Researchers are continuously discovering indigenous coconut populations to develop superior hybrids with enhanced qualities and yields, suitable for various product applications.
The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) project team visited coconut farms in Luzon, in search of promising coconut population for breeding of new and improved coconut varieties. (Image Credit: UPLB)
Through the program, "Identification of Promising Philippine Coconut Populations for Hybrid Production using Next Generation Tools and Technologies," the team of Ms. Mary Ann M. Abustan of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is identifying genetically diverse and elite coconut parent lines.
This program is funded through the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan’s (CFIDP) Coconut Hybridization Program (CHP) Research by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
According to Ms. Abustan, her team will examine the physical traits (agro-morphological), nutritional composition (biochemical), and genetic information or DNA (molecular) of coconut populations—a combined approach to speed up the breeding process.
The program’s first component project led by Ms. Abustan has identified 14 populations from Luzon and Mindanao that initially showed moderate to high agro-morphological diversity, making them promising sources of quality planting materials for rehabilitating damaged farms.
An existing pollen processing technique is also being adopted by the project for its future breeding activities, involving the selected outstanding coconut parentals.
Program Leader Mary Ann M. Abustan and Project Leader Don Emanuel M. Cardona from UPLB as they answer inquiries during the project review. (Image Credit: CRD, DOST-PCAARRD)
Its second component project, spearheaded by Mr. Don Emanuel M. Cardona of the Philippine Genome Center-Program for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry (PGC-Agriculture), has optimized a protein extraction protocol to determine the most effective way to extract protein concentrations. This advancement paves the way for potential in-depth purification and analysis with applications in nutrition and health sciences.
The project also began exploring the proteomic profiles of local coconut varieties, with preliminary findings showing significant variability in total nitrogen content—an indicator of protein levels—among different identified farms in Luzon.
The program team noted that bioactive peptides from coconut protein, which are nutrient-rich compounds with health benefits, remain largely underutilized due to limited research. With this, breeding coconuts for higher protein content could help in tapping into the health market.
During a recent project review, Science and Technology (S&T) Consultant Antonio C. Laurena emphasized the project’s potential to support PGC’s interest in the use of omics in studying proteins in coconut research.
The improvement of UPLB’s coconut research and development (R&D) laboratory is also underway under the leadership of Ms. Mariecris Rizalyn R. Mendoza. This laboratory is the first pollen processing facility in Luzon that will support the hybridization activities of the project and in the region.
Moving forward, these DOST-PCAARRD-funded initiatives are expected to contribute in increasing the income of coconut farmers by adopting coconut hybrids and open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) with enhanced value in the food and health sector.