A genetically modified (GM) abaca resistant to mosaic virus is being proposed to be developed so that the Philippines will achieve a high yield of as much as Ecuador?s three metric tons (MT) per hectare.

Cecilia Gloria J. Soriano, administrator of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA), said FIDA has proposed the development of GM abaca that will raise yield to world standard.

"That?s supposed to improve productivity. If we?re able to genetically modify abaca, put characteristics highly resistant to the virus, enhance fiber strength and other characteristics sought by end users, then we?ll have a better yield," Soriano said in an interview.

While Ecuador has been posting a yield of 2.5 to 3 MT per hectare due to the absence of disease, the local abaca (inflicted by mosaic virus, bract mosaic virus, and bunchy top) is only giving a yield of 1.2 to 1.5 MT per hectare while those heavily invested could harvest less than 500 kilos.

The GM abaca is estimated to originally cost P9.8 million. It is proposed to be developed by the Institute of Plant Breeding, Department of Plant Pathology, Department of Horticulture at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, and Leyte State University.

The GM study is anchored on the vision to develop abaca varieties for plantation farming (wide area farming) which achieves economies of scale.

It will also propagate tissue-cultured seedlings from laboratories, a method used in plantation banana growing that may be new to small abaca farmers but which ensures disease-resistance.

"Abaca diseases come from bananas; (ironically) bananas don?t? get diseases from abaca. But banana planting in the country is very progressive because once the tree is harvested, the farmer uproots the tree and plants a new (tissue-cultured) seedling. If only abaca farmers could afford that, that will be a good practice," Soriano said.

The GM abaca resistant to diseases may be developed by obtaining resistant genes from wild relatives of abaca that are sterile.

"These target genes can be inserted directly into the crop?s DNA with minimum effects on other important characters. Coat protein-mediated resistance has been successfully demonstrated to work in papaya in Hawaii," FIDA said in a project profile.

A top objective of the GM project is to speedily develop high-yielding varieties that would complement disease resistance.

While disease resistance or high yield in a crop may be developed through conventional means, GM has enabled their rapid development, cutting gestation from 10 to 20 years to three to five years.

In the past, while scientists have found resistant genes through abaca?s wild relatives (Pacol and Canton) this has encountered sterility problems. But new trends in genetic engineering may give way to inserting target genes in high-yielding, sterile varieties.

FIDA indicated that this must be the best time to develop disease-resistant varieties since abaca price in the world market has been steadily increasing. Average price for abaca pulp is at $2,200 per metric ton as of 2004.

"Price is not rising steeply, but it is very firm. It is steadily growing. It?s a stable market because even for cordage, shippers don?t want to use plastic anymore, or they?ll contaminate the sea when this is disposed there. But if you use abaca, in 100 years, that?ll have gone back to the elements," Soriano said.

For food-related packaging, manufacturers also prefer abaca.