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Volume 11 Issue No. 4 A monthly publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research APRIL 2010

BINHI AWARDEE (2007)Agricultural Newsletter of the Year

hronicleCVisit our official website at http://www.bar.gov.ph

ISSN 1655-3942

RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave.,cor. Elliptical Rd.Diliman, Quezon City 1104PHILIPPINES

Entered as second class mail at the Quezon City Central Post Office under permit no. 753-01 NCR

NEWS

FLORENDO AWARDEE (2003)Outstanding Information Tool for Print

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BAR hronicleCBUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

ISO 9001:2000

BAR bags three trophies from PAJ’s Binhi......................1

CPAR M/E System on e-Pinoy FARMS for........................2

Dryland crops from India show promising......................3

BAR conducts 2nd National Review and.........................4

STIARC paper on lanzones production wins..................5

BAR participates in int’l conference on...........................6

Institutionalization of partnership urged in SSNM..........7

Industry dialogue for metals and engineering................7

50 Million people and more at risk from climate.............8

R&D efforts to manage and restore sea cucumber........9

Vegetable agroforestry provides benefits......................10

Drip irrigation: Addressing the “thirst”..........................11

Rejuvenating BAR’s workforce through........................12

BAR bags 3 trophies from PAJ’s Binhi Awards

The Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR) received threeawards during the Annual Binhi

Awards of the Philippine AgriculturalJournalists, Inc. (PAJ) held on

at the Bureau of Soils and WaterManagement (BSWM) Building, VisayasAve., QC.

, the bureau’sofficial monthly publication, won the“Agricultural Newsletter of the Year”award for the second time while itsmanaging editor, Rita dela Cruz washailed “Agricultural Photojournalist of theYear” and “Agricultural Journalist of theYear” (second place).

BAR Dir. Nicomedes P. Eleazarand Asst. Dir. Teodoro S. Solsoloy led thestaff members from the PublicationSection of the Applied CommunicationDivision (ACD) in receiving the awards.

“We are very pleased andhumbled that the efforts of our writerspaid off by winning such prestigiousawards from the PAJ,” said Dir. Eleazar.“It only reflects the values and ethics ofour staff in our commitment to deliver thenewest breakthroughs and events inPhilippine agriculture.”

Also present during the awarding

16 April2010

BAR Chronicle

ceremony were Sanny Galvez, PAJpresident, Fermin Diaz, PAJ director, andNoel Reyes, PAJ vice president forinternal affairs.

Meanwhile, Department ofAgriculture (DA) Undersecretary JoelRudinas gave an inspirational message toan audience composed of agriculturaljournalists, students, and representativesfrom the private sector.

Also present were former FoodMinister Jesus Tanchangco and SLAgritech Chairman and CEO Henry Lim,who shared their thoughts on agriculturaljournalism and its importance in thePhilippine agriculture as a whole.

Other winners during theawarding included: Anselmo Roque ofthe Philippine Daily Inquirer(Agricultural Journalist of the Year), NoelProvido of DA-Region 11 (AgriculturalJournalist of the Year, third place), NeilJerome Morales of the Business World(Agribeat Reporter of the Year), AmyRemo (Agribeat Reporter of the Year,second place), Nestor Cuartero of theManila Bulletin (Environment Journalistof the Year), the Philippine Rice ResearchInstitute (Agricultural Magazine of theYear), MRDO-Info Ace of the DA-

Mindanao Rural Development Program(Agricultural Info/Media Campaign), and“Palay-Aralan sa Radyo” of DA-PhilRice(Agricultural Radio Program of the Year).

Three were elevated to the Hall ofFame status this year. They are: AnselmoRoque (Agricultural Journalist in English),Melody Aguiba (Agribeat Reporter), andGreenfields (Agricultural Magazine).

PAJ has been conducting theBinhi Awards since 1976. (Don P. Lejano)

BAR CHRONICLE, the bureau’s official monthly publication, wins “Agricultural Newsletter of the Year” for the second time from Binhi Awards given by the PhilippineAgricultural Journalists, Inc. (PAJ). Receiving the award are Dir. Nicomedes P. Eleazar (3rd from right), Asst. Dir. Teodoro S. Solsoloy (left), and BAR writers. Managingeditor, Rita T. dela Cruz (third from left) is also awarded “Agricultural Photojournalist of the Year” and “Agricultural Journalist of the Year” (second place). PHOTO: EBULAO

Reinvigorating BAR's workforce through teambuilding and value enhancement activities

Good teamwork is an essentialingredient in every organization.But to achieve this, there must be a

harmonious working relationship betweenand among employees providing them withthe right attitude, skills, and knowledge tobe able to get pleasure from doing their jobsand not see work as a daily struggle.Keeping this in mind, the workforce of theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), ledby its director, Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar,conducted a “Team Building and ValueEnhancement Workshop” on 22-23 April2010 at the Chateau Royale, Batangas City.

Facilitating the activity was a teamfrom the Eagle Challenge Adventure, Inc.(ECAI) led by trainor, Adreian “Ace”Concordia. Other members of the teamincluded Felizardo Hacbang, JewelConcordia, Janet Garcia, and LemuelDivinagracia.

BAR Asst. Dir. Teodoro S.Solsoloy welcomed the participating staff

and facilitators while Dir. Nicomedes P.Eleazar delivered an inspirationalmessage highlighting on the importanceof the activity to further strengthen andenhance camaraderie among the staffmembers.

ECAI lead trainor, AceConcordia, showed the participants theimportance of value formation in anenvironment that is stressful and full ofnegativities, instilling in minds the need

to be positive all the time. “It is good!” heaffirmed.

Participants were grouped intofour, forming their own names that wouldbest describe them: Soaring Eagles,Kerida, Warriors, and Juggernauts.

The team from ECAI preparedvarious activities designed to strengthenthe positive attitudes of the participantsthrough enhanced amity and unity. (Rita T.dela Cruz)

The way a team plays as a whole

determines its success. You may have the

greatest bunch of individual stars in the

world, but if they don’t play together, the

club won’t be worth a dime. ~ B. Ruth

NEWS FEATURE

2 BAR hronicleC April 2010 Issue 11BAR hronicleC

BAR hronicleCBUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

ISO 9001:2000

Managing Editor/Layout:Consulting Editors:Writers:

Reproduction/Printing:Circulation:ACD Head:Adviser:

Rita T. dela CruzManuel F. Bonifacio, PhD and Victoriano B. GuiamEdmon B. Agron, Ethyl G. Bulao, Rita T. dela Cruz, Don P. Lejano,

and Amavel A. VelascoRicardo G. Bernardo and Anthony A. ConstantinoVictoria G. Ramos and Ma. Angeline E. San DiegoVictoriano B. GuiamNicomedes P. Eleazar, PhD, CESO IV

Patrick L. Lesaca, Debra E. Tamani,

ISSN 1655-3942Copyright Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture 2009.For subscription and inquiries please contact us: Tel. Nos +63 2 928-8505, 928-8624, 920-0234 locals 3012,3026,3027 with email at:

Articles are also available online, visit

acd@bar.gov.ph.

http://www.bar.gov.ph

BAR CHRONICLE is published monthly by the

Applied Communication Division of the Department

of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research,

RDMIC Building, Visayas Avenue, cor. Elliptical

Road, Diliman, Quezon City 1104 Philippines.

This publication provides regular updates on DA-

BAR’s activities as the country’s national coordinator

for agriculture and fisheries R&D. It also highlights

features and news articles concerning NaRDSAF-

member institutions.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Fisherfolk beneficiaries of CPAR attend the launching ofthe e-Pinoy M&E System in Balanga City, Bataan. BARDir. Nicomedes P. Eleazar (inset) graces the activity asguest of honor and keynote speaker. PHOTOS: RDELACRUZ & EAGRON

April 2010 Issue

To provide quick informationdispatch and install a functionalfeedback mechanism among fishery

project partners through systemsautomation, the Community-basedParticipatory Action Research (CPAR)Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Systemon FARMS for fisheries waslaunched on 21 April 2010 in BalangaCity, Bataan.

The launching of CPAR M/ESystem on FARMS for fisheriesserved as a kick-off event for thenationwide implementation of a decisionsupport system (DSS) for Research,

e-Pinoy

e-Pinoy

CPAR M/E System onFARMS for fisheries launched

e-Pinoy

Development, and Innovation of theDepartment of Agriculture-Bureau ofAgricultural Research (DA-BAR), theBureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR), Regional FisheriesResearch and Development Centers(RFRDCs), and the local governmentunits (LGUs).

“This project aims to equip andstrengthen RFRDCs in 16 regions with aprocess-driven, coastal and inlandresource management system as anenabling tool BAR and the regionalcenters to help them effectively managetheir CPAR for fisheries and aquatic

resources projects. It shall pro-activelyaddress local needs, such as technologyupgrading and enterprise development,through proper application of R&Doutputs for growth and innovation,” saidBAR Dir. Nicomedes P. Eleazar duringthe event.

“We are advocating the cost-free use of information for bottom-upplanning and multi-level decision-making in rural developmentmanagement. With the outputs generatedfrom the CPAR M/E System, farmersand fisherfolk and their organizationswill be able to mobilize and harmonizetheir activities, and interact with theassigned change agents in a timely,systematic, and predictable manner,”Eleazar further explained.

Cheryl Natividad, CEO ofOptiserve Technologies, the developer of

The software used for the e-PinoyM&E System for CPAR Fisherieswhich was launched in Bataan.

continue to page 6

The Philippines iscurrently being besetby El Niño episodes

causing rivers and dams torun out of water. Farms arewithering resulting totremendous damage inalmost all crops planted andharvested during the first andsecond quarters of this year.

Aside from thealarming issues of climatechange, studies show that thedemand for freshwater isincreasing globally becauseof the needs of a growingpopulation and associatedurbanization that accelerateswater consumption fordrinking and other household uses as wellas for urban and industrial uses. However,the agriculture sector is still considered thebiggest user of freshwater resource in mostdeveloping countries, including thePhilippines.

The research on low-cost dripirrigation conducted by Dr. Victor B. Ella,professor and former dean of the College ofEngineering and Agro-IndustrialTechnology University of the PhilippinesLos Baños (CEAT-UPLB), is part of aneffort toward the development of water-saving technologies for agriculture. Also,this is an initiative to address the irrigationproblem particularly, in areas where wateris a limiting factor.

Drip irrigation, also known astrickle or micro-irrigation, is an irrigationmethod that involves the delivery of waterthrough a pipe distribution networkconsisting of a main pipe, submain,manifold and lateral pipes under lowpressure and its emission through smalloutlets of drippers or emitters into the soilsurrounding the crop to be irrigated.

Drip irrigation system works byapplying water slowly and directly to thesoil. It is considered to be the most efficientmethod of irrigating crop because: 1) watersoaks into the soil before it can evaporate

DRIP IRRIGATION:Text by:EDMON B. AGRONPhotos by:AMERCADO JR./SANREM

Addressing the “thirst” in agriculture

or run off; and 2) water is only appliedwhere it is needed and when it is neededmost.

In a seminar organized by theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) inQuezon City, Dr. Ella presented the resultsof his USAID-funded research project onlow-cost drip irrigation technology forsustainable vegetable agroforestry systemin the Philippines.

According to Dr. Ella, dripirrigation has many advantages. It isadaptable to any crop, soil, andtopographic condition. It can be used evenwith limited water supply and can providerelatively high water use efficiency. Dripirrigation system is easy to install andoperate and can reduce the incidence ofleaf diseases caused by direct watercontact on some plants. Drip irrigation canalso facilitate liquid fertilizer applicationthrough fertigation.

Dr. Ella also emphasized theapplicability of drip irrigation systemseven for upland vegetable production areasin the Philippines. In fact, in the fieldexperiments conducted in Lantapan,Bukidnon, through the SustainableAgriculture and Natural ResourcesManagement (SANREM) researchprogram, showed that the crops irrigated

with drip irrigation system gavesignificantly higher yield than the rainfedcrops, given that the same production inputswere applied for both treatments. Forinstance, the average yield of cabbage andtomato under drip irrigation system is 4.45kg and 4.78 kg per square meter,respectively, compared to the average yieldof the same crop at 3.38 kg and 3.93 kg persquare meter under rainfed conditions.Furthermore, drip irrigation also resulted inrelatively higher plant height and largersizes of produce, Dr. Ella added.

Although the technology has beenintroduced to farmers in Bukidnon, Dr. Ellasaid that further research and continuousdevelopment of this technology is needed tomaximize its potential.

He appealed to the governmentand non-government organizations fornecessary institutional and financial supportfor further improvement and developmentof the technology. He also recommendedthat this technology be considered as part ofthe food security and poverty alleviationprogram for farmers as well as part ofclimate change program of the governmentin the country.----------

Dr. Victor B. Ella, professorLand and Water Resources DivisionInstitute of Agricultural EngineeringCollege of Engineering and Agro-IndustrialTechnology, UPLBCollege, Laguna, PHILIPPINESE-mail: vbella@up.edu.phor andvbella100@yahoo.comTel/fax: (049)-536-2387

For further information please contact:

Drip irrigation system works by applying waterslowly and directly to the soil and is considered tobe the most efficient method of irrigating crop.

NEWS

10 3BAR hronicleC BAR hronicleCApril 2010 Issue April 2010 Issue

Dry-tolerant but high-yieldingvarieties of peanut, pigeonpea,and chickpea, developed by the

International Crop Research Institute forSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), anadvanced international agriculturalresearch institute headquartered in AndhraPradesh, India, were found to thrive wellin Philippine soil. This was the result ofthe first year trial of the project titled,“Field Testing of ICRISAT LegumeVarieties and Technologies in SelectedRegions of the Philippines” funded by theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).

The project tested severalvarieties of peanut, pigeonpea ( or

), and chickpea ( ) fortheir suitability under local conditions inseven pilot regions, namely: Regions 1, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Package of technologies(POT) for growing these crops are alsobeing developed to ensure high yieldunder different Philippine climate types.

With the introduction of thesenew crops, the project aims to developalternative crops that will help Filipinofarmers cope with increasing dry spellevents in the country and address foodinadequacy in the rural areas.

According to Dr. Nicomedes P.Eleazar, director of BAR, “based on thereports submitted, several ICRISATvarieties introduced in the country forfield testing have already shownpromising results and have been identifiedfor their potential breeding lines.” Thesebreeding lines, according to Dr. Eleazar, iffound stable in producing high yield in thesucceeding yield trials, can already beincluded in the national screeningpreliminary to their introduction tofarmers nationwide.

The adaptability yield trial onpeanut showed that ICGV 00350 andICGV 99046 peanut lines were consistenthigh-yielders among the four ICRISATentries evaluated. Noticeably, these twopromising selections significantly out-yielded most of the national and localcheck varieties (NSIC Pn 11, NSIC Pn 12,NSIC Pn 14, and NSIC Pn 15) in almostall the test stations. The two promisinglines will be considered for further yieldand adaptability test on-station and on-farm to obtain more reliable results forinclusion as test entries under NationalCooperative Test (NCT) in the

kardiskadyos garbanzos

Dryland crops from India showpromising results in RP soil

Philippines.In the adaptability trial for

pigeonpea, it was found that fourgenotypes (ICPL 88034, ICPL 88039,ICPL 81 and ICPL 161) bear flowers anddeveloped into pods in all locations wherethe lines were tested. These genotypesproduced a seed yield of 0.87-1.28 t/ha.Although ICP 7035, ICPL 87091, ICPL87051 and ICPL 87119 did not performwell in the Visayas, these genotypesperformed better in Regions 5, 9 and 10.

Results of the adaptability yieldtrials for chickpea showed veryencouraging results and with bright futurefor chickpea production, particularly intrials conducted in Northern Mindanao.

Initial results revealed similar performanceof chickpea with those in Benguet Provinceand noted that the agro-climatic conditionis ideal for chickpea production. ThePhilippines import about 735 tons ofchickpea per year (valued at US$ 442T orP20M) to meet local demand for“garbanzos”.

Dr. William D. Dar, director general ofICRISAT is hopeful about this projectendeavor with BAR. “We hope that throughthis project, we will be able to identifyvarieties for peanut, chickpea, andpigeonpea that we could recommend to ourfarmers in the drier areas of the countrythat provide stable yield and higherincomes,” he said. (Rita T. dela Cruz)

(Top) Focal persons from various regions and BAR stafflearns proper management of pigeon pea given the RP agro-climatic condition. (Bottom) Review of ICRISAT-BAR project,“Field Testing of ICRISAT Legume Varieties and Technologiesin Selected Regions of the Philippines”. PHOTOS: MRAMOS AND EAGRON

FEATURE

Vegetables are important sources ofvital nutrients such as vitamins,minerals and even antioxidants

essential in combating the most commonand even life-threatening illnesses anddiseases. This might be the reason, whyvegetable consumption is continuouslyincreasing over the years. The trend ofchanging lifestyle among Filipinos hasopened many opportunities such as moremarket for the vegetable harvests of thepoor upland farmers.

However, productivity issometimes compromised with sustainabilityand poses threat to the environment andeven in the life of the people in thecommunity.

According to AVRDC-The WorldVegetable Center, the increased inproduction of vegetables in the Philippinesreflects both yield increases and expansionof areas planted with vegetables (Johnsonet.al, 2008). The Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources(DENR) also reported that, in 2007 forestareas are rapidly converted into vegetableplantations. For instance, in CordilleraAdministrative Region (CAR) alone, one ofthe major production areas for vegetables inthe country converted an average of 220hectares per year of forest lands intovegetable gardens (Cariño, 2007). Thisposes a serious threat in the country's forestareas and increases the risks of soil erosionincidents.

In

astudy on agroforestry and sustainablevegetable production in Southeast Asianwatersheds. He reported that intensivevegetable production in the Philippineuplands particularly monoculture systemsare not sustainable, however, integratingtrees in vegetable production systems ascontour hedges to control soil erosion willprovide multiple of benefits such asincrease in the income of upland farmersand enhance on-farm biodiversity andenvironmental sustainability. Thistechnology is called “VegetableAgroforestry or VAF.

VAF is a technology thatunderstands the relationship and/orinteraction of trees and vegetable in theuplands as key factor in successfulvegetable farming endeavor. According to

a seminar conducted by theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR),Dr. Agustin R. Mercado Jr. of ICRAF-TheWorld Agroforestry Center, presented

”

Vegetable agroforestry: Providing multiplebenefits to farmers and env’t Text by:

EDMON B. AGRONPhotos by:AMERCADO JR./ICRAF

Dr. Mercado, VAF is the most appropriatetechnology for the uplands farmers toenhance the productivity and profitabilitywhile reducing production risks andenvironmental hazards inherent tovegetable production systems.

According to Dr. Agustin, toimprove economic viability of vegetableagroforestry systems, properconsiderations must be followed. First,reduce competition between trees andvegetables. In planting vegetable in theupland areas, always consider crop withhigh adaptability indices and can thrive inlow light environment, use trees whichare less competitive, implement tree rootpruning and root barrier, and employirrigation to supplement water needs ofthe crop. Second, increase trees-vegetablecomplimentarity. Appropriate pruningprocedure is important in vegetableagroforestry systems as it provides a goodgrowing environment both for trees andvegetables in the area. Third, choose

valuable trees as integrated component ofvegetable production system. It alsoprovides additional income to uplandfarmers.

Aside from increasing farmer'sincome due to agri-diversity (tree andvegetable products), vegetable agroforestrysystem also provides a favorableenvironment for vegetable production dueto tree micro-climate amelioration such asreduction of wind speed, high relativehumidity, and higher surface moisture ofthe soil. VAF also maintains soil organicmatters due to litterfalls and root decaysand purposively reduces soil erosion astrees served as contour hedges or barrier tosoil erosion particularly on sloping farms.

This study was funded andsupported by the Sustainable Agricultureand Natural Resources Management –Collaborative Research Support Program(SANREM-CRSP) and the WorldAgroforestry Centre (ICRAF). (Edmon B.Agron)

NEWS

4 9BAR hronicleC BAR hronicleCApril 2010 Issue April 2010 Issue

To facilitate the interactions andexchanges of experiences and fasttrack the commercialization of

rubber production technologies in thecountry as well as establish benchmarksand protocols on RDE project planning andimplementation, the Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR) convened all rubber RDEstakeholders for the “2 National Reviewand Consultation Conference on RubberResearch and Development and Extension(RDE) Agenda and Program” on 14-15April 2010 in Tagaytay City.

Natural rubber enjoys a lucrativemarket in the global rubber industry and isexpected to see price increases in the next20 years. Hence, global consumption fornatural rubber may well reach 31.8 milliontons by 2020.

nd

BAR conducts 2 National Reviewand Conference for Rubber RDE

nd

With this scenario, DA has givenpriority to rubber as a high-valuecommercial crop and therefore created theNational Rubber Development Program(NRDP). Specifically, BAR is tasked tolead the R&D component of the NRDPand give support to its extensionactivities.

Through the program, DA istargeting to increase the current areaplanted to rubber from 120,000 ha to atleast 300,000 ha, which consequently willincrease production and exports to $960million in 2020.

For this year, DA is looking intoexpanding the country's natural rubberproduction to 450,000 metric tons byreplanting 36,000 hectares with rubber aspart of its 15-year plan to make the

Philippines amajor playerworldwide.

Also,to sustainprofit, currentchallengesfaced by therubberindustry mustbe addressed.Among theseinclude:looming endof maximumproductive

years of existing rubber trees, highproduction cost because of rising prices offarm inputs, and difficulty of rubberfarmers in accessing sustainable creditfacilities due to long gestation period ofrubber trees.

Currently, the Philippines has380,000 metric tons of natural rubberproduced. Among the provinces identifiedas viable areas for rubber production areSultan Kudarat, Isabela, Maguindanao,Benguet, Camarines Sur, Palawan,Antique, Negros Oriental, NegrosOccidental, and Mindoro Occidental.

“It is important that we conductthis review and conference not only todocument and assess the status andaccomplishments of the BAR-fundedrubber RDE projects but more importantlyfor us to formulate recommendations tofurther improve the planning andimplementation of these projects,” said Dr.Nicomedes P. Eleazar, director of BARwho was present during the event.

BAR is supporting thecommercialization of the recommendedrubber clones in the country, and otherproduction and processing technologiesthrough technology demonstration andpromotion in suitable rubber areasnationwide.

Currently, BAR is providingfunding assistance to 17 on-going rubberRDE projects implemented in 10 RegionalIntegrated Agricultural Research Centers(RIARCs), 4 statue universities andcolleges (SUCs), and 1 DA staffbureau.(Rita T. dela Cruz)PHOTOS: NDELROSARIO III

(Left) DA Usec Salvador Salacup delivers his keynote addresswhile BAR Dir. Nicomedes Eleazar (right) formally opens theactivity with his welcome remarks.

NEWS

R&D efforts to manage and restoresea cucumber populations underway

Ugly as you may see it but seacucumber is a delicious andnutritious delicacy,” said Dr. Marie

Antonette R. Juinio-Meñez, professor fromthe University of the Philippines Diliman-

(UP-MSI) andproject leader of a sea cucumber researchprogram based in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Sea cucumbers which are locallyknown as “balat” are soft-bodied tubularinvertebrates that live in the bottom of coastalwaters. Like earthworms, they are importantin the cycling of sediments and nutrients inmarine ecosystems.

These bottom-living animals areconsidered a great delicacy in Chinese andother Asian cuisines, such as Malaysia( ), Singapore, Japan, Korea, andIndonesia ( ), and often eaten duringfeasts and holiday celebrations. Seacucumbers are also considered a delicacy incertain Mediterranean countries such asSpain.

Aside from being delicious andnutritious, they are also valued for theirmedicinal properties. In Chinese medicine,sea cucumbers are good for nourishing theblood and vital essence, kidney disordersincluding reproductive organ problems,debility of the aged, constipation due tointestinal dryness, and problem of frequenturination.

Sea cucumbers are also called atonic food because of their high protein andlow fat contents than most of the other foodserved in restaurants. That's why dried andextracted sea cucumbers are used as anutritional supplement and now comeprepared in tablet and capsule forms.

With their high market demand, seacucumbers are major fishery and exportcommodity in the fisheries sector.

In the Philippines, there are over ahundred species of sea cucumbers and about40 species are reported to be commerciallyimportant. Production of sea cucumber reliessolely on wild catch. However, most of thewild populations have been over-harvested ordepleted resulting to a reduced biodiversityand the loss of an important source oflivelihood for fishers. This translates intomulti-million losses in both export and localmarkets.

To help address the problem ofrapid depletion of sea cucumbers and otherechinoderms, the Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR), together with the expertsfrom UP-MSI, embarked on a project titled,“Refinement of sea cucumber (

culture techniques and assessment of

Marine Science Institute

gamattrepang

Holuthuriascabra)

co-culture system for commerciallyimportant echinoderms.”

The project aims to improve thehatchery and the field grow-out methods toincrease survivorship of culturedor sandfish locally known as “putian”. Italso aims to contribute to the developmentof environment-friendly mariculturemethods and subsequently expands theoptions available to the local aquacultureindustry.

In the first year of the project,successful spawning trials were carried outusing broodstocks from Bolinao,Pangasinan, and Masinloc, Zambalesproducing a total of 175,000 juveniles thatwere used in various experiments while30,000 larger juveniles were released in thepilot sea ranching sites.

Furthermore, the project alsoassessed different food types to determinethe best diet to improve growth andsurvivorship of early juveniles that led tothe identification of a brown seaweed,commonly known as as aneffective diet for sea cucumber juveniles togrow faster due to its high nutrition content.

Generally, this project has gonethrough important steps to manage andrestore the depleting populations of seacucumbers, said Dr. Meñez. Through thisproject, one of the high-valued species ofsea cucumbers can now be bred in captivitywith broodstock collected in the wild.

H. scabra

Sargassum,

Adults are induced to spawn with thermalshock. In hatchery tanks, the fertilized eggsare reared. Juveniles are reared in ponds andin ocean nursery systems to about 5g andthen released in sea ranch until they attainthe desired market sizes, she added.

Dr. Meñez also explained that thisproject is part of a broader national researchprogram titled, “Sea ranching andRestocking of Sandfish in Asia Pacific”supported by the Department of Science andTechnology (DOST) through the PhilippineCouncil for Marine and Aquatic Researchand Development (PCMARD), and theAustralian Center for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR) throughWorld Fish Center. This program isdeveloping culture and resourcemanagement technologies to restore naturalpopulations of sea cucumber not only in thePhilippines but also in other regions in theAsia Pacific to provide sustainablesupplemental livelihood for poor fisherfamilies.

According to Dr. Meñez, researchand development in culture technologies forcommercially important invertebrates likesea cucumber is very important not only toincrease its production and ease the harvestpressure in the wild, but also to enhance thecountry's ability to capture the internationalmarket demand, and supply a highly valued,in-demand marine resource - the seacucumber. (Edmon B. Agron)

Sea cucumber

PHOTOS: MMENEZ/ACIAR

PHOTO: NDELROSARIO III

DA Usec Salvador Salacup and BAR Dir. Nicomedes Eleazar (center) with theresource speakers and participants of the rubber review and workshop.

“

NEWS NEWS

BAR hronicleC BAR hronicleC8 5April 2010 Issue April 2010 Issue

The paper titled, “ResearchManagement Strategies inEnhancing Productivity and

Profitability of Lanzones Farms in Lagunaand Batangas” authored by Avelita Rosalesof the Department fo Agriculture-SouthernTagalog Integrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (STIARC) won third place in the“Search for William C. Medrano BestR&D Management Paper” given during the20 National Convention of the PhilippineAssociation of Research Managers(PHILARM) held on 6-9 April 2010 atAklan State University, Banga, Aklan.

The paper is a result of tworecently completed projects, namely: 1)Community-based Participatory ActionResearch (CPAR) on Rehabilitation ofLanzones in Brgy. San Roque, Alaminos,Laguna and; 2) Agribusiness DevelopmentProject (ADP) on Lanzones in Calabarzon.Both projects were funded by the Bureauof Agricultural Research (BAR)highlighting research managementstrategies to enhance production and profitin lanzones production.

CPAR is one of the bannerprograms of BAR which entails the activeparticipation of the community byempowering and organizing theiragricultural production managementsystem. ADP, on the other hand, is anotherprogram of BAR which aims todemonstrate the profitability of newtechnologies suited to the conditions of theregion and to demonstrate goodagricultural practices to interested farmer-adoptors.

Rosales' paper describes the actualmanagement practices and control systems,external linkages, networking and supportservices undertaken in conducting theresearches on lanzones. The participatory

th

STIARC paper on lanzones productionwins 3 PHILARM Best R&D Paper

rd

community based approach was utilizedin the implementation.

Among the strategies used toachieve the desired output in theseresearches were: the conduct ofparticipatory rural appraisal (PRA),analysis of strengths, weaknesses,opportunities and threats (SWOT),workshops, writeshops, diagramming,brainstorming, participatory andconsultative meetings, trainings,seminars, study tours and socialmobilization activities and adherence tothe logical framework of the projects.

Documentation throughout theconduct of researches on lanzones lentlegitimacy to the ownership of the projectby the farmers since photos and videosindicated their presence in every activityor process. As a result, a manual onlanzones production was prepared,published and distributed to farmers. As

more copies of this manual reached out theclients, more farmers became interested.Now, there are 142 adaptors of theimproved package of technologies onlanzones production.

Involvement of the farmers inparticipatory planning, implementation,monitoring and evaluation inculcated theconcept of project ownership. Socialpreparation and mobilization activitiesenhanced people empowerment torehabilitate and revive the lanzonesindustry in Laguna and Batangas resultingto a socially-sensitized community andsustainability of the lanzones projects.

These strategies and technologyinnovations resulted to increased income ofthe farmer cooperators, generation of morejobs from the rehabilitation of lanzonestress and the establishment of nurseries.The area planted with lanzones alsoincreased from 3,676 ha to 4,321 ha. Theinvolvement of both the men and womenfolk in the production of lanzones was alsoenhanced. Lanzones Farmers Associationswere also organized in the different projectlocations.

Aside from Rosales, the team wascomposed of other researchers fromSTIARC, namely: Digna P. Narvacan,Thelma M. Lambio, Virgilia D. Arellano,Merly K. Tuazon, and Elizabeth R.Gregorio, and Cristina D. Goma of theOffice of the Provincial Agriculturist(OPA) of Laguna. (Amavel A. Velasco)

Avelita Roales of DA-STIARC authored the winning paperon lanzones production which is a result of two completedBAR funded projects on CPAR and ADP. PHOTO: STIARC

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TIA

RC

Approximately 50 million people andmore are at risk from climatechange given its looming adverse

effects in the agricultural and fisheriessectors. Food security is at risk given itsserious effect on coastal fisheries providingfood and employment to around 1MFilipinos. Also at risk are the country'swatersheds, forests and biodiversityaffecting 1.5 M of agricultural lands thatare dependent on these areas for irrigationwater. The livestock and poultry industryare also affected as emergence of diseasesis expected to occur.

These were reports based on thepresentations during a training-workshoptitled, “

held on 12-16 April 2010 in Bay,Laguna. The activity aimed to address thecountry's limited capacity to undertakeclimate risk assessment which in the endwill be the basis for strategic programplanning and implementation in basicdevelopment sectors.

The training course focused ondiscussing climate change as a pressinggeo-biophysical issue as well as a majorsocio-economic concern. Also discussedwere various vulnerability and adaptationassessment (VA&A) tools to cope withclimate change.

It is expected that after the course,participants are able to develop andenhance their skills on VA&A and assist indeveloping a climate change monitoring

Climate Risk Assessment,Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessmentand Monitoring and Evaluation forAgriculture and Forestry BiodiversitySector

and evaluation framework and system forthe whole Department of Agriculture(DA).

To address the current needs ofthe agriculture, fisheries and naturalresources sector on climate change, thecourse identified and discussed fourmethods that policymakers will be able touse and incorporate in making informeddecisions specifically in assessing andreducing climate risks in the agricultureand fishery sector. These are:Vulnerability Assessment (VA), EconomicValuation (EV), Geographic InformationSystem (GIS), and Monitoring andEvaluation (M&E).

VA is used as a tool to determinerisks brought about by various climaticevents such as typhoons, droughts, floods,among others. It can also help inidentifying potential adaptation options toaddress vulnerability of certain areas andsectors such as in livestock, rice and othercereals, vegetables and root crops,plantation crops (horticultural,ornamentals, bio-fuels), and postharvestprocessing.

EV is essential in assessing theimpacts of climate change in the incomeand economic growth of farmers andfisherfolk in the agricultural sector. Ituses the concept of willingness-to-pay inorder to value the environment and theadaptation/ mitigation strategies to beimplemented.

GIS Mapping is a tool invulnerability assessment. GIS is acomputerized technology for capturing,

storing and processing geographically-referenced data. Main uses of GIS inagriculture include (i.e. basemap, soils map, land use, infrastructure,and cadastre), (i.e. landsuitability, market accessibility, land usechanges, construction process, andvulnerability assessment), and

(optimum land use,development scenarios, and riskmapping).

M&E includes baseline data andinformation on climate change impacts,responses and adaptations of natural andhuman systems will enable to

, , and if nottotally disastrous impacts ofnatural phenomena, thus aid in decision-making, policy reforms and interventionsto reduce damages to lives and properties.

The training-workshop wasorganized and conducted by the NationalEconomic and Development Authority(NEDA), through the School ofEnvironmental Science and Managementof the University of the Philippines LosBaños (SESAM-UPLB).

Participants includedrepresentatives from the policy andplanning offices of DA attached agenciesand staff bureaus including the Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR), andRegional Field Units (RFUs).

As an offshoot from the activity,DA will be creating a composite teamtasked to conduct capability building onCRA, VA&A, and M&E for theagriculture sector.

Inventory

Analysis

Management

understand predict minimize,avoid,

(Debra E. Tamani)

50 Million and more people atrisk from climate change - report50 Million and more people atrisk from climate change - report

PHOTO: EAGRON

NEWS NEWS

6 7BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC

CPAR... from page 2

April 2010 Issue April 2010 Issue

The Bureau of Agricultural Research(BAR) participated in aninternational conference on

aquaculture development, “BIMP-EAGAon High Value Aquaculture BusinessConference” hosted by the Philippinegovernment through the Bureau ofFisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).Delegates and participants from thefishery member-countries of BruneiDarussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area(BIMP-EAGA) gathered to promote andimprove high-value aquaculture in thesub-region. The conference was held inGeneral Santos City.

Presented during the three-day

BAR participates in internationalconference on aquaculture dev’t

event were possible collaborativeendeavors between and among fisheriesstakeholders and developmental partnersfocusing mainly on investment potentials,creating aquaculture businessopportunities, establishing market accessand challenging key players in the sub-regions to strengthen fisheries cooperationin line with the establishment of thefisheries consortium in BIMP-EAGA.

The conference was highlightedby reports of country situationers led byMr. Sabri Haji Mohd Taha who presentedthe paper, “Fisheries Investment Potentialin Brunei Darussalam”, and IndonesianDeputy Dir. Ateng Supriatna who spoke ontheir country's policy to substantiallyincrease aquaculture investment.

Meanwile, Mr. RooneyBiusing of Sabah,Malaysia talked on“High ValueAquaculture andInvestmentOpportunities in theState of Sabah”.

From thePhilippines, Mr. VicenteEncena III and Ms. Ma.Rovilla J. Luhan ofSEAFDEC-AQD,discussed the Philippineabalone and status of thePhilippine seaweedindustries, respectively.Dr. Jose A. Ingles of theWorld WildlifeFoundation based in thePhilippines alsopresented the

“Economic PotentialEnvironment Conservation”.

During the open forum,participants actively joined in thediscussions and shared their actual

experiences, observations, andrecommendations especially onissues concerning the rapiddevelopment of the fishing industrycoupled with unsustainable fishingpractices.

Although the activitytackled the institutional anddevelopmental framework of thefishing industry in general, theBIMP-EAGA fisheries workinggroup identified high-valueaquaculture as one of the areas of

collaboration along with tuna,sardines, and seaweeds. It alsohighlighted best practices and recentbreakthroughs on aquaculture farmingand marketing for which BAR willcollaborate with BFAR on its R&Daspect.

Tasked to welcome the foreigndelegates was BFAR Asst. Dir.Benjamin F.S. Tabios, Jr. who alsopresented the conference overview andreported the updates on the fisheriesconsortium BIMP-EAGA framework.

BAR was represented by Dr.Catalino Dela Cruz, technical adviser onfisheries and Ms. Ma. Elena Garces ofthe Technology Commercialization Unit(TCU).

EAGA's history began with adiscussion among ASEAN heads ofstates in Brunei Darussalam in October1992. The endorsements andconfirmations of then IndonesianPresident Suharto in September 1993,Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of BruneiDarussalam in November 1993, andMalaysian Prime Minister MahathirMohammad in February 1994, pavedthe way for the BIMP-EAGA InauguralSenior Officials' and Ministers' Meeting(SOMM) in Davao City, Philippines inMarch 1994 which was led by thenPresident Fidel V. Ramos.

EAGA comprises the entiresultanate of Brunei Darussalam; 10provinces in the Indonesian islands ofKalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, andIrian Jaya; Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuanin Malaysia; and Mindanao andPalawan in the Philippines

vis-à-vis

(Patrick L.Lesaca)

Let us institutionalizepartnership and focus on thesolution, not on the problem.”

Thus, said Mr. Milo delos Reyes ofthe GMA Corn Program during theNational Review and PlanningWorkshop for 2009-2010 Dry Seasonof the Site-Specific NutrientManagement (SSNM) for Maize inthe Philippines that was held last 28-30 April 2010 at the 4 floor of theRDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave.,Diliman, Quezon City.

According to delos Reyes,“Each one of us should be GROs orgood research officers. By beingsuch, we should know how to look atthe things that we have and not forthings that we don't have. We seekhelp from our partners and in return,we share the resources andinformation that we think might beuseful to them.”

Spearheading the said eventwere the GMA Corn Program of theDepartment of Agriculture (DA), theBureau of Agricultural Research(BAR), Bureau of Soils and WaterManagement (BSWM), University ofthe Philippines Los Baños (UPLB),and the International Plant NutritionInstitute (IPNI).

Time was allotted forrepresentatives from all regions topresent their reports on the SSNMDry Season and Micronutrient Trials.Questions and issues raised duringthe discussions were responded to bythe members of the technical working

th

Institutionalization of partnershipurged in SSNM National Reviewand Planning Workshop

group (TWG) composed of Dr.Carmencita Kagaoan (DA-BAR), Dr.Gina Nilo (BSWM), Dr. ApolonioOcampo (UPLB), Dr. Candido Damo(GMA Corn), and Mr. Milo delosReyes (GMA Corn).

After all the papers werepresented, Mr. Severino Tumamangof the Cagayan Valley IntegratedAgricultural Research Center(CVIARC) presented the workshopresults and the 2010 plan of activitiesfor the upscaling project in Jones,Isabela.

As soon as the workshopresults were presented, Dr. MirasolPampolino of IPNI led in thepresentation and hands-on coachingon maize nutrient management.Likewise, Ms. Julie Mae Pasuquin(also from IPNI) and Dr. Ocampoprovided a hands-on coaching the useof a quick guide for maize and onfarmer participatory evaluation,respectively. Both Dr. Pampolino andMs. Pasuquin gave a workshop on thequick guide of maize for all theregions.

The workshop ended withthe impressions and feedbacks givenby the participants and generalagreements reached.

said delosReyes in his closing message, coininga new meaning for SSNM.

“Huwag tayongmagkawatak-watak dahil sapagsunod sa SSNM, asaya a

ayon ang amamayan,”

(Don P.Lejano)

S SN M

To address potential changes and beglobally competitive, especially with theimpact of technology advances, the

implementation of the “Free Tariff TradeRules” in 2015, and the move to a commonAsian currency, the Metals Industry Researchand Development Center (MIRDC) and thePhilippine Council for Industry and EnergyResearch and Development (PCIERD)organized a series of industry dialogues to crafta highly focused technology roadmap for themetals and engineering industry.

With the theme “Strengtheningstrategic partnerships towards a globallycompetitive metals and engineering industry”,the dialogue aims to determine the following:1) high priority research needs of the Metalsand Engineering (M&E) Industries in terms ofproducts and markets, processes, technologiesand human resources to be able to compete in afree trade environment; 2) the testing andcalibration requirement of the M&E Industriesto ensure quality products, reliability andconsistency of services; and, 3) the areas forexpansion which could contribute to globalcompetitiveness.

On 27 April 2010 the dialogue wasfocused on Machining and Fabrication Sectorsand participated by stakeholders from theprivate sectors, mostly from the MetalworkingIndustries Association of the Philippines, Inc.or MIAP, and the government sectorspecifically from MIRDC, PCIERD and DA-BAR.

Dr. Danilo N. Pilar, chief of theIndustry Assistance Division of MIRDC,provided the participants with a presentation,“Understanding the Roadmap”. With theassistance of experts from PCIERD, Dr. Pilaralso facilitated the dialogue during the firstthree sessions and workshop on setting thestage, scenario building and visioning exercise.

At the end of the first of the severalseries of dialogues, the group came up with avision, “A Machining and Fabrication IndustryProviding Globally Competitive Products andServices”. The criteria for competitivenessinclude quality, price and delivery.

For the next dialogue, the groupagreed to invite more individuals, institutionsand other stakeholders to clarify the status andissues of the metals and engineering industryfrom the different perspective (marketing,materials technology and production,environment, human resource, academe, amongothers) and to consider all other factors neededin coming up with a comprehensive technologyroadmap. (Ethyl G. Bulao)

Industry dialogue formetals and engineeringtechnology roadmap held

the CPAR M/E System, said that they chose to launch inBataan because they wanted to use the CPAR Fisheries inthe area as a model for information gathering system.Specifically, the collective behavior manifested by themembers of the

and the proactive support and participation ofthe LGU and RFRDC in making the “CPAR Project onBlue Crab Fishing Using Gill Nets” a viable socialenterprise.

Prior to the launching program, a hands-ontraining was provided by the Optiserve and BAR to theRFRDC representatives of the 16 regions who were taughthow to operate the monitoring and evaluation system.

Present during the event were Serafin Q. Roman,vice governor of Bataan, Rodolfo H. de Mesa, cityadministrator of Balanga, and Remedios E. Ongtangco,regional executive director of BFAR Region III.

Samahang Mangingisda ni Apo San Rafaelng Sibacan

(Don P.Lejano)

Foreign delegation from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysiaand the Philippines during the international conferenceon aquaculture. Representing the Philippines is BFARAsst. Dir. Benjamin Tabios, Jr. (right). PHOTOS: BIMP-EAGA SECRETARIAT

Dr. Catalino dela Cruzof DA-BAR during theopening forum.

PHOTO: DLEJANO