The Philippines is in high hopes to commercialize its first-ever public sector genetically modified (GM) food crop by 2012. The fruit and shoot borer-resistant (FSB-R) eggplant, commonly known as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) eggplant, is currently under multi-location trials in seven sites within the country including Pangasinan, Laguna, Camarines Sur, Ilo-ilo, Leyte, Davao City, and Cotabato.

According to Dr. Desiree Hautea, FSB-R eggplant project leader and regional coordinator of the Agricultural Biotechnology Project II (ABSP II) – Southeast Asia, the development of Bt eggplant in the Philippines started through the granting of royalty-free license to the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) from the Indian Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Limited (Mahyco), to use its eggplant lines as source of FSB resistant trait of biotech eggplant with Bt cry1Ac gene in 2003.

“In the Philippines, damage by FSB results in yield losses from 54 % to 70%, and with no available commercial varieties resistant to this pest. Through the development of Bt eggplant, farmers may double its income by 200% and gain an additional of Php 50,000 per hectare of production,” said Dr. Hautea. Likewise, she stressed that, “… insecticide application may lessen up to 72 times per season and may decrease spraying that accounts to 24% of production cost.”

Once the Bt eggplant multi-location trials have been approved and passed later stages of evaluation and safety assessment, it will be the second GM/biotech crop approved for cultivation in the Philippines, following Bt corn which was approved for commercial propagation in the country in 2003. The Philippines is the only country growing GM/biotech crops in Asia.

To learn more about the Bt eggplant project in the Philippines, visit http://isaaa.org/programs/supportprojects/abspii/research/default.asp.

For more news updates on biotechnology, visit the SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center website at http://www.bic.searca.org, or e-mail bic@agri.searca.org. (Rochella B. Lapitan)

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Jenny A. Panopio
Special Project Coordinator & Network Administrator
Biotechnology Information Center
SEAMEO SEARCA
College, Laguna 4031
Email: jap at agri.searca.org
Tel: (63-49)536-2290 loc 169 or 406
Tele/Fax: (63-49)536-4105
URL: www.bic.searca.org