INDANG, Cavite- Researchers from Cavite State University (CvSU) conducted a project to conserve and manage the genetic resources of Philippine coffee (Coffea spp.).
The project was led by Dr. Miriam Du Baltazar and Dr. Alejandro C. Mojica, Sr. of CvSU. Cooperating agencies of the project were the Benguet State University (BSU), Central Philippines State University (CPSU), and Central Mindanao University (CMU).
The initiative aimed to address the continuous loss of many important coffee genes due to increase in human population, urbanization, and promotion of registered and popular varieties in the country.
Sixty-nine (69) accessions belonging to the four economically important species were collected under the study. These consist of 28 accessions of C. Arabica, 15 of C. liberica, 9 of C. excelsa and 17 of C. robusta/canephora. A total of 29 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were screened among 69 coffee accessions.
Through the use of morphological and molecular markers, the project evaluated and analyzed the accessions. This enabled the group to classify the accessions according to their genetic origin and to define possible parental linkages for breeding.
Results of the study showed that the genetic diversity of coffee in the Philippines is very low. Using morphological and molecular markers, the researchers found genetic diversity at 0-0.36 and 0.04-0.24, respectively.
Study also showed that C. excelsa and C. liberica varieties were hard to distinguish from each other both at morphological and molecular level. Identities of several successions were found to be either similar or distinct at morphological level and were only ascertained with the use of molecular markers.
Characterization of the collected coffee varieties also revealed the presence of polymorphism across all the coffee species tested. Polymorphism refers to the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms in a single species.
The use of morphological and molecular characterization in this study unraveled some of the misconceptions on the genetic diversity issues of particular Philippine coffee varieties. With the use of the said technologies, for example, it was determined that ‘San Ramon’ and ‘Improved San Ramon’ coffee varieties are of the same variety. The similarity was also found to be true with varieties ‘Mundo Novo’ and ‘Mundo Novo1.’
These findings have indicated the usefulness of molecular markers such as SSR markers in eliminating the effect of environment to determine the identity of coffee varieties.
A database was also developed to manage all information about the collection of the field genebank in CvSU. The database is expected to provide materials for breeding programs to be conducted in the future.
The study Conservation and Management of Coffee (Coffea spp.) Genetic Resources in the Philippines is a project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD). It is one of the entries in the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD), Research Category.
Organized by DOST-PCAARRD, the NSAARRD recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals and institutions in improving the state of research and development in the country for the interest of the agriculture, aquatic and natural resources sector. It is one of the yearly highlights of the PCAARRD anniversary celebration.
DOST-PCAARRD will celebrate its seventh year anniversary on June 22, 2018 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City.