The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) held the Philippine Horticulture Program Annual Meeting at the Waterfront Insular Davao Hotel in Davao City recently.
PCAARRD Acting Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo Ebora said that the annual meeting was a venue to discuss the experiences and lessons learned from the past year of the project’s implementation. It also provides a venue for the formulation of new plans or policies for the coming year in achieving the targets and goals of the program. Dr. Ebora’s speech was delivered by OIC Deputy Executive Director for R&D, Maria Teresa B. de Guzman.
The projects that were discussed were from Australian implementing agencies including Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (QDAFF), New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSWDPI), Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries (NTDPI), University of Queensland (UQ), Applied Horticultural Research Pty Ltd (AHR), and the Australian Banana Growers’ Council. The Philippine projects that were discussed were implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin), University of Southern Mindanao (USM), Visayas State University (VSU), University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 8 (DA-RFO8), DA- Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (DA-NMACLRC), DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM), Bureau of Plant Industry-Davao National Crop Research and Development Center (BPI-DNCRDC), Bioversity International, Provincial Agriculturist Office-Davao del Norte (PAO-Davao del Norte), PAO-Davao del Sur, Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Landcare Foundation of the Philippines, Inc., and East West Seed Company, Inc.
Dr. Stephen Harper, Australian Project Leader of the Soils and Crop Nutrient Project of the QDAFF, presented the vegetable soil and crop nutrient research in Australia, where they are doing nitrogen rate trials on eggplant and garlic, nutrient uptake and root system improvement, and study on aluminum toxicity.
Meanwhile, Valeriana Justo, Project Leader from the UPLB, showed the deleterious effect of bacterial crown rot in papaya orchards in Northern Mindanao, as part of the ACIAR-PCAARRD project on Integrated Disease Management Strategies in Papaya.
Dr. Zenaida Gonzaga, Project Leader from the VSU, discussed the results of the trial on the effect of organic mulches on yield of pechay under protected structures. According to Dr. Gonzaga, hagonoy and ricehull significantly improved pechay yield as compared to kakawate and rice straw organic mulches.
Australian Project Leader of the Integrated Crop Management for Mango Project Dr. Ian Newton of the QDAFF, presented some of the activities done under the Australian research component. Biological surveys of planthoppers and natural enemies were done in Mareeba and Burdekin and pesticide trials against planthoppers and fruit spotting bugs are underway.
Dr. Celia Medina, UPLB Collaborating Scientist, presented the role of alternate host plants in the population and damage of thrips in mango.
Dr. Ernesto Brown, Officer in Charge of the Socio-economics Research Division of DOST-PCAARRD, Dr. Flordeliza A. Lantican of UPLB, and DOST-PCAARRD Technical Review and Evaluation Panel (TREP) member, provided inputs and suggestions to the ACIAR-PCAARRD project on Developing Vegetable and Fruit Value Chains and Integrating them with Community Development in the southern Philippines.
Finally, Dr. Yan Diczbalis, Australian Project Leader of the NTDPI of the Tropical Tree Fruit Research and Development Project, expressed that the aim of the study is to improve the livelihood of smallholder tropical fruit farmers in the southern Philippines and enhance new industry development in tropical Australia by developing a range of production management technologies and processing options which will enhance production and marketing of tropical fruits.
Wrapping up the session was Mr. Arsenio G. Barcelona, DOST-PCAARRD Governing Council Member and TREP Member, who suggested the further strengthening of ACIAR-DOST-PCAARRD partnership to better harness R&D opportunities between the Philippines and Australia.