Phytohormones from waste coconut water help stimulate plant growth and development. Its application in tissue-cultured banana and sugarcane plantlets showed significant growth response.

This was the general findings of the project, “Extraction of Phytohormones from Waste Coconut Water using Biochar Derived from Agricultural Residues,” funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

The project team from the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) led by Dr. Monet Concepcion Detras extracted the phytohormones from waste coconut water through the process of adsorption using biochars as adsorbents. Likewise, it uses a pilot-scale adsorption equipment with a solvent recovery system designed by the project team.

In a project terminal review organized by the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division (ARMRD) of DOST-PCAARRD,  Detras explained that waste residues such as rice straws, bamboo, banana peel, calabash husk, durian shell, sugarcane bagasse, coffee husk, and cacao pod husk, were converted into activated biochar. Experiments on these biochars showed their potential, at varying capacities, as adsorbents for the extraction of phytohormones from waste coconut water.

Patent application for the UPLB technology (Semi-Pilot Scale Column) and product (Cocoboost, the phytohormone from waste coconut water) is ongoing. 

Dr. Juanito T. Batalon, DOST-PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development and representatives from the Council’s Institution Development Division (IDD), Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD), Socio-Economic Research Division (SERD), and Applied Communication Division (ACD) attended the terminal review.

Flooding during the rainy season can devastate crops. A way to address this challenge is by setting up solar-powered drip-irrigated tower gardens. This vertical farming system offers a sustainable and resilient solution, even during the rainy season.

The vertical farming system involves growing vegetables using solar-powered pump drip irrigation and tower garden technologies. This system can withstand rains and floods and enables communities to continue producing vegetables despite heavy rains, unlike in traditional land-based farming. 

Tower gardens use hydroponics and introduce the vertical way of growing vegetables. It requires less space compared with conventional farming as leafy vegetables are planted in high vertical pots. It also uses an automated timer to irrigate the crops, thereby reducing time and labor. 

Solar-powered drip-irrigated tower gardens have been successfully established in six areas across Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac through the project implemented by the Central Luzon State University (CLSU). 

The established community gardens in these areas not only addressed immediate food needs during emergencies but also allowed multiple cropping cycles per year, particularly for fast-growing leafy vegetables.

CLSU project leader Marvin M. Cinense said that this technology can boost crop yield by up to 50% or more per unit area. By raising the plants above potential floodwaters, the tower garden can ensure that crops stay protected and continue to flourish even when the ground is submerged. Also, plants can be safe against soil-borne insect pests and diseases.

CLSU implemented this project in cooperation with the Bulacan Agricultural State College, Pampanga State Agricultural University, and Tarlac Agricultural University. The project was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), and was monitored by DOST-PCAARRD’s Agricultural Resources Management Research Division. 

As urban areas continue to expand and climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and flooding, innovative solutions like tower gardens will be essential for ensuring food security. This project highlights the potential of technology-driven farming methods to sustain urban communities even in the most challenging weather conditions.

Water is a scarce commodity despite the abundant water resources in the Philippines. The growing demand and continuing resource-intensive economic development make it more unavailable and inaccessible. Thus, the escalating demand, resulting in water-related challenges, such as supply and access to safe and sustainable water, that pose significant economic challenges. 

To help secure the future of the country’s water resources, the University of the Philippines Los Banos - Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) have partnered to conduct a pioneering project aimed at institutionalizing Payment for Water Ecosystem Service (P-WES) in the Philippines.

The project, “Advocating the Institutionalization of Payment for Water Ecosystem Service (P-WES) in the Philippines,” comes at a critical time when the growing demand for water-related environmental services is facing increasing pressure due to diminishing natural resources and inadequate funding for environmental protection. Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is an economic tool that has emerged to promote conservation and management of natural resources by compensating those who provide essential ecosystem services.

Despite recognition of the importance of PES, the Philippines has yet to establish a comprehensive policy framework that formally embraces and institutionalizes the adoption of PES. The project seeks to address the gap by engaging local and national stakeholders in establishing and institutionalizing a framework for compensating providers of essential water-related ecosystem services. This initiative not only aims to raise awareness about the significance of P-WES but also to provide a platform for stakeholders to enhance the proposed National P-WES policy.

Additionally, the project aims to raise awareness of the significance of P-WES in the Philippines and the local-level P-WES initiatives; provide P-WES and  PES Outcome for Sustainable Water Provision (PESO SWaP) projects’ stakeholders platform to improve the proposed National P-WES policy draft; implement a parallel effort to institutionalize P-WES at the provincial level; and institutionalize the implementation of P-WES as a natural resource conservation strategy in the country through a proposed legislation.

During the project’s inception meeting on June 20, 2024, Project Leader Asa Jose Sajise of UPLB discussed the increasing demand for environmental services, particularly the water ecosystem services and the development of national P-WES policy, to address pressing water-related environmental and socioeconomic issues. He highlighted the development of an initial Theory of Change. It hopes to guide the project in assessing the previous PES experiences and arrangements, identifying different P-WES initiatives in the Philippines and co-developing a draft national protocol on P-WES implementation, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-River Basin Control Office (DENR-RBCO) and DENR-Forest Management Bureau (DENR-FMB).

The inception meeting featured key resource persons including Dr. Margaret Calderon, Professor 12 at UPLB, and Ms. Dieldre Harder, S&T Consultant at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Safe Water project.

With a project duration of 18 months, DOST-PCAARRD and UPLB hope the project to serves as a valuable resource for revising existing policies or developing new ones that support the effective implementation of PES.

A training on enhancing milkfish hatchery techniques through high-density larval rearing and bioencapsulation was conducted on September 3–5, 2024 at ALT Fisheries and Aquaventures, Inc. Hatchery, Panabo City, Davao del Norte. 

Aimed to equip industry players with necessary skills and knowledge to boost milkfish fry production, the training was collaboratively organized by the Institute of Aquaculture (IA), College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS), University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). Boosting the milkfish fry production in the country is critical in ensuring the sustainability of the milkfish industry. 

The three-day training was participated by 30 representatives from both private and government sectors. They were introduced to advanced hatchery technologies, including the use of algal paste and brewer’s yeast as alternatives to live algae in rotifer culture. The program also underscored the bioencapsulation of rotifers with probiotics, a crucial technique for improving larval health and growth. Additionally, high-density larval rearing strategies were highlighted as a means to optimize fry production and increase profitability.

A team of experts from UPV’s Institute of Aquaculture facilitated the training, including retired Professor Valeriano L. Corre, Jr., Dr. Rex Ferdinand M. Traifalgar, Asst. Prof. Fredson H. Huervana, Dr. Carmelo S. del Castillo, Mr. Alan N. Failaman, Ms. Cleresa S. Dionela, and Ms. Nikka Marie N. Murallon. The participants were engaged in both theoretical lectures and hands-on laboratory activities, providing them with practical experience in applying the newly learned techniques.

After the training, the participants were expected to implement the high-density larval rearing and bioencapsulation techniques in their respective hatcheries. This initiative aims to enhance production capacities and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the milkfish sector.

This training underscores the ongoing commitment of the Institute of Aquaculture, CFOS, UPV, and DOST-PCAARRD to support the aquaculture industry through the adoption of innovative technologies. They remain at the forefront of advancing the country's milkfish hatchery operations, reinforcing its role in fostering research, collaboration, and capacity building for a more sustainable future in Philippine aquaculture.