ICRISAT peanut 'feels at home' in RP - studies

Now it can be said: An imported peanut variety “feels at home” in the Philippines.

This is particularly true in Cagayan Valley where “Asha” was first tried following its introduction to the country in 2005 by the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Seeds of “Asha” (a Hindu term for hope) were first presented to President Arroyo in Malacañang in 2005 by Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. Present during the “seed diplomacy” ceremony were then Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban, now National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) convenor, and ICRISAT director general Dr. William D. DAR, a former Agriculture Secretary.

“Asha has since been tried in various parts of the country — from Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in the north to Central Luzon (Region 3), Tagalog Region (4), Bicol (5), Western Visayas (8), Northern Mindanao (10), and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A research report titled “Introduction, Promotion and Efficient Seed Support System of ICRISAT ‘Asha’ Peanut Variety in Region 2, Philippines” was among the winners in the 2008 National Research Symposium (R&D competition) sponsored by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) headed by Director Nicomedes P. Eleasar.

Conducted by Rose Mary Aquino, Orlando Lorenzana, Rolando Pedro, Violeta Peralta, Vanessa Joy Fortin, and Norma Nerona of DA-Regional Field Unit II-Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RFU II-CVIARC), the research and similar studies on “Asha” were supported by DA-BAR.

Through the project, the DA-RFU II-CVIARC researchers reported, it was found that the use of “Asha” and its developed package of technologies (POT) dramatically increased peanut yield and income.

“Actually,” they said, “increased yield of 600-1,100 kilograms per hectare and income of P15,000-P27,000/ha was achieved when ‘Asha’ was planted at spacing of 40 centimeters between rows and 20 in between hills applied with 200-300 kg/ha gypsum (calcium sulfate) and two bags/ha 16-20-0 fertilizer.”

Highest obtained on-station and on-farm Asha yields were 3,991 kg (3.99 tons)/ha and 3,500 kg (3.5 t)/ha, respectively, owing to its giant nut and other fully-developed large and medium seeds in a plant. This makes it a “three-in-one” variety that addresses seeds sizes required by various processors.

Owing to efficient seeds support strategy, many farmers in Region 2 have planted Asha. This is aside from unaccounted areas supplied by traders and farmers with seeds and CVIARC seed-assisted regions (1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, CAR, and ARMM).

“The strong promotion of the variety made Asha endemic and a ‘by-word’ to peanut stakeholders in the Philippines today,” the researchers concluded.