There is hope for Philippine agriculture
ON my very first day as acting Agriculture secretary on August 5, I immediately communicated to the ranks of the Department of Agriculture (DA) my priorities for the next 100 days.
CENTRAL Luzon State University (CLSU) recently opened the country’s first nanotechnology research and development (R&D) facility.
Located inside the CLSU campus in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, the nanotechnology R&D facility will focus its efforts on the application of nanotechnology in farming and fisheries.
“As part of its initiative to strengthen its R&D program, CLSU received assistance from different government agencies and private institutions to support the establishment of the facility and acquisition of nanotechnology-related research equipment,” the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) said in a Facebook post.
Aside from BAR, other institutions that supported the establishment of the nanotechnology R&D facility include the Department of Science and Technology through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development; Department of Budget Management Region 3; ITS Science Philippines; Sigmatech Inc.; and Nanotech Analytical Services and Training Corp. Labs.
The R&D facility houses an office, two laboratory rooms, conference room and staff room containing state- of-the-art equipment for nanotechnology. It also has on display products and prototypes such as nano calcium, nano cilica and gold reducing agent.
BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar said the R&D facility has the potential to deliver outputs for agriculture such as innovation on precision farming techniques, efficient use of inputs, and effective systems for processing, storage, and packaging among others.
During its inauguration on July 23 and 24, a series of training-seminars on nanotechnology were held led by experts on nanotechnology R&D and material science engineering. The participants were researchers and students from different universities and institutions in the country, including those from CLSU, University of the Philippines ( UP) Diliman, UP Los Baños, UP Visayas, Bicol University, Tarlac Agricultural University and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.