To enhance dairy productivity in the Philippines, the Philippines Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAAARRD) has partnered with the University of the Philippines Los Baños – Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) to develop quality forages for dairy animals through selection and breeding.
The project, “Improvement of forage species for high yield, improved quality, persistence to cutting, and drought tolerance towards a sustainable dairy production,” led by Ms. Mariecris Rizalyn D. Mendoza of UPLB-IPB, aims to enhance dairy animal nutrition and productivity.
The project focuses on strengthening the forage gene bank, identifying elite accessions through agro-morphological characterization, drought tolerance evaluation, and biochemical and nutrient profiling. The selected elite forages will undergo further evaluation in dairy farms, where they will be bred for improved crude protein, herbage yield, and other essential traits.
In its first six months of implementation, the project has already established a collection of six sorghum-sudan grass varieties, 25 legumes, and 31 grasses. Additionally, 23 forage accessions have undergone agro-morphological and biochemical characterization, and four personnel have been trained in forage characterization techniques based on these traits.
The project is expected to benefit livestock farmers and the dairy industry significantly. The development of high-yielding, nutrient-rich, and drought-tolerant forages can support the establishment of a local forage production industry, benefiting small-scale farmers.
The promotion of proper forage cultivation and management will help farmers maximize forage yield and nutrient availability, ultimately leading to increased milk production. This improvement in dairy productivity could contribute to meeting the growing demand for milk and dairy products both at the regional and national levels.