Ilocos Norte supports tissue-cultured garlic

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — To improve the quality of the locally-produced garlic in the province, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte supported the implementation of the garlic’s tissue culture production program here.

Agriculturist Imelda Adalem of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) expressed gratitude not only to Governor Imee Marcos for spearheading the usage of this technique in the province, but also to a group of scientists from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) consisting of Professor Lilian F. Pateña, Dr. Raol P. Pamiloza, and National Scientist Dr. RC Barba, who aided in planting and monitoring the crop.

Tissue culture is a process allowing agriculturists to replicate one plant with desired characteristics into thousands of identical crops.

Fragments of plant tissue are transferred to an artificial environment in which they are exposed to a specific regimen of nutrients and hormones as they grow, thereby multiplying. This results to more fruitful plants with a higher survival rate.

Three farms each from the towns of Burgos and Pasuquin, and the City of Batac, received assistance in applying this technique to their garlic crop.

Adalem said that the tissue-cultured garlic planted in Burgos showed the most vitality.