Filipino
farmers from Sta. Maria, Pangasinan anticipate the commercial
release of Bt eggplant for their farm use. “When will you
release Bt eggplant?” was the common question they asked
during the February 23, 2011 visit to the multi-location
trial site of the fruit
and shoot borer (FSB) resistant Bt eggplant in the same
town.
Pangasinan province ranks as number one producer of eggplant
in the country and eggplant farming is considered as one
of the major source of livelihood in the area.
The farmers have expressed their eager interest on Bt eggplant
after seeing its side-by-side performance with a non-Bt
eggplant from the trial site. Non-Bt eggplants were pockmarked
from FSB infestation while Bt eggplants were damage-free.
The farmers admitted that because of heavy infestations,
pesticides were sometimes sprayed twice daily, one in the
mornings and one in the afternoons.
Developed through modern biotechnology, Bt eggplant has
an inherent resistance to the most damaging insect pest,
FSB. This biotechnological innovation is being developed
by the University
of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in partnership with
several state universities and colleges in the country.
Dr. Lourdes Taylo, study leader of the Bt eggplant project
from the UPLB explained the development of Bt eggplant in
the Philippines and the data gathering process and regulation
it currently undergoes. Meanwhile, Dr. Emiliana Bernardo,
entomologist and retired UPLB professor, assured the farmers
that the Bt technology used in Bt eggplant is safe. Based
on her experience as one of the assessors in the Scientific
and Technical Review Panel of Bt corn in the Philippines,
Dr. Bernardo explained that Bt will not affect humans and
other non-target animals because its mechanism is specific
only to Lepidopteran insects.
For the original article on this story, visit http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=665565&publicationSubCategoryId=77.
For more information on Bt eggplant in the Philippines,
visit www.bic.searca.org
or e-mail bic_at_agri.searca.org.
(Jenny
A. Panopio and Sophia
M. Mercado)
