UPLB-IPB develops more elite food crops, technologies

Los Baños White Gold. Sultan cassava. Biyaya peanut. Tiwala soybean. "Sexy" tomato. Sinta papaya. Pag-asa mungbean. NSIC sp (sweet potato). SNAP hydroponics. Modified atmosphere packaging for perishable food crops (MAPP). Eye-pleasing hybrid ornamental plants.

The list lengthens as more high-yielding and disease-resistant food and industrial crops, and viable agricultural technologies are in the pipeline.

As the U.P. Los Baños-Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) observed its 31st anniversary last June 5, it looked back to the past three decades with pride and accomplishment.

No less than Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban acknowledged in his anniversary speech: "IPB is one of the country’s major springwells from which we draw modern crop varieties and technologies that provide Filipino farmers increased harvests and incomes."

Panganiban, himself a proud UPLB alumnus, also reported that since 2001, the Arroyo administration, through DA–particularly its Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) – has funded 24 research projects and studies.

Dr. Jose Hernandez, new IPB director, reported the following institute accomplishments in plant breeding: "A total of 126 varieties of 33 crops, including 17 varieties of cassava, and 56 varieties of vegetables were approved for release by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) and IPB Germplasm Registration and Release Office."

Dr. Hernandez added that many of these varieties are being planted by farmers and seed growers nationwide and used in national programs for increased crop production.

At present, he added, IPB maintains more than 45,000 accessions of about 500 species of crops and related species.

The IBP-bred food and industrial crops have been acknowledged for their significant contribution to Philippine agriculture.

Los Baños White Gold (IPB 2006), for instance, is a three-way cross corn hybrid that has an average yield of 6.44 tons per hectare (or almost three times the national average yield of 2.4 t/ha), has 81.25 percent shelling recovery, and matures in 104 days.

Also now in farmers’ fields are the all-purpose type cassava variety Lakan 1, the industrial-purpose cassava varieties Sultan 1 and Sultan 7, and the sweet potato varieties UPL Sp-14, NSIC Sp-28, and NSIC Sp-29.

Biyaya-14 and Pn 10 are high-yielding Valencia and Spanish- type peanuts while Tiwala 6, Tiwala 8, and Tiwala 10 are high-yielding soybean varieties adapted to tropical environments.

Now popular among fruit growers is the Sinta, the country’s first hybrid papaya variety developed by former IPB director Dr. Violeta Villegas.

While members of the science community are vaunted for their "serious façade," they also do not forget to make people smile–as when the IPB plant breeders named four tomato varieties they developed after four sexy and talented movie actresses–Rica (Peralejo), Ara (Mina), Rosanna, and Assunta.

These high-yielding hybrid and open-pollinated tomatoes have been "making waves" among farmers in places where they have been planted.

Outstanding IPB-generated technologies include the Simple Nutrient Adoption Program (SNAP) hydroponics and the modified atmosphere packaging for perishables (MAPP) technology.

SNAP hydroponics ("water-less" plant growing) is a low-cost system suited for household level and small-scale commercial vegetable production, ideal for small spaces (as in urban areas), uses recyclable materials, and runs without electricity.

The MAPP technology slows down deterioration and extends storage life of horticultural crops. It is suitable for banana, papaya, tomato, sweet pea, broccoli, calamansi, lanzones, and orchid.

For more information about the UPLB-IPB-developed crops and technologies, write/call Director Jose Hernandez. – Rudy A. Fernandez