To assist farmers in recovering from the devastation caused by Typhoon "Odette" and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Crops Research Division (CRD) of the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) recently launched two projects.
According to DOST-PCAARRD, Odette damaged back in 2021 more than 6 million coconut trees in Region 13 and 3 million trees in Region 8, which caused the proliferation of coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRB) in said regions.
It explained that CRB is a major insect pest of coconut, which damages the palm by chewing into the emerging fronds, feeding on the sap, and injuring the young growing tissues.
"If not addressed properly, its damage ultimately results in early nut fall and lower yield," DOST-PCAARRD stated.
The agency mentioned that in order to curb the CRB infestation, project leader Johana C. Orense from the Philippine Coconut Authority - Davao Research Center (PCA-DRC) discussed the CRB control strategies using a biological control agent called “green muscardine fungus” (GMF) and other pest management strategies.
Target activities of the project include mass distributing 6,270 kilograms (kg) of GMF to 7,838 hectares of Typhoon Odette-affected coconut plantations, as well as training agriculturists and farmers on integrated pest management of CRB to prevent future outbreaks.
Meanwhile, a project to be implemented by the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center of the Visayas State University (PhilRootcrops-VSU) aims to address the unemployment and food shortage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marlon M. Tambis, project leader from PhilRootcrops-VSU, shared that the project, “Enhanced Distribution, Nursery Establishment and Product Utilization of Root crops in Region 8 to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19,” is a spin-off of their completed project in 2020.
PhilRootcrops-VSU plans to distribute planting materials of sweet potato, cassava, yam, and taro in several municipalities of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Biliran, and Leyte. The project is also expected to generate sustainable livelihood opportunities for the communities in the target areas.
Through this initiative, PhilRootcrops will establish more root crop nurseries and production areas to sustain the supply of planting materials. They are also planning to train their beneficiaries on various production and processing technologies to maximize the production and consumption of root crops.
Dr. Allan B. Siano, Officer-in-Charge of CRD, expressed his gratitude to the project teams for developing quick response projects that will benefit the farmers and other stakeholders affected by natural hazards.
These two projects were discussed during a back-to-back Inception Meeting attended by project team members and administrative staff from PCA-DRC, PCA-Albay Research Center (ARC), PCA-Region XIII, and VSU; and DOST-PCAARRD representatives led by Dr. Siano and Mr. Ramon A. Oliveros, Supervising Science Research Specialist of the Office of the Executive Director-Administration, Resource Management and Support Services (OED-ARMSS).