Propelling towards more intensified sustainable agricultural and development projects, Central Luzon State University (CLSU), signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI), through its Crop Research and Production Support Division (CRPSD), on June 19, 2024.
Dr. Edgar A. Orden, Vice President for Research and Extension led the MOA signing together with Assoc. Prof. Lani Lou Mar A. Lopez, Acting Director of Ramon Magsaysay Center for Agricultural Resources and Environment Studies (RM-CARES), and Dr. Maria Luisa T. Mason, Head of the Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture (DSS-CAG) along with Dr. Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban, Director of DA-BPI.
In support to National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP), this collaborative endeavor aims to promote indigenous vegetable varieties for diversified crop production through the establishment of a seed production area in CLSU.
Meanwhile, as an offshoot of her research projects, Dr. Rubigilda P. Paraguison- Alili, Head of the Crop Management Division at the Crops and Resources Research and Development Center (CRRDC), under the University Research Program, showcased two developed test kits to the DA-BPI team. The BLASTbiosensor Rapid On-Site Test Kit for Rice Blast Disease which is designed to screen palay and storage areas, while the AnthracKnows Rapid On-Site Test Kit for Anthracnose-Twister detection in onions, soil, water, and storage facilities.
To showcase CLSU mature technologies for promotion and adoption, the DA-BPI team was toured in the KAMALIG (Keeping A Modern Agricultural Landscape through Integrating CLSU-Generated Technologies) Agritourism Site. The team also visited the Small Ruminant Center (SRC), Precision and Digital Agriculture Center (PreDiCt), and Plant Pest Disease Diagnostic and Research Center.
