New fertilizer to boost Nat'l Greening Program

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is working with experts from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) for the manufacture of some 100 tons of fertilizer to be used in the planting of trees under the government’s National Greening Program.

The UPLB experts from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology will partner with the DENR from May 2012 to April 2013 in the manufacture of “mykovam,” a fungus-based fertilizer developed by UPLB that will enable planted seedlings to survive in the most adverse conditions by naturally improving their root surfaces.

This is provided for in a memorandum of agreement recently signed between DENR Secretary Ramon Paje and UPLB Chancellor Rex Victor Cruz, with the DENR providing the amount of P8 million for the upgrading of biotech facilities.

“This undertaking affirms DENR’s resolve to employ science to secure NGP’s success,” Paje said, adding that NGP’s goal of rehabilitating some 1.5 million hectares of denuded forestlands hinges on the application of the fungus-based root inoculants which form colonies of microscopic beneficial fungus on plant roots.

Paje explained that past greening programs failed because science was not properly factored into the program, particularly matured technologies like mykovam, which was developed by combining eight types of mycorrhizal strains. The fertilizer was found to have the most beneficial qualities for tree species to be planted under the NGP, especially for indigenous tree species like acacia, agoho, batino, balete, kamagong, molave, mayapis, tindalo, balete, ilang-ilang, talisay and toog.

The official said the application of mykovam and cloning of tree seedlings will address the rehabilitation of denuded forestlands.

“Last year, the NGP raised and planted some 93.26 million tree seedlings in some 128,696 hectares of open and denuded forestland. This represented 28.7 percent above its 100,000-hectare target for 2011, with five million of these consisted of indigenous species like acacia, mayapis, molave, tindalo, toog and teak.”

According to Nely Aggangan, head of Biotechnology for Agriculture and Forestry Program, mykovam has the ability to bring dead soil back to life, particularly acidic soil which is a common condition of degraded soil in the Philippines.

“Even tree seedlings in mine tailings pond survived and grew when aided with mykovam, with a ratio of one sack of compost soil treated with mykovam per tree,” Aggangan said, referring to the legume trees planted for the reforestation project of Atlas Mining Corp. for their tailing pond area in Toledo, Cebu.