Journey of Quality Seed Potato Production Through Apical Rooted Cuttings (ARC) in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines
Jennie B. Balao, Teresita D. Masangcay; Cynthia G. Kiswa; Jocelyn C. Perez, Gabby K. Dao-ines
Background
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Philippines has a total area of 11,000 hectares devoted to potato production. The limited access of good quality seed is the most important limiting factor in potato production. The availability of quality planting materials of improved and preferred varieties is very important. The International Potato Center (CIP) in the 1980’s, partnered with the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center conducted research on potato varieties suitable for Philippine climatic condition, provided trainings: on seed potato production, cultural management, effective farming techniques, resource management and community engagement to understand their needs and challenges. The variety Igorota resistant to diseases, high yielding and adopted to weather conditions of Benguet was a major success, however there was no seed supply from any source.
Technology on apical rooted cuttings (ARC) was introduced to the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center with the establishment of plant tissue culture laboratory for the sustainable production of quality planting materials. One of the early adopters of using ARCs with the Igorota is Mr. Nelio Compelio, His commitment and dedication in farming helped him grow and proved the advantage of using locally grown quality seeds as compared to imported seeds. With his testimonies and other farmers increased the awareness of farmers on apical rooted cutting technology.
Public and Private Partners
NPRCRTC maintains the varieties used for ARCs in pathogen free tissue culture. The center also provides quality planting materials for research and extension activities. Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provide funding for the work of the NPRCRTC.
Bureau of Plant Industry-National Seed Quality and Control (BPI-NSQCS) has improved the plant tissue culture laboratory and greenhouse facilities of the Center, funding individual farmers trained (Figure 1), greenhouses and given an initial planting material for ARC production and are aligned to the SGD goals on zero hunger (SDG 2), quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), partnership for the goals, (SDG 17) and to achieve gender equality (SDG 5) by 2030.
Nelio Campelio and family ARC business has been and remains our main lead farmer cooperator. His pioneering work that continues now for many years with the variety Igorota has been the model ARC business that is our example of how to do the business.
Figure 1. Hands-on training of Farmers from Buguias, Bakun and Kabayan, Benguet on ARC production conducted at the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center La Trinidad, Benguet funded by private partners.
Results
The training of many farmers, other government institutions and students for the past decades are giving successful adoption of the ARC technology. Accredited Seed Potato Growers had increased from 1 to 15 with an area of 38.756 hectares growing from ARCs including the NPRCRTC’s seed production greenhouse and the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory (BPI-NSQCS, 2024).
Figure 2 shows the dispersal of potato apical rooted cuttings and mini-tuber seed from 2017 to 2024. This shows the positive impact of conducting trainings to farmers and other interested clients. Farmers and farmer association members who had been trained are doing the business on ARC production contributing to the need for seed in the Cordillera.
Figure 2. Decreasing ARC and mini-tuber dispersed by the center as shown in the figure shows a positive indication, farmers association and individual farmers adopted the technology and doing the business on potato seed production
The 2 most popular varieties potato grown in the Cordillera are Igorota and Granola. Igorota is known for its resistance to late blight and viruses and is high yielding while Granola an early maturing variety, resistant to the potato cyst nematode (PCN), can be grown in low to mid-elevation areas of Benguet and Mountain Province. From August to January (the colder months of the year), farmer and seed producers multiply Igorota. Granola, requires longer days, is primarily multiplied and grown during the months of February to May.
Mr. Nelio Compelio’s hard work and dedication to ARCs, started with a simple greenhouse in Sinipsip, Buguias, Benguet, and now has expanded and established two more greenhouses in La Trinidad, Benguet producing an average of 230,500 ARCs and mini-tubers planted on his 3.84 hectares land as well as by relatives, neighbors and other famers in Benguet.
Figure 3. Mr. and Mrs. Compelio and his ARC and mini-tuber seed production greenhouse in La Trinidad, Benguet
Figure 4. Client buying/hauling ARC planting materials
Figure 5. Harvest from ARC planting material in Sinipsip, Buguias Benguet
Lessons Learned
Over the years, new processing potato varieties; Raniag, Bengueta, Ganza, Montanosa, Tawid, Solibao, Gloria and other clones were introduced to the highland farmers. But market and farmers preferred Granola because of its rounded shape that makes it visually appealing, skin color, resistance to skinning, and early maturing (75-80 days) and second choice is the processing variety Igorota with high yield and resistance to diseases.
Multiplication of the two potato varieties is through ARC and seed bulking of mini-tubers. Although the number of farmer seed growers has increased, quality seed potatoes remain inadequate. When the price of table potatoes rises to U$1.50 -2.00 per kilo; seed potatoes are often sold in the market for food instead of being used as seed. In order to maintain a source of quality seed, the government should provide incentives to seed growers and protect the clean areas for seed potato production. Additionally, the local government of Benguet and Mountain Province must work together to make a policy to avoid the spread of quarantine pest and diseases (especially PCN and bacterial wilt). Farmers manage the infestation of bacterial wilt and PCN through the use of soil amendments, such as calcium hypochlorite and Trichoderma koningii. Although other vegetable crops are also grown in the CAR, monocropping of the preferred crop, potatoes, continues to be a problem with disease buildup.
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