𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 – 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐂𝐀 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐗𝐈𝐈 | 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑-𝟐𝟕,𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.
Published by Crop Pest Management Division
A team from the Bureau of Plant Industry – Crop Pest Management (BPI–CPMD), led by Ms. Precerpina Luzaran, visited several biological control agents (BCA) laboratories in Region XII from September 23 to 27, 2024. The purpose of this activity was to conduct interviews, evaluate, and monitor the existing BCA laboratories and strengthen the conceptualization of model village BCA laboratories in the region.
In total, five (5) existing and one (1) discontinued BCA laboratories were evaluated in the region. In particular, the existing BCA laboratories are the Cotabato Biological Control Laboratory, Bagumbayan Municipal Biocontrol Laboratory, Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) XII, Barangay Poblacion Trichogramma Laboratory, and South Cotabato Provincial Nursery and Demonstration Farm while the Kidapawan City Trichogramma Laboratory was the discontinued. Currently, the RCPC XII is producing 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘌𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘌𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘦, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘫𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮, and 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘮. All interviewed personnel agreed on the establishment of village-level BCA laboratories to improve the production, distribution, and utilization of BCAs in the region.
Of the 5 existing BCA laboratories, the Barangay Poblacion Trichogramma Laboratory in Norala, South Cotabato, established and operated by Mr. Nolly B. Jumento in 2017, was the only farmer-led BCA laboratory in the region. According to Mr. Jumento, he established the laboratory with the intent of helping fellow farmers in managing pests in their farms in an ecological, safer, and cheaper way. He plans to expand the laboratory to produce other BCAs and to cater to more farmers and stated that he also supports the establishment of other village laboratories, particularly, in every municipality in South Cotabato.
