DA-BAR-ACEF GRANTS CLSU PHP 15 MILLION FOR FACILITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

 On September 23, 2019 the Department of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and CLSU President Tereso A. Abella signed three Memorandum of Agreements for 3 DA-BAR-ACEF projects at the Department of Agriculture, Elliptical Road, Quezon City. The MOA signing was witnessed by the Executive Director of the  Bureau of Agricultural Research, Dr. Nicomedes Eleazar, and  Atty.  Jane Bacayo, Program Management Secretariat.  It was also attended by Mr. John Dave Aquino and Dr. Maria Excelsis Orden, lead proponents, and Instructor and Director, respectively, from the Research Office.  DA approved three (3) CLSU projects for  Php15 million pesos, Php5 mil each,  under the “Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF)” and “Research Facility Development Grant (RFDG) Program). Two of these projects were submitted by the Research Office while the other one was from the College of Home Science and Industry, with Ms. Geraldine Gantioque as lead proponent.  The Php15 mil is part of the Php180 mil grant to 30 SCUs in the country.       One of the Research Office’s project is entitled “Upgrading of Crop Biotechnology and Analytical Laboratory (CBAL)”.  The laboratory aimed to renovate the current CLSU facility.  Once the laboratory is completed, the Research Office will be able to implement more precised R&D  on special rice (aromatic, pigmented and glutinous) and priority high value crops (vegetables, oil crops, legumes and fruit crops). Moreover, the grant enables the Research Office to acquire High Performance Liquid Chromatography unit for nutraceutical composition analysis of various crops.  The grant also provides establishment of tissue culture room and greenhouse for acclimatization of seedlings.        The second project is entitled “Upgrading of the Pests and Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for High Value Vegetables and Indigenous Crops in Central Luzon”.  The grant  will upgrade the current laboratory in order to do the biology of plant diseases and insect pests, and formulate effective management strategies managing pests and diseases of important crops. The Research Office justified this project in view of the economic importance  of Nueva Ecija as one of the major producers of high value vegetables and indigenous crops. However, due to climate change and other factors their production is beset with problems on pests and diseases that reduces their production,  quality and economic value.  Thus, to help minimize  losses from pests and diseases, CLSU has to strengthen its  R&D capability  in assessing pests and diseases. It needs to upgrade the Vegetable Field House and develop it into a state-of-the-art laboratory to meet the current and future challenges brought about by the problem.         The IDG proposals were prepared with the kind assistance of the personnel of the Physical Plant and Site Development Service (PSDS) of the University.