Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. inaugurated the Bureau of Plant Industry’s (BPI) Tissue Culture Laboratory and upgraded Biological Control Agent (BioCon) facility at the Los Baños National Crop Research, Development, and Production Support Center in Laguna.
Tiu Laurel emphasized the importance of science and technology in tackling the mounting challenges brought by climate change, population growth, and environmental stress.
“The Tissue Culture Laboratory will ensure a steady supply of high-quality, disease-free planting materials. This is especially critical for the banana industry, which continues to struggle with Fusarium wilt,” the DA chief said during the ceremony.
The facility will also propagate garlic, ginger, ube, and ornamentals, providing clean, locally adaptable plantlets for both commercial and smallholder farmers.
The initiative also contributes to the conservation of the country’s plant genetic resources.
The upgraded BioCon Facility complements the tissue culture lab by mass-producing biological control agents, such as earwigs and beneficial fungi, including Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, offering an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.
Both facilities represent an integrated approach to agricultural management by producing healthy planting materials protected by sustainable pest control.
The strategy is expected to raise crop productivity, safeguard ecosystems, and improve farmer incomes.
