Supangco, UPLB Vice Chancellor for

Community Affairs Virginia R. Cardenas,

UPLB Vice Chancellor for Administration

Roberto F. Rañola, College of Agriculture

Dean Candida B. Adalla, and UPLB

Foundation, Inc., Executive Director Cecilio

F. Arboleda.

Iskolar ng Bayan

Iskolar para sa Bayan.

(Ellaine Grace L. Nagpala)

ISU

ISU

BAR hronicleC6 BAR hronicleC 11

NEWS NEWS

Recognizing the importance ofresearch and the role of researchmanagers in achieving food and

energy security in the country, thePhilippine Association of ResearchManagers, Inc. (PHILARM) held its 18National Convention on 22-25 April 2008at the Casablanca Hotel in Legazpi City,Albay.

The convention, which carriedthe theme “Mobilizing ResearchManagers for Food and Energy Security,”gathered more than 100 researchmanagers from all over the country todiscuss two of the most pressing issueshounding the sector today: food and fuel.

At present, the agriculture sectoris at a turning point with the high demandto produce more and address food and fuelsecurity in the country. The unrestrainedgrowth of population has caused foodprices to increase, resulting in a higherdemand to produce more food.

With the need to secure energyresource and climate change standing inthe midst, there is also a need to re-structure further the equations of supplyand demand and the resources available toresolve them.

The challenge, therefore, is howto address energy security withoutcompromising lands for food production.At its current state, increasing concerns inthe agriculture sector and how to mobilizethe research managers towards itsrealization must be addressed.

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18 PHILARM confab heightens researchmanagers' role to address food-fuel security

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Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar (inset) delivers his message during the opening program.ICRISAT Scientist

Prabhakar ReddyAt the VIP table are: (L-R) PHILARM Vice President Erlinda Aromin,

, PHILARM President Heraldo Layaoen, BAR Director Eleazar, AlbayGovernor Joey C. Salceda, and NAST President Emil Q. Javier.

RDELACRUZ

Providing a wealth ofexperience from the financial marketsand an economist's point of view wasGovernor Jose Clemente "Joey" Salceda,who served as the keynote speaker andguest of honor. His presentation titled“Nature's Vengeance, Farmers Revenge:A Roadmap to Food Security” providedthe participants with valuable insights onthe current food production status and,more important, policy options andsequencing in response to the currentfood price crisis.

In his presentation, he identifiedthe uncontrolled growing population ofthe country as the main cause why thecountry is experiencing rice shortage. Hesaid, “The Philippines is good inreproduction but bad in production”.

With the growing number ofmouth to feed and the diminishingagricultural land areas to cultivate, thedemand for food is high. When farmersproduce less, expect the price toincrease. He said that food productionhas an eventual effect on how thecountry's agricultural lands are being

used as there is a structural limit to landexpansion.

Rice, according to Salceda, is agood policy instrument and researchersand research managers have a crucial roleto play in it. “For every problem in thesector, there must be a research becauseevery research answers a policy,” hestressed.

Others who spoke at theconvention were Legazpi City MayorNoel E. Rosal, Bicol University (BU) VicePresident Helen M. Llenaresas, andBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

Dir. Eleazar emphasized the needto meet the growing food needs given theconstraint in resources. The challenge, hesaid, is for the research community tomake further shifts in the yield potentialof rice by developing high-yieldingvarieties to reduce farmers' agriculturalinputs and increase their income.

On energy security, Eleazarunderscored the need for researchmanagers' aggressive pursuit to make this

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“Rice is a good policy instrument and researchersand research managers have a crucial role toplay in it. For every problem in the sector,there must be a research because everyresearch answers a policy.”- Gov . Salceda

The Mycological Society of thePhilippines (MSP) based at theUniversity of the Philippines Los

Baños (UPLB) celebrated its 10Anniversary by holding its AnnualScientific Symposium and Training onMushroom Production and Improvementof Homemade Fruit Wine at BenguetState University (BSU), La Trinidad,Benguet, 14-16 April 2008.

Members of the academe andtheir students, government agencies, farmowners, and interested individualsparticipated in the well-attended eventthat showcased several breakthroughstudies and technologies in the field ofmycology. Mycology is the branch ofbotany that studies fungi and fungus-caused diseases.

The event kicked off with alecture on the improvement of homemadefruit wine by Mr. Elbert Pigtain, a multi-awarded exporter of tropical fruit winessuch as , and mango.

Mr. Pigtain shared his ownsuccess story in wine making and how hewas able to penetrate the high-end marketin the United States and Europe.

The training on mushroomproduction was divided into two modules:1) pleurotus and oyster mushroom

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bignay, duhat

Mycological Society holds 10 Anniversary and Symposiumth

production, and 2) shiitake mushroomproduction. Two professors from BSU, Dr.Bernard Tad-awan and Dr. Janet S. Luis,served as resource persons for the twotrainings, respectively.

Mushroom production is prized inBenguet as it commands a high price in themarket compared to other crops. Bothtrainers, however, recognized thatmushroom production requires a lot of trialand errors as mushrooms are highlysensitive to contaminants such as thepathogen .

During the symposium properwhich carried the theme “Fungi in OrganicAgriculture”, more than 20 scientific paperswere presented in two days composed ofnon-competing and competing papers aswell as three manuscript defenses vying forthe first Tricita H. Quimio UndergraduateThesis Award.

Dr. Quimio, chairperson of theorganizing committee of MSP founded in1998 in UP Visayas, is recognized in theinternational science community for herexpertise and contribution to theadvancement of mushroom research.

Dan A. Saclangan, a graduatingstudent of BSU's College of Agriculture,won the award for his study, “PreliminaryStudy on the Field Application of

Trichoderma

TrichodermaApis mellifera

Glomus aggregatum

Helianthus annuus

Musa

Fusarium oxysporum

Dendryphiella salina

Trichoderma

(Miko Jazmine J.Mojica)

spp on Strawberry FlowerUsing Honey Bees L.”, aunanimous decision from the judges.

In the Best Research Papercategory, awardees were: ArbuscularMycorrhiza ( )Alleviates Heavy Metal Toxicity inSunflower ( L.) by Dr.Venecio Ultra Jr., University of EasternPhilippines, North Samar (1 Place);Pleurotus Growers' Best Practice in CentralLuzon: To Wrap or Not to Wrap? by AaronRoy Aquino, Pedrito S. Nitural, et. al.,Central Luzon State University (2 Place);and Partial Characterization of Mutantsfrom a Plastic-degrading Black Fungus byMary Ann T. Tavanlar and Emil C. Lat,BIOTECH, UPLB (3 Place).

In the Best Poster category,awardees were: Fungal Root EndophytesIsolated from spp as BiocontrolAgents Against the Plant Pathogen

by Andre Adducul,Rizza Cabalfin, et.al, UST (1st Place);Finding Ways to Convert ProblematicWaste Slurry from Corn-Nut ProcessingPlants into Beneficial Uses/Products byAnjelyn B. Del Rosario, UP Manila, FidesZ. Tambalo, BIOTECH , UPLB, andDexter M. Belenario, KSK Company (2ndPlace); and Biosorption of Mercury by theMarine Fungus fromthe Mediterranean Sea by JanuaryAninipot, Roanne Dahonog, et.al.,University of Sto. Tomas (3 Place).

Non-competing papers in thesymposium were no small feat either asthese drew out keen interest from theparticipants with regard to the study offungi and its significance in thePhilippines.

Some of the interestingpresentations were given by Dr. Virginia C.Cuevas, a respected professor and scientistat UPLB and expert in the field of Ecology,on organic agriculture and biowastecompost with ; Dr. Romulo H.Malvar, president, Marinduque StateCollege, on the planned Fern andMushroom Park, Research and LivelihoodCenter in Marinduque; and from theprivate sector, Mr. Gil Carandang, HerbanaFarms owner, on the significance ofindigenous beneficial microorganisms insoil fertility and pest and disease control.

The event was capped by theinduction of new members and officers ofMSP with Dr. Jocelyn T. Zarate fromBIOTECH, UPLB as President. Sponsorsof MSP included the Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR), Bureau ofSoils and Water Management (BSWM),and Department of Science andTechnology (DOST).

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rdBAR promotes indigenous plantsfor health and wellness industry

Ms. Marjorie P. Lopingco,president of the SpaAssociation of the

Philippines, Inc. (SAPI), introducedthe prospects of spa industry usingindigenous plants in the Philippinesduring the 6 Seminar Series of theBureau of Agricultural Research(BAR) on 30 April 2008 at the 4FRDMIC Building, Visayas Avenue,Diliman, Quezon City.

In behalf of BAR DirectorNicomedes P. Eleazar, Managementof Information Systems Division(MISD) Head Marlowe U. Aquionostressed the importance of the BARSeminar Series as a venue forexchange of information andknowledge, trends, challenges, andopportunities in the agriculture andfisheries R&D sector

Ms. Lopingco reported thatthe “SPAmania” is now earningUS$24.3 B earnings a year. For the

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Philippines, a 7.9 percent growth rate hasbeen noted per year with a 71 percentincrease since 1999.

To date, there are 158 health andwellness-related registered companies inthe country manufacturing organic andnatural products, herbal and natural

SAPI President Marjorie P. Lopingco

turn to page 16�

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BAR hronicleC 7BAR hronicleC10

NEWS NEWS

Getting into the mainstream ofagricultural development onfood security and biofuel

production to address the pressing andincreased oil price in the world market isone of the ultimate objectives of theDepartment of Agriculture (DA).

Although there are a lot ofdebates on these concerns, the Philippinegovernment, through the DA's

(DA-GMA) Corn Program, developed theNational Cassava Program forAlternative Use.

Highlighting the industrialimportance of cassava as alternativesources, for biofuel and bio-ethanol, theCentral Visayas was eyed by the DA-GMA Corn Program as the source ofplanting materials to be distributed toother regions.

Using the KU50 or NSIC CV22variety, the crop was propagated in theresearch and production site of DA-Central Visayas Integrated AgriculturalResearch Center (DA-CENVIARC) inUbay, Bohol. The target plantingmaterial production is good for 23hectares with 3-4 meters with at least 4to 6 nodes per meter stalk.

Cassava, regarded mainly asfood in marginal areas, is now given anew usage to increase the production

Ginintuang Masaganang Ani

Central Visayas is source of cassava for bioethanol

and profit of marginal farms. The programis piloted in Regions 2, 10, 7, and 12.

In Central Visayas, the DA-CENVIARC is the lead region to providethe needed planting materials for theproposed 23 hectares in the Bicol Region.

Furthermore, cassava ethanolproduction will be expanded in regions IVaand IVb, 6, 5, and 8. These Regions willpurchase and obtain their initial plantingmaterials from DA-CENVIARC, givingthe Center an added income to supportother RDE activities.

In addition, DA-CENVIARC,

together with Philippine RootcropsResearch and Training Center (PRCRTC)in the Visayas State University (VSU)based in Baybay, Leyte will providetechnical and financial support to thecommodity, particularly on its marketingactivity with the San Miguel Corporationinitially linked to PRCRTC.

With this initiative, DA and itspartner agencies can actively participatein the government's goal in identifyingand providing alternative commodities forfood, feed/fodder, and fuel uses.(Marlowe U. Aquino, PhD)

RDELACRUZ

Department of Agriculture (DA)Undersecretary Jesus EmmanuelM. Paras who spoke in behalf of

Secretary Arthur C. Yap pointed out thatbackyard hog raisers are the mostimportant people as far as livestock isconcern, particularly in hog production.This he said during the 17 National HogConvention and Trade Exhibits on 24-26April 2008 at the Cebu InternationalConvention Center (CICC), MandaueCity.

He stressed that “With regard totoday's issue on rice production, foodsufficiency is not a problem if the effortsof all local government units (LGUs),private sectors, and other institutions areunified.”

With this year's theme,“Enhancing Pork production for theExport Market,” the convention through

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DA Usec Paras underscores backyardhog raisers' role to food sufficiency

various exhibitors featured the latestswine production equipment andtechniques and new medications forhogs. It was hosted by the CebuAssociation of Meat and PoultryProducts Multi-Purpose Cooperativeheaded by Chairman Pluy Ong.

Organized by the NationalFederation of Hog Farmers Inc.(NFHFI), the launching ceremony hadConvention Chairman Edwin G. Chenwelcoming the guests and participantsand NFHFI President Albert R.T. Lim Jr.giving the opening remarks. He said thatthe convention hopes to help promoteand protect the interests of the country'shog farmers and serve as a venue toenhance the opportunities for growth,efficiency, equity and sustainability ofthe P120-billion hog industry.

As partner and sponsor, the

Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)participated in the event where BARpublications and research papers made byscientists associated with the bureau wereexhibited in the booth. Completing the setof cooperators were DA RFU-6, DA RFU-7, DA RFU-8, Livestock DevelopmentCouncil, Bureau of Animal Industry(BAI), National Meat Inspection Service(NMIS), National Food Authority (NFA)-Corn Development Fund, and GMA CornProgram.

The three-day event also includeda series of seminars on swine managementand production, and the eradication ofcommon swine diseases as well as a livehog exhibit. It also highlighted theaddition of the 1st Backyard Hog FarmersCongress (on the third day), sponsored byRobina Agri Partners. (Christmas B. deGuzman)

The Bureau of Agricultural Research(BAR) is one of the sponsors andparticipants of the trade exhibit

As exhibitor, BAR displays various in-housepublications, books, and journals from its partner-agencies through its Special Publication Grant (SPG).MISD Assistant Head Julia A. Lapitan (left) leads in theinformation drive and in welcoming inquiries from thebooth visitors and participants.photos by NDELROSARIO and CDEGUZMAN

BAR prepares an e-Learning course onseaweed farming for profitable livelihood

The Bureau of Agricultural Research(BAR) has prepared an onlinecourse on “Seaweed Farming: A

Profitable Livelihood for CoastalCommunities” under the e-LearningProgram of the Department of Agriculture(DA). This serves as an additionalprogram to other existing offered courseson goat, banana, corn, citrus, durian, andothers.

Seaweed farming is consideredas the most productive form of livelihoodin coastal communities, benefitting abouthalf a million of the country's population.The Philippines ranks as the third in theworld market in seaweed export.

The e-Learning module providesadditional knowledge on improvedseaweed farming of . or

. This includes siteselection, preparation, transport, and careand maintenance of seedlings, harvesting,postharvest handling, drying, packing, and

Eucheuma spKappaphycus sp

storing of seaweed.The e-Learning program is one of

the components of the e-Extension servicesof the agriculture/fisheries (A/F) sectors.

As per Department Order No. 03series of 2007, the DA-AgriculturalTraining Institute (ATI) was designated asthe lead agency for the provision of e-Extension services in collaboration withother agencies, bureaus, and organizationalunits under the Department.

e-Extension envisions to establisha network of institutions providing efficientand effective e-Extension services for A/Fto attain a modernized agriculture andfisheries where farmers and otherstakeholders have enhanced productivity,profitability, and are competitive in theglobal market.

Other components of e-Extensionare e-Farming and e-Trading whichprovide online and blended courses on A/Ftechnologies and offer digital online

courses purposely designed foragricultural extension workers, farmers,and fisheries in the country.

e-Learning serves is anoffshoot of ATI's commitment under theOpen Academy for PhilippineAgriculture (OPAPA). Courses in thee-Learning integrate field activities andface-to-face interaction betweenlearners and experts. They weredeveloped in collaboration with BAR,Philippine Council for Agriculture,Forestry and Natural ResourcesResearch and Development(PCARRD), Bureau of Plant Industry(BPI), Philippine Carabao Center(PCC), Philippine Coconut Authority(PCA), National Dairy Authority(NDA), and other regional centers ofgovernment agencies.

Representing BAR in thisendeavor are Ms. Julia Lapitan,assistant head of MISD; Ms. ApoloniaMendoza, research coordinator ofRCD; and Ms. Rueth Cabral,programmer of MISD. (Ma. Eloisa E.Hernandez)

8 BAR hronicleC BAR hronicleC 9

DA Usec. Segfredo R. Serrano (left) delivers his keynote address during the opening of the National Dryland Agriculture RD&EConference . Listening in at the VIP table are: (L -R) Dr. Libertad C. Rivera of DA-RFU 3 (attending in behalf of DA-RFU 3 RegionalExecutive Director Redentor S. Gatus), ICRISAT Director General William D. Dar, and BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

Dr. William D. Dar presents ICRISAT sinitiatives on dryland agriculture.

BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazardelivers his opening message.

Guests, speakers, and participants pose for a group photo..

Confab on dryland agriculture identifies nationalRD&E agenda and lays groundwork for PhilDRI

In a bid to sustainably manage thecountry's dryland agriculture andcontribute to poverty alleviation

and social empowerment of poorcommunities, the Department ofAgriculture-Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (DA-BAR) partnered withthe International Crops ResearchInstitute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT) to conduct the first-ever“National Dryland AgricultureResearch and Development andExtension (RD&E) Conference” on17-18 April 2008 at the Oxford Hotel,Clark Special Economic Zone,Pampanga.

With the theme, “EnergizingResearch, Development andExtension for Sustainable DrylandAgriculture Philippines”, the two-dayconference assessed thecontemporary situation of drylandagriculture in the country whichserved as the basis for identifying anational RD&E agenda for dryland

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agriculture and groundwork for establishingan institution for dryland research.

The activity was attended by morethan 100 participants from variousgovernment agencies, state university andcolleges, representatives from the regionsidentified with dryland areas, and invitedexperts from India-based researchinstitutions, ICRISAT and Central ResearchInstitute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA).

DA Undersecretary Segfredo R.Serrano, the guest of honor, stressed in hisspeech the crucial role of the localgovernment unit in the successfulimplementation of a national program fordryland agriculture.

Meanwhile, providing the keynoteaddress was ICRISAT Director GeneralWilliam D. Dar.

In his presentation, Dr. Darreferred to the “drylands” as those that arehyper-arid, arid, and semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, including both rainfed and

Why focus on dryland agriculture?

upland. The dryland areas arecharacterized by high climate variability,high precipitation, erratic rainfall, andpoor soils which subsequently result inlow and unpredictable crop and livestockproductions.

The Philippines has more thanthree million hectares of drylandsdistributed in Northern Luzon, CentralVisayas, and Southern Mindanao.Specifically, the dryland areas includeRegions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, and CordilleraAdministrative Region (CAR). These areinhabited by five million households,most of whom are poor and dependent ondryland farming.

The 20 million poor people wholive in the drylands are, at their most, riskliving in a farming condition that isvulnerable to drought, pest infestation,poor and degraded soils, and lack ofphysical infrastructures and socialservices.

In terms of funding, Dir. Eleazarnoted that dryland agriculture is one of

the most neglected sectors given that itcontributes 40 percent to the total foodproduction of the country. Over the pastthree decades, he said, the bulk of theagricultural RD&E investments as wellas policy support and infrastructuredevelopment had mostly favored irrigatedand lowland farming, neglecting poorpeople who live in the drylands.

Crucial to sustainably managingdrylands in the country is to first identifythe challenges and constraints toagricultural and economic production andprovide alternative livelihood options tothe dryland communities.

Thus, there is a need to define amedium- and long-term national RD&Eagenda for dryland agriculture in thePhilippines. This will serve as theplatform and unified scheme in planningand prioritizing R&D to efficientlyidentify strategies and prospects vis-à-visthe emerging issues and concerns of thedryland sector.

After assessing thecontemporary situation of Philippinedryland agriculture and recognizing itscontribution to its total agriculturalproduction, participants in the two-dayconference identified eight challengesand constraints that the RD&E agendamust immediately addressed. These are

Developing national RD&E agenda fordryland agriculture

land degradation, low soil fertility, waterscarcity, climate change,poverty/farmers' low income, poorinstitutional linkages, foods/feeds safetyand nutrition, and insufficient technicalknowledge.

Consequently, after a nationalRD&E agenda for dryland agriculturehas been identified, there is a need for aproactive research organization that willgenerate and adopt appropriateinnovations to improve the livelihoods ofpoor dryland communities and that canserve as a first line of defense againstdrought and climate change.

Thus, a proposal on theestablishment of the first-ever drylandR&D institute in the country, thePhilippine Dryland Research Institute(PhilDRI), which was presented in theconference by Dr. Santiago R. Obien,senior technical adviser of BAR.

According to Obien, PhilDRIwill be organized to coordinate,strengthen, and unify all drylandagriculture and biofuel researches andtechnologies to improve the livelihoodsof resource-poor dryland communities.The institute is envisioned to serve as thevenue for relevant, timely, and proactivemodern agricultural research fordevelopment.

Establishing PhilDRI will bethe country's proactive response against

Introducing PhilDRI

the vagaries of drought and climatechange. It is also through theestablishment of this institute that thePhilippines will improve the livelihoodsof the poor communities in the drylandsby developing cutting-edge technologiesand innovations.

An Executive Order (E.O.) onthe establishment of PhilDRI earlierdrafted was refined during theconference. Among the key issuesaddressed and discussed were R&Drequirements, communication and socialmobilization for establishment, andorganization and management schemefor PhilDRI.

India is considered as the leaderin dryland agriculture working with theIndian Council for Agricultural Research(ICAR) in conducting basic and strategicresearches specific on drylandagriculture. As such, BAR hascollaborated with ICRISAT in laying thegroundwork for the establishment ofPhilDRI.

A group of scientists andexperts from ICRISAT and CRIDA wasinvited to present papers and share theirexperiences in dryland research,including new science tools forupgrading rainfed agriculture forimproved livelihoods, collaborativeR&D projects between ICRISAT and thePhilippines, and India's experience indryland agriculture RD&E. (Rita T. delaCruz)

Dr. Santiago R. Obien presents how thefirst PhilDRI will be established.

Scientists and experts from ICRISAT andCRIDA listen to the presentations.

photos by NDELROSARIO, ENAGPALA, and RDELACRUZ

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