By Jade D. Miguel
LOS BANOS, Laguna, Oct. 21 (PNA) — What our country only needs are smart minds, said Dr. Emil Javier, an academician from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), in relation to the Philippines’ competitiveness in terms of genetic engineering.
A method used in developing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), genetic engineering is being utilized by the country’s resource centers particularly the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in developing crops with increased yield and nutritional qualities.
“Other technologies are costly, in genetic engineering, we only need smart minds to be able to compete with other countries,” Javier said adding that the Philippines is a bit ahead from other Southeast Asian nations in terms of genetic engineering, or more commonly known as modern biotechnology.
One example of the country’s innovation using modern biotechnology is the development of Bt eggplant or the pest resistant eggplant which SEARCA, along with other science experts, has introduced to farmers’ groups Tuesday in a public dialogue held at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).
The Crop Science Cluster-Institute of Plant Breeding at UPLB is currently developing the Bt eggplant in the country through partnership with Mahyco and Cornell University, and support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
These agencies ensure the biosafety of the said crop before its commercialization through contained research in laboratories and greenhouses, small limited confined field trial, multi-location field trials, and commercial propagation.
Though the country maximizes modern biotechnology through its available resources, Javier said that farmers must be equipped with the best technology to compete with other nations in terms of agricultural yield.
On the country’s capacity and readiness to be globally competitive on the upcoming ASEAN integration by 2015, Javier stressed that the “nation which has the best technology wins.”
“If you want to fight and compete, you have to give us all the tools. Our farmers are being left behind and are not able to compete because they need new technology,” he stressed.
With the commercialization of Bt eggplant, science and agriculture experts said the use of the said crop would give farmers higher yields, good quality fruits, lessen production and labor costs due to less pesticide that the eggplant will need to control pests.
When the Bt eggplant is approved for commercial release, proponents said that both seeds of the Bt open-pollinated and hybrid varieties will be made available to farmers. (PNA)