Mongo lines for Ilocos

BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte — Three new improved lines of mungbean have been found suited to Ilocandia.

The lines — EGM 93 289, EGM 93 293, and EGM 6178-B-15—were bred by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (DA-BPI-LBNCRDC).

They stood out when a joint research team headed by Fernando Sugui of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Velma Mangaser of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) evaluated high-yielding and pest-resistant mongo lines for adaptability in Region 1 during the 2003-2006 dry seasons. MMSU and DMMMSU are multi-campus universities in Ilocos Norte and La Union, respectively.

The Philippines Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) monitored the three-year project.

Results of the study showed that the EGM lines yielded from 1.225 to 1.253 t/ha, which were much higher than those of the check varieties NSIC Mg 8 (1.062 t/ha) and NSIC Mg 11 (1.098 t/ha), PCARRD’s Josefina Atienza reported.

At a production cost of P15,000/ha and yield of 1,000 kg of seeds per hectare valued at P40/kg, net income is as much as P25,000/ha. — Rudy A. Fernandez