DA-BAR to bare research projects at Agrilink 2017

The Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture (DA-BAR) will showcase its research activities and development programs for the country’s various agricultural sectors during the Agrilink trade show on October 5-7 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Maybe, not many agri-people are aware of it but the agency headed by Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar, is overseeing and funding some of the most important research programs in agriculture, fisheries and natural resources.

According to Eleazar, many of the of the projects align with the need to develop crops that can withstand the logistical and phytosanitary requirements as the country moves towards promoting Philippine agricultural products in the wider global market. With the technology that will help nurture these crops, the Philippines will be in a better position to address the problems of seasonal supply of farm produce and climate change

RESISTANT CAVENDISH VARIANT – One of the big projects that has been undertaken by DA-BAR is an initiative to produce for eventual commercial planting of a Giant Cavendish Tissue Culture Variant (GCTCV) 219 by small-scale farmers as well as big plantation owners. This is a Cavendish variant from Taiwan that has been proven through field research in banana growing areas in Mindanao that it is resistant to the devastating Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 of Cavendish bananas. This particular race had devastated the banana industry in Taiwan.

Research continues with the collaboration of Bioversity International represented in the Philippines by Dr. Agustin Molina, a Filipino

Photo shows a staff of PCAARRD posing with a beautiful bunch of a tissue culture variant grown in a cooperator’s farm. The fruit of No. 219 is sweeter than the ordinary Cavendish and is well accepted in the export market.

This is a healthy young GCTCV plant growing in the field trial of several tissue culture variants in a farm in Davao. GCTCV 19 is particularly observed to be resistant to the virus disease. Other variants are also being assessed.