In fact, some improved saline tilapia breeds are now with fish growers in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Cebu, it was reported by Dr. Lourdes Dureza of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) situated in the seaside Iloilo town of Miag-ao 41 kilometers west of Iloilo City.
Dr. Dureza is leader of a project titled "Development of Improved Breeds of Tilapia for Culture in Saline Water: Culture and Breeding Performance in Brackishwater-based Environment."
Funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agriculture Research (DA-BAR), the project has so far documented the commercially available five saline-tolerant tilapia strains in the country, namely: Carcar from Cebu, PAC from Nueva Ecija, Jewel from Bacolod City, Los Baños from Laguna, and Mina from San Carlos City (Negros Oriental).
Of the strains, Carcar, Jewel, and Mina had growth rate of 0.9-1.2 grams per day, biomass of 120 g/square meter at 28-30 parts per thousand (ppt, a form of measurement of saline concentration) for 60 days of culture; and 0.6-0.7 g/day biomass of 84 g/sq m at 33-38 pt thereafter until 113 culture days.
Their survival was 49 percent but the FAC and Los Baños strains had relatively poor growth rate and low survival.
Dr. Dureza also noted that the hybrid Oreochromic spilurus male and 0. nilotious (IDRC strain) female gave the highest growth rate (1.5 g/day), biomass (1.9 kg/sq.m), and survival (93 percent) in cages held in brackishwater (20-25 ppt) pond for 60 days of culture.
She said the hybrid is among the 46 families of tilapia hybrids produced and obtained from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Freshwater Fisheries Training and Research Center (BFAR-NFFTRC) at the Central Luzon State Universtiy (CLSU) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
Dr. Dureza reported that the four top-ranking tilapia family hybrids (FN 17, 18, 19, and 22) in terms of growth, biomass, and survival have 0. spilurus male parent and 0. nilotious female parent.
"This result indicated that salinity tolerance is paternal influence from male 0. spilurus, while growth is maternal influence from 0. niloticus (IDRC strains)," she said. "Reciprocal breeds (0. spilurus female and 0. niloticus male) ranked low (less than 20) in terms of growth and survival."
This technology is taking a bow in Zamboanga del Norte through intervention of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Region 9.
Take the case of Francisco Malanog of Tabina town.
Years back, Malanog cultured lobsters in floating framed bamboo cages. Recently, he availed himself of DOST-Region 9’s financial assistance through the Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program–Science and Technology Program for Mindanao (SETUP-STPM).
SETUP, a brainchild of Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro, is DOST’s flagship program that aims to improve the productivity and competitiveness of micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).
The Zamboanga project, titled "Lobster Production in Marine Floating Cages," is being coordinated by DOST-Region 9 headed by Director Brenda Nazareth.
Now, Malanog has 8m x 8m x 16 epoxy-coated steel cages with a netting system that can withstand corrosion. The floating cages are designed to improve the productivity and the rate of survival of cultured lobsters.
With improved floating cages for lobsters, he now earns as much as P100,000 every six months from the sale of live lobsters in the local market and to customers from other neighboring places.
Reason is, a number of problems continue to beset this fruit industry, particularly in Laguna.
During the production stage, for instance, the problems usually encountered are pest and disease infestation (bark borer, nematodes, bats), erratic climate/natural calamities, soil impaction owing to animal grazing, lack of technical information on culture management, and pilferage.
During the post production phase, problems commonly noted are short shelf life of fruits, lack of price control policy/market information, and lack of trading posts.
Aware of these, the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (STARRDEC) conducted a study aimed at formulating a comprehensive research and technology promotion program that would address the industry’s problems.
The research was done by Dr. Wilfredo America, C.D. Esquires, A.P. Luistro, C.G. Abrenilla, C.M. Medina, and N.P. Gesmundo. The study covered 11 top lanzones-producing towns and 220 respondents.
"Lanzones production is a financially viable agricultural enterprise," the STARRDEC researchers said. Using the recommended practices, a farmer can earn a net income of P94.058 per hectare or P411.60 per tree.
To tackle the industry problems, the researchers proposed an integrated development program that focuses on technology interventions (good quality planting materials, training and information, education, and communication or IEC materials), R&D (new varieties and genetic engineering), and enterprise building policy support (linkages among stakeholders, infrastructure support system, associations, and awareness campaigns.)