Regrowth, propagation of forest vines eyed in Bicol
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will embark on a research and development effort to study how to regrow and propagate forest vines in Bicol plantations to enable large-scale production.
Funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development, the three-year R&D project will be undertaken by the DOST’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) starting this year.
Forrester Jennifer Conda of the FPRDI said that the large-scale production of the forest vines will improve the capacity of the handicraft industry in the Bicol region.
“The supply of raw materials for handicraft production can- not rely on natural regeneration. Nursery or plantation establishment is necessary to support the needs of the handicraft industry,” Conda said.
“This study will also evaluate the nutritional requirement, preferred environmental condition and appropriate propagation techniques of forest vines,” she added.
The forest vines growing abundantly in the forests in Camarines Sur and Albay are seen as good raw materials for handicraft production.
The effort, dubbed “Biological Studies of Economically Important Forest Vines in Camarines Sur and Albay Provinces,” will determine the volume and location of significant forest vines in Bicol. It will also study the factors affecting their natural growth and regeneration.
According to Conda, forest vines are among the least studied plant groups despite their promising use as raw materials for handcrafted items.
Propagation and use of these materials for handicraft production can be an added source of income particularly for rural and forest dwellers.