The technology developed from the study Varietal Integrity of Promising Rubber Clones through DNA Fingerprinting joins this year’s Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) after having won the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD) as best research paper recently.
Conducted by the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), a member of the Cotabato Agriculture Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CAARRDEC), the DNA fingerprinting technology seeks to assure farmers that the planting materials they are using are genuine and can enhance crop productivity.
More importantly, the project is expected to ascertain the identity, quality, and integrity of planting materials produced and sold by clonal gardens and nurseries.
The Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) funded the study, which was led by Dr. Emma K. Sales of USM.
Mindanao is expected to contribute largely towards achieving a 60% increase in rubber production in 2020 as the technology is believed to address the problem on large areas with senile rubber trees and over-exploitation of existing plantations, which tolls heavily on productivity.
The technology is enhanced by the use of molecular markers to ensure varietal integrity, which requires accurate labeling and systematic recording, safekeeping, and tagging of each clone.
Molecular markers or genetic markers are used in molecular biology and biotechnology to identify a particular sequence of DNA. It is proven to be useful in accurate, reliable, and efficient clone/genotype identification, among other advantages. Noteworthy of these advantages is that the process can be done in 1-2 days.
The identity of clones from 181 rubber commercial nurseries from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao has been verified and validated through clone tagging under the project.
Done annually, the NSAARRD recognized the outstanding contribution of the DNA Fingerprinting technology for rubber production, among other honors given to individuals and institutions in improving the state of agri-aqua research and development in the country.