Western Mindanao Best Research and Development Tilt Kicks Off

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 22, 2009) - The 2009 Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights for the Agriculture, Forestry and Resources sector opened on Wednesday in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.

The conference, with the theme “Enhancing Farm Productivity through” aims to present the most significant research and development findings of the member-agencies of the Western Mindanao Agriculture, Forestry and Resources Research and Development Consortium and to select the outstanding technologies and information generated for awarding purposes and nomination to national awarding bodies.

It also seeks to provide an occasion for the sharing of knowledge and experience among researchers so as to foster collaboration and integration of various multi-agency research and development undertakings.

Included in the competition were the following research papers: “The Performance of Sweet Pepper Applied with Different Fertilizers under Rain Shelter Condition” by Felizardo M. Salomes, of the Department of Agriculture Western Mindanao Integrated Agriculture Center- Ipil; “Field Trials of Locally Available Crop Varieties and Fungicides Against Important Diseases” by Ana Liza C. Lopez and Roger L. Subong of the Jose Rizal Memorial State College-Tampilisan Campus; “Effects of Dolomitic Lime On Soil Ph And Agronomic Performance of Corn” by Felizardo M. Salomes.

“Yield of Pechay Fertilized With Vermicasts Produced From Different Culture Media” by Dr Josephine A. Subong and Desiree B. Dompales of the Jose Rizal Memorial State College; “Rubber Industry in Tampilisan, Zamboanga Del Norte: An Evaluation” by Edwin B. Templado and Lenita R. Caperida of Jose Rizal Memorial State College; “On-Farm Verification Trials of Recommended Yellow Corn Hybrids In The GMA-Corn Cluster Areas of Region 9” by Felizardo M. Salomes; and “Conservation and Performance Evaluation of Chiquinina Cattle” by Vicente G. Balingit of the Department of Agriculture.

The winners will also have the chance to represent the region in the national level.

The Western Mindanao Agriculture, Forestry and Resources Research and Development Consortium is composed of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council of Agriculture.

Forestry and Resources Research and Development, Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Unit, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Science and Technology, Fiber Industry and Development Authority, Jose Rizal Memorial State College, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority and Western Mindanao State University where the Consortium has been based since 2000. (Joseph Roger Subong)