The coconut industry in the Philippines plays a key role in shaping national development. Through the years it has exhibited good export performance of both traditional and non-traditional coconut products, earning its niche among the top ten export produce of the country.
Popularly known as the “Tree of Life,” coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) generates a variety of endless list of products and by-products derived from its various parts, namely: coconut meat, oil, juice, husk, pith, fiber, shell, charcoal, infloresence, hardy and durable woods.
According to the Philippine Coconut Authority-Zamboanga Research Center (PCA-ZRC), “Coconut is considered as the Philippines’ top agricultural export, with US$1.49 generated revenue in 2011. It is planted in 68 provinces of the country, covering 3.56 million (M) hectares. The coconut industry is the source of income of about 3.5 M farmers, providing important economic support to the rural communities.”
However, PCA added, that the industry faces a lot of problems, among which is low productivity (46 nuts/palm/year) due to existing coconut stands predominantly with old and senile palms. At present, one third of the total bearing trees need to be replaced. In addition to this, productivity levels remain low and reasons for this may be attributed to: lack of information on appropriate technologies for coconut farming; the typhoon-inflicted devastation which severely affected the coconut production in afflicted areas; and the destruction caused by the coconut scale insect to various coconut plantations. This led to the cutting down of infested trees for lumber to mitigate losses.
As an emergency response to the above-mentioned crisis, the PCA initiated a project titled “Reinvigorating the Philippine Coconut Industry through Coconut Somatic Embryogenesis Technology (CSET).”
According to PCA the project intends to mass-propagate plumule (“tumbong”)-derived outstanding coconut varieties/hybrids in 8 tissue culture laboratories. This will be done through somatic embryogenesis in order to augment the replanting of senile palms, typhoon-damages, and CSI-infested palms.
Funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST), the 5-year project, having established a seed garden with superior varieties that are disease-free and true-to-type,” will serve as source of plumules of superior varieties according to PCA.
Mr. Ramon A. Rivera, PCA-ZRC Deputy Administrator for Research Development and CSET Project Leader, showcased the project’s accomplishments during a recent official visit of a delegation of PCAARRD R&D Technical Experts.
The delegation was headed by PCAARRD Executive Director Dr. Patricio S. Faylon and several directors of the Council’s technical research divisions.
“To date, PCA-ZRC has completed the upgrading and renovation of the tissue culture laboratory for the production of plumule-derived planting materials, and the mass production of tissue-culture planting materials shall start this October 2014,” Rivera said.
Closely monitored by PCAARRD Crops Research Division headed by Dr. Jocelyn E. Eusebio, the above-mentioned project is only among other projects funded and coordinated by the Council in keeping with the first and foremost of the outcomes committed by DOST: “Science based know-how and tools that enable the agriculture sector to raise productivity to world class standards.”