From: Advancing banana and plantain R&D in Asia and the Pacific. Vol. 10 – ed. by A.B. Molina, V.N.

Roa & M.A.G. Maghuyop, Proceedings of the 10th INIBAP-ASPNET Regional Advisory Committee
meeting held at Bangkok, 2000/11/10-11, INIBAP-ASPNET, Los Baños, 2001; p. 53-55.

53 Advancing banana and plantain R & D in Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 10

Banana research and development activities

in the Philippines: An update

Rene Rafael C. Espino1

Banana (Musa sp.) is the leading fruit species in the country in terms of hectarage,
volume and value of production. In 1999, a total of 338 277 hectares producing 3.7
million metric tonnes valued at P15 billion (BAS 2000). It is also a consistent top dollar
earner, with export revenues of more than US$200 million annually. In 1997, it
contributed 7.07% of the gross value added in agriculture of the Philippines. As an
industry, more than 75% are small growers. The crop is planted throughout the country
with large farms/plantations found in southern Mindanao catering to the export market.
For small growers, it provides a steady source of food and income. It is also used either
to replace or extend the staple food, namely rice and corn. Consumed fresh, boiled, fried
or as banana cue, it is a popular snack food. The main cultivars grown for the domestic
market are Lakatan, Latundan, Bungulan and Saba/Cardaba, while Giant Cavendish,
Dwarf Cavendish, Umalag, Ecuadorian and Grande Naine are cultivated for export.
Research and development efforts on banana have been ongoing through the years.
These have led into significant contributions to the industry namely: mass propagation
through tissue culture, use of improved cultivars, better pest control, good soil
management, improved postharvest handling practices and development of diversified
products through processing.
With the implementation of the Agriculture and Fishery Modernization Act (AFMA),
the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR)
established a Banana Research, Development and Extension Sub-Network. The primary
function of the agency is to plan, coordinate, monitor and evaluate all research,
development and extension activities in the country. In addition, sub-network members
consist of state colleges and universities and research centres, both in the government
and private sectors. It focuses on the local cultivars grown by the small growers in the
Philippines.

Current research and development activities

Cultivar improvement
Mutation induction through exposure to gamma radiation is being undertaken on
bananas. It was found that dosage rate higher than 80 Gy resulted to the death of the

1
Programme Director, High Value Commercial Crops Programme, Department of Agriculture and Professor, Department
of Horticulture, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
54 Advancing banana and plantain R & D in Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 10

shoot tip. The resulting plants are now being evaluated for their horticultural
characteristics and resistance to banana bunchy top virus. Promising plants with good
horticultural characteristics are being further evaluated for their field performance and
resistance to various pests.
Induction of somatic embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration protocols are being
established and maximized for local cultivars. This is a prelude to studies on the genetic
transformation to improve the characteristics of these cultivars.

Genetic resources
Maintenance of the various accessions at the Southeast Asian Banana Germplasm
Resources Centre at the Davao National Crop Research and Development Centre,
Bureau of Plant Industry, Bago-Oshiro, Davao City, both in the field and in vitro is being
done. The collection consists of more than 200 plants coming from the Philippines,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. These acquisitions are indexed
for banana bunchy top and bract mosaic viruses. In addition, collections at the
University of the Philippines Los Baños (Department of Horticulture and Institute of
Plant Breeding) are being maintained. Recollection of lost accessions was also done as
well as collection of new ones.
The characterization of the BB/BBB-cultivars using RLFP technology is ongoing.

Production/Cultural Management
Studies on the various management practices namely nutrition, use of tissue culture-
derived planting materials, deleafing, sucker control, water management and fruit care
are being pursued. There are numerous studies being done in various research centres
of the Department of Agriculture and in private institutions. The primary objective of
the studies is to improve the production systems suited to their respective areas.

Pest management

Virus diseases, namely bunchy top, bract mosaic and mosaic (cucumber mosaic virus)
have greatly affected banana production in the country. Management, control and
rehabilitation of the affected areas are pursued vigorously, particularly on banana
bunchy top. Community-based pilot areas in the 15 regions of the country were
established for the farmers to emulate the various control measures such as early
detection and treatment, use of virus-free planting materials and control of insect vector,
Pentalonia nigronervosa. Currently, a survey on the extent of infection of these virus
diseases is being conducted nationwide. Moreover, experiments on loss assessment and
screening for resistance to bract mosaic on the various accessions of banana are to be
pursued.
The use of early detection methods to determine the presence of viruses in the banana
plant is a primary strategy in controlling these diseases. Utilization of the monoclonal
antibody technology is being pursued. Indexing kits for banana bunchy top and bract
mosaic viruses were developed and are now being tested by other users, while indexing
kits for mosaic are now being developed.
Another disease, bugtok, which causes the hardening of the pulp on Saba/Cardaba is
being investigated because of its prevalence in the country. Control measures found
55 Advancing banana and plantain R & D in Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 10

effective includes: a) early bagging of the inflorescence; b) immediate removal of the

male bud; and c) sanitation. An information campaign is now underway to inform
farmers of these measures.

Postharvest/Processing

Quality assurance studies on local cultivars of banana are being pursued. These include
understanding the ripening and storage behaviour, handling characteristics and product
standard of each cultivar. To reduce losses, transport studies are also being undertaken
to improve handling and conditions during transport.
Research is underway to improve the processing of banana products, e.g.
chips/crackers, catsup, wine, etc. Product standards for each commodity and utilization
of its by-products are also being developed. Another area of concern is the effect of the
banana processing industry in the environment.

Socioeconomic/Policy
Technology assessment on the various management practices being promoted to the
farmers is being done to assess its impact on the farm. This will serve as guide for
future implementation of new technologies that will be generated by the research and
development institutions. Policy studies are likewise being put forward to make the
industry more efficient and responsive to the changing times.

Conclusion
Banana research and development efforts in the country are still not enough to address
the challenges and problems faced by the industry. With the globalization of trade, the
industry needs to be more efficient to lower production cost and increase production of
high quality products in order to compete effectively in the international market. It is
hoped that the government and private sectors extend additional support to strengthen
research and development efforts and help the industry to meet the challenges in both
the local and world markets.

References
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. 1991-2000. Selected agricultural statistics. Quezon City.
Espino R.R.C., L.V. Magnaye, P.A. Nuevo, A.C. Sumalde & Z.M. Sumalde. 1999. National
Research, Development and Extension Agenda for Banana. Bureau of Agricultural
Research, Department of Agriculture.
University of Asia and the Pacific. 2000. Food and Agribusiness Yearbook and Directory. Pasig
City. 614p.