Monitoring and evaluation are integral tools for managing and assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of research and development investments.
Guided by this concern, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), monitored the status of six projects at the Visayas State University (VSU).
Dr. Juanito T. Batalon, Supervising Science Research Specialist and Allan B. Siano, Science Research Specialist, both from the DOST-PCAARRD Crops Research Division (CRD) conducted the monitoring of the projects.
One of the projects showed that marang (Artocarpus odoratissimus) is the most resistant to the Phytophthora palmivora disease, which causes bud-rot.
The project was part of the program titled Tropical fruit tree fruit research and development in the Philippines and Northern Australia to increase productivity, resilience, and profitability, which is jointly funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and DOST-PCAARRD.
The results were obtained after conducting the trial on the susceptibility of different Artocarpus species to the P. palmivora disease.
Trial on marang as P. palmivora-resistant rootstock for jackfruit is ongoing.
The ACIAR-PCAARRD project on ICM is just one of the six projects monitored by the CRD during its recent visit to the VSU, the implementing agency.
Results of the project, Integrated Crop Management (ICM) to enhance vegetable profitability and food security in the Southern Philippines and Australia, showed that the use of protected structure in farming helps improve the quality and yield of sweet pepper compared with those grown in the open field.
The diagnostic dipstick kit for identification of true-to-type ‘Carabao’ mango, in connection with the project, Genetic Markers and Immuno-based Identification of Philippine ‘Carabao’ Mango, funded by DOST-PCAARRD, has undergone its first trial.
The technology was developed to address the problem of mislabeling ‘Carabao’ mango seedlings in many nurseries in the country. The dipstick kit is scheduled for testing at the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)-accredited nurseries around the country.
Also monitored was the program on the tissue culture of abaca hybrids resistant to abaca bunchy top virus (ABTV) produced at the abaca tissue culture laboratory of VSU. This is part of the program, Rehabilitation of abaca plantation through adoption of high-yielding and virus-resistant abaca hybrids led by the UPLB-Institute of Plant Breeding.
The monitoring also included a visit to the VSU’s Tissue Culture Laboratory where mass propagation of coconut planting materials is done through coconut somatic embryogenesis technology (CSet). The project is under the Philippine Coconut Authority-led (PCA) program, Reinvigorating the Philippine Coconut Industry through CSet.