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SEARCA and UPLB-IWEP to conduct pest and disease survey in calamansi farms and nurseries in Oriental Mindoro

Published on 12 April 2019 by Judd Andrew D. Ada and Anna Gale C. Vallez KC3 News

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna– The Project Team from the University of the Philippines Los Baños Institute of Weed Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology (UPLB-IWEP) headed by Dr. Flor A. Ceballo and Dr. Filomena C. Sta. Cruz, Associate Professors and Study Leaders for the Promotion and dissemination of Integrated Pest Management strategies of the DA-BAR funded project, Upgrading the Calamansi Value Chain towards Improving the Calamansi Industry in Oriental Mindoro, will conduct a pest and disease survey in calamansi farms and nurseries in the province of Oriental Mindoro on 10-12 April 2019. 

The team will hold focused group discussions (FGD) with farmer groups and associations in Victoria (Victoria Kalamansi Farmers Federation) and Pola (Matulatula Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative and the Matulatula Fruits and Citrus Growers Association), and plant nursery owners in Roxas. These FGDs will help the project team to better understand and gauge the pest and disease situation in the farms. It will, likewise, assist the team to identify farmers' current practices that can mitigate the spread of diseases and manage the pest populations. The team will also discuss with the Plant Quarantine Services of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro its disease indexing and protocols in handling calamansi plants and planting materials infected with various diseases that may cause significant reduction in the yield and functionality of calamansi plants.

The team will undertake the activity with partners from the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (MinSCAT) and Local Government Units of Oriental Mindoro and Victoria. This project is led by SEARCA under the supervision of Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head for Research and Development.