January 16, 2015
The Visayan Daily Star
The Philippine sugarcane industry is upbeat on increasing productivity by using high-yielding variety for sugarcane, through the Sugarcane Genomics Project, representatives of the Philippine Genome Center of the University of the Philippines said.
Agriculture project directors Rita Laude and Antonio Laurena of the PGC, who called on Administrator Ma. Regina Bautista-Martin of the Sugar Regulatory Administration, said genomics is potential to agriculture, a press release said yesterday.
They are focusing on studying sugarcane genes and DNA extraction from SRA for analysis, for more high-yielding varieties for sugarcane, and for varietal development using genetic markers, in collaboration with the SRA.
Laurena said that, with genomics, sugarcane productivity could surpass a 100 metric tons per sugarcane hectare yield.
“We are very much afraid of the ASEAN (free trade) integration, particularly with Thailand and Indonesia having their surplus of sugar into the Philippines. Genomics contributes in increasing productivity of sugarcane, through developing high-yielding varieties,” he said.
Also involved in this public-private partnershipare Philsurin and the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Aside from sugarcane, the agriculture/livestock/fisheries program of the Philippine Genome Center is also working on research projects towards the improvement of other crops such as abaca, coconut, and pili, as well as the characterization of diagnostic tools, such as for shrimp diseases.
The PCG, which is directly under the Office of the President, is a multi-disciplinary institution that combines basic and applied research for the development of health diagnostics, therapeutics, DNA forensics and preventive products, and improved crop, aquaculture, and animal varieties.
It embarks on research projects anchored on the Research and Development agenda of the Department of Science and Technology, the press release added.*
Reference: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2015/January/16/businessnews1.htm