Coming soon: Bt papaya

There is now light at the end of the proverbial "Philippine papaya tunnel" darkened over the past two decades by the dread papaya ring spot virus (PRSV).

Now in the research is a new papaya variety that has shown resistance to PRSV, a destructive pest that has devastated papaya stands in Luzon, and subsequently the Visayas, since the mid-1980s.

The concerted research efforts to contain the PRSV problem began six years ago and it aimed to prevent the spread of the pest in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Spearheading the scientific thrust was the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAFNRRD).

Subsequently, support for the activities also came from the ABSP II and ISAAA. This year, too, the USAID pitched in to help keep the project going.

Now, UPLB-IPB reported to the Philippine-hosted international workshop on "Farmer Biotech Outreach" last Dec. 4-7, third generation genetically modified PRSV-resistant papaya are ready for field testing (second stage) in the first quarter of 2007.

This will be followed by multilocational trials in various parts of the country.

The project’s success augurs well for the rehabilitation of the country’s "down and almost out" papaya industry.

As it is, papaya, a largely grown home garden crop is an important commodity commercially grown as a source of home-produced vitamins and minerals.

Morever, papain, a substance found in papaya, is widely used as the main component in the manufacture of cosmetics, including soap and shampoo.

But the soap is susceptible to PRSV, which deforms fruits, rendering it inedible.

The good news is that through biotechnology PRSV-resistant papaya is almost at hand. – Rudy A. Fernandez