We Negros University’s proposal on Plant
Propagation and Conservation Center
was awarded by P5M by the national
government to finance the project’s
operating costs.
Dr. Suzette Lilian A. Agustin, university
president, said that she was
informed by Norberto Gonzales,
National Security Adviser about the
approval of the budget for the said
project. Dr. Agustin, expressing her
enthusiasm for the project,
announced the approval of the
research proposal and the budget
during the groundbreaking ceremony
for the East Wing building of the
WNU on January 13, 2009.
Dr. Agustin, expressing her enthusiasm for the
project, announced the approval of
the research proposal and the budget
ceremony for the East Wing of the
WNU on January 13, 2009.
Victoria Demonteverde, project researcher, said
the plant conservation center will
be located in Brgy. Mandalagan,
Bacolod City. Operations will
initially focus on potato
propagation in Negros Island.
As a support to the Biodiversity Conservation
Program, a tissue culture laboratory
will also be set up to develop
micropropagation techniques for
endemic and/or endangered plants and
propagate different plant species by
conventional methods. The laboratory
will be good venue for training
students interested in tissue
culture and other propagation
techniques. The project also aims to
help local farmers by providing
quality planting materials,
Demonteverde said.
The budget will cover the following: the
construction of a tissue culture
facility, purchase of supplies and
equipment for the tissue culture
laboratory and greenhouses, the
identification, selection, and
establishment of plants intended for
propagation in-vitro, experiments on
response of various plant species
in-vitro, studies on survival and
growth of in-vitro derived
plantlets, experimentation on rapid
multiplication techniques,
horticultural plants arts, studies
on the possibility of combining
various propagation techniques for
specific plants and marketing of
plants.
Demonteverde is currently the Associate Director
of the university’s Research
Development and Extension and
Executive Director of the Foundation
for Outreach, Research and
Ecological and Sociological
Technology, Inc.
Among her researches are; “Rapid Multiplication
of Potato in the Warm Tropics”, “An
Assessment of Potato Clones Using
Apical Cuttings by Farmers in
Benguet” and “ Single Node Cuttings
in Sweet Potato: Factors affecting
its Propagation; Potato and Sweet
Potato in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific Region.
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