Agri scientist cited for work on underutilized tropical fruit trees

The 2004 Gawad Saka Awardee of the Department of Agriculture for "Outstanding Agricultural Scientist" has devoted 44 years of his life in fruit trees. Dr. Roberto E. Coronel is cited for "his outstanding contribution to crop science through systematic conservation and promotion of underutilized tropical fruits trees and nuts resulting in a significant impact on agricultural productivity due to the domestication of elite varieties and of indigenous and exotic species."

Dr..Coronel is credited with the following scientific achievements:

• Pollination of durian flowers at night significantly increases fruit set and promotes normal fruit development.

• Collection of 200 fruit species in field gene bank (53 indigenous, 6 African, 75 American, and 129 Asian). More than 1,500 accessions were collected , including 346 mangoes, 187 bananas, 162 pili nuts, 212 cashew nuts and 170 chicos.

• Selection and registration of 18 outstanding parent trees as new fruit varieties with NSIC.

• Development of asexual propagation method for pili nut and 38 other underutilized fruit trees.

• Successful development of 20 interspecific graft combinations such as huani on mangoes and rimas on kamansi.

• Duplication at the RC Fruit Conservation Farm of the fruit species collection at UP Los Baños.

Dr. Coronel has written scientific studies that have impact on the country’s fruit industry.

The newly developed /selected fruit varieties are now being grown in many farmers’ orchards and contributing substantially to the productivity of the Philippine fruit farming. Abiou from Brazil is now being grown commercially in several orchards and many home gardens throughout the country. Grafted pili trees are now grown commercially in Bicol.

Some commercial fruit species such as mango can take advantage of desirable traits of related rootstocks species such as dwarfing, tolerance to adverse soil condition, among others, through the technique of grafting. Among delicious fruit species such as pili and bago–the problem of lack of pollination and low fruit set can now be solved by grafting male scions on selected branches of trees. By artificially pollinating the flowers, durian growers are now assured of high fruit set, retention and uniform fruit shape.

Dr. Coronel also propagates new knowledge on fruit farming. Impact of the fruit expert’s improved asexual propagation techniques and nursery management; also new information on commercial, underutilized and new fruit species given to teachers and professors. Researchers and extension agents. Morever, he generates local, regional and national government appreciation for germplasm conservation, improved propagation and production of different fruits and nuts, including indigenous and introduced varieties with potential for commercial production and export.

Aside from being a Gawad Awardee, Dr. Coronel is also 2003 Achievement Awardee by the National Research Council of the Philippines and 2001DA-Khush Awardee given by the Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines.

The fruit expert is a 1960 graduate of BSc Agriculture (U.P. Los Banos), a 1965 graduate of MSc Horticulture (University of Hawaii) and a 1971 graduate of PhD Plant Physiology (University of Hawaii).