mb.com.ph, September 15, 2010, 7:20 pm

The National Seed Industry Council has approved two new varieties of mungbean, another two varieties of sitao, and three Arabica coffee strains for commercial planting.

NSIC Mg 14 or Kulabo and NSIC Mg 15 or Kinang were developed by researchers Flora A. Jarilla, Eugenia M. Buctuanon, and Ma. Anna M. Alonzo of the National Crop Research and Development Center of the Bureau of Plant Industry in Los Baños, Laguna.

The varieties were developed through hybridization using conventional breeding, and they surpassed their check varieties in yield and performance. They performed in trials done at Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Tarlac, Negros Occidental, Los Baños in Laguna, and Cotobato.

Kulabo yields 1.09 metric tons per hectare in the dry season and 1.17 mt/ha in the wet season. It matures in 58 days, and its seed coat is dull green. It is moderately resistant to cercospora leaf spot (CLS) and rust, and has 23.767% crude protein and 66 % carbohydrates.

Kinang, on one hand, yields 887.7 k/ha and matures in 52 days in the dry season. In the wet season, it yields 936.1kg/ha and matures in 59 days. Its seed coat is glossy green.

SITAO. The new sitao varieties are Hitik (NSIC Ps 4) and Rikit (NSIC Ps 5) varieties. These open-pollinated cultivars can be grown in both dry and wet seasons. Since both are also moderately resistant to pod borer, leafminer, green mottled virus and fusarium wilt, it is expected that adoption of these will reduce insecticide and fungicide application.

Hitik and Rikit were developed by agriculturists Mercedes L. de la Cueva, Venancio B. Carada and Marina K. Calingasan of the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center in Los Baños, Laguna. Seed production and distribution are being done in the Center to ensure sustained availability of seeds.

ARABICA COFFEE. Out of numerous coffee strains grown in the highlands, three Arabica coffee varieties were selected by the NSIC for commercial planting. The reason is that the taste, aroma and color of Catura, Yellow Bourbon and Baguio Red Bourbon are comparable to some blends.

Catura has red ovate berries with a mean yield of 794.99 grams per tree per year. Each berry is 20 mm and weighs 1.53 grams. Yellow Bourbon has a mean yield of 385.32 grams per tree per year, each berry weighing 17 grams and is 1.40 mm long. The mean yield of Red Bourbon is 1,208.59 grams per tree per year. And each berry weighs 20 grams and is 1.53 mm long.

The evaluation was done by agriculturists Norma B. Pedroche, Avelina M. Galacio and Joyce Jean O. Bacayan of the BPI’s National Crop Research and Development Center in Baguio City.

Source: New Bean and Coffee Varieties Approved