The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Comparison of Gonad Development Between Wild and Hatchery-Bred Silver Therapon Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Teleostei: Terapontidae) During an Annual Reproductive Cycle

2025-10-14T06:05:09+00:00

This study compared gonad development between wild-sourced and hatchery-bred silver therapon Leiopotherapon plumbeus. Wild fish from the east bay area of Laguna de Bay, Philippines, and hatchery-bred stocks grown to adult size in outdoor tanks were sampled, and somatic condition, gonad histology, gonadosomatic index (GSI), gut index (GI), and hepatosomatic index (HSI) were assessed during the annual reproductive cycle. Hatcherybred fish condition was generally better than that of wild-sourced fish as a consequence of readily available food resources and environmental conditions. Hatchery-bred male GSIs were significantly higher than in wild male fish in November to February, coinciding with low water temperatures. However, female GSIs were significantly higher in July and November to December for the hatchery-bred fish, and in January to April for the wild-sourced fish. Together with spermatozoa and primary growth oocytes which were most abundant in the gonads, the presence of other gametogenic stages supports asynchronous gonad development. Hatchery-reared fish showed significantly higher GIs during the spawning season over their wild counterparts. Generally, mean HSI, regardless of sex, was also higher among hatchery-bred fish. The present results suggest marked differences in the somatic and reproductive potential of wild and hatchery-bred silver therapon, although the presence of spermatozoa and vitellogenic oocytes in the gonads may allow this species to reproduce year-round.

Research and Development Agenda for Small Islands in the Philippines: Results from a Multi-Stakeholder National Forum

2025-10-14T06:05:10+00:00

The Philippines has 7,641 islands, most of which are small and underdeveloped. While studies have been done on topics such as poverty reduction, climate change, and economic development, there is no integrated research and development (R&D) agenda for small islands. Furthermore, literature points to the lack of consensus on the definition of small islands. As such, the study wove together existing bodies of knowledge and stakeholder perspectives on small islands in the country using a qualitative research design. Data were collected through a desk review, workshops, and key informant interviews. Four categories of small islands were proposed, namely micro-island, small island barangay, small island municipality, and small island province. Results also showed that despite the growing body of knowledge on small islands, few published longitudinal and impact studies exist. Therefore, this study developed an R&D agenda for small islands, which includes the enhancement of institutional research capabilities, as well as emphasis on water-energy-food production nexus, postharvest, transportation, and circular approaches to small island agriculture and livelihood systems. These findings can guide the development of policies and research tailored to small island contexts in the country.

Influence of Disaster Experience on Farmers’ Livelihood Strategies Under Extreme Climate Events in Guizhou Province, China

2025-10-14T06:05:11+00:00

Extreme climate events have emerged as a critical challenge to global agricultural production and farmers’ livelihoods. Climate change not only directly impacts crop yields and quality but also compels farmers to adjust their livelihood strategies to address escalating climate risks. This study aimed to investigate how disaster experiences influence farmers’ choice of livelihood strategies, focusing on post-disaster adjustments to cope with climate risks. Using survey data from 1,066 farmers in Guizhou Province, China, ordinary least squares (OLS) and logit models were employed to explore the influence of disaster experience on livelihood strategies, analyzing the mediating role of risk attitudes and the moderating effects of social networks. Results revealed that farmers with repeated disaster experiences are more inclined to adopt diversified livelihood strategies, particularly nonagricultural ones. The study also found that disaster experience indirectly drives livelihood transformation by altering farmers’ risk attitudes. Characteristics of social networks, such as scale, trust, and reciprocity, were also observed to significantly moderate livelihood strategy choices, with stronger social network support facilitating diversification. These findings suggest that enhancing knowledge exchange among farmers and promoting the development of local cooperatives and social networks can improve farmers’ adaptive capacity and livelihood resilience under extreme climate conditions.

A Co-Design Approach to Integrating Gender into the Cacao Value Chain in Davao City, Philippines

2025-10-14T06:05:12+00:00

The specific needs and challenges of women and their contributions are often not integrated when developing interventions and policies targeted to improve agricultural value chains. Therefore, this study developed a codesign approach to creating solutions to improve gender relations in agri-food value chains. Specifically, it focused on the cacao value chain in Davao City, which is located in the southern Philippines. Co-design is a highly participatory approach in which solutions are designed with, and not just for, the people who have lived experiences of the problems being addressed. The approach emphasizes understanding gender-related barriers and opportunities to inform government interventions that improve value chain efficiency and ensure equitable distribution of benefits. The co-design framework and protocol were developed and tested with 22 men and 20 women from farmer group associations, local and regional government offices, industry leaders, major cacao processors, and the academe in Davao City, Philippines, in 2022. The pilot testing resulted in recommendations and policy implications for improving gender equality, thereby demonstrating the applicability of the co-design approach in developing gender-sensitive solutions. These include creating a culturally sensitive ecosystem, providing incentives for gender-responsive and inclusive businesses, prioritizing gender-sensitive research and development projects, and promoting social labelling, certification, and products produced by women. While its impact on gender responsiveness is yet to be fully determined, the co-design framework developed from this study is a promising step toward providing a structured approach to integrating gender perspectives into agricultural value chain development, ensuring that future interventions are both inclusive and sustainable.

Genetic and Geographic Profiling of Fragrance-Associated BADH2 Mutations in Rice from China, Laos, and Vietnam

2025-10-14T06:05:13+00:00

Fragrance in rice is a culturally and economically significant trait in Asia and around the world. This study aimed to develop a genetic and geographic profile of the fragrance-associated BADH2 mutations (badh2.1 and badh2.11) in 1,067 rice varieties from China, Laos, and Vietnam, which are part of the International Rice Genebank Collection. Seventy-three varieties were found to carry the common eight-base pair (bp) deletion in exon 7 of the genes (badh2.1, also known as badh2.7), primarily from indica varieties, with some belonging to japonica, javanica, and intermediate varieties. Conversely, 59 varieties possess the recently identified badh2 allele, badh2.11 (also known as badh2.4-5). Diversity analysis of a selected subset of these 1,067 varieties using 377 nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that most badh2.1 alleles clustered in Groups A.2, B.1.1, B2.1, B2.2a1, B2.2b1, and B2.2b, B2.2b3, whereas rice varieties carrying the badh2.11 allele clustered in Group B2.2a2. This study provides a genetic and geographic profile of the fragrance-associated badh2 alleles in rice from China, Laos, and Vietnam, offering additional evidence of the domestication, geographical isolation, and introgression or gene flow of fragrance alleles across different rice subgroups.

Impact of Sowing Time and Plant Density on Selected Traits and Yield of Cotton Genotypes in Pakistan

2025-10-14T06:05:14+00:00

Extremely diversified cropping environments prevail in most cotton-growing areas of Pakistan due to prevailing rainfed conditions, prolonging the crop’s cultivation period. To contribute to the development of desired breeding traits for effective breeding programs, this study examined the production and growth pattern of 8 cotton genotypes. Four experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 at 2 locations in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, to evaluate the performance of the studied genotypes at 3 plant densities and 2 sowing dates. Traits such as days to first flower opening, flowering duration, monopodial branches per plant, plant height at harvest, height-to-node ratio, fruiting branch length, and boll retention at the first fruiting branch position were investigated. Results showed that CIM-632 had a higher yield in late sowing and at high plant density, as shown by less growth of vegetative branches, early start of flowering, short flowering duration, and lower boll retention at the first fruiting branch position. In addition, CIM-663 and CIM-343 performed outstandingly in early sowing and at low plant density, as shown by more growth of vegetative branches, delayed flowering, lengthy flowering duration, and higher boll retention at the first fruiting branch position. Based on these findings, ideotypes with high heritability for days to first flower opening, plant height at harvest, height-to-node ratio, and fruiting branch length, and with medium heritability for monopodial branches per plant, flowering duration, and boll retention at the first fruiting branch position are recommended to be used in breeding programs for cotton genotypes that are adaptable to different growing conditions.

Evaluation of Semen Characteristics and the Impact of Storage Time in Dong Tao and Ho Indigenous Chickens

2025-10-14T06:05:15+00:00

This study aimed to evaluate the semen quality of 2 indigenous Vietnamese chicken breeds, Dong Tao and Ho, and to assess their reproductive potential for breeding and conservation programs. Semen samples were collected from 10 roosters of each breed and analyzed for macroscopic and microscopic traits. The results indicated that both breeds exhibited semen quality within acceptable physiological ranges. Mean semen volume was 0.47 mL in Dong Tao and 0.48 mL in Ho roosters; pH values were 7.47 and 7.42, respectively. Semen color scores (2.39 vs. 2.35), sperm concentrations (2.11 vs. 1.92 × 109/mL), and mass activity scores (3.79 vs. 3.83) showed no significant differences between breeds. Sperm motility decreased over time in both groups. However, Ho roosters maintained significantly higher motility at 5 h (0.75) compared to Dong Tao (0.68). In contrast, morphological abnormality rates remained relatively stable across storage durations, ranging from 30.18% to 30.72% in Dong Tao and 30.26% to 29.14% in Ho roosters. These findings demonstrate the overall semen viability of both breeds under short-term storage conditions and highlight the better storage resilience of Ho rooster semen, offering valuable insights for artificial insemination and genetic preservation strategies.

Influence of Varying Levels of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Inoculant on the Physicochemical Characteristics and Degradation Kinetics of Corn Silage

2025-10-14T06:05:15+00:00

This study evaluated the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum as an inoculant on the physical (color, odor, texture), chemical characteristics (pH, total soluble sugars [TSS], Flieg point [FP], dry matter [DM], organic matter [OM], ash, crude protein [CP], neutral detergent fiber [NDF], acid detergent fiber [ADF], and hemicellulose), and fermentation kinetics of corn silage. Treatments were 0% (T1), 1% (T2), 2% (T3), and 3% (T4) concentration of L. plantarum applied to corn before ensiling for 21 d. Afterwards, an in situ experiment was immediately conducted to test the digestibility of corn silage at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h using 3 cannulated cows following a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results showed that T3 obtained an ideal pH value at 3.55 and the highest (p < 0.05) CP content (7.06%). The fiber components (NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose) were not significantly different among treatments. Moreover, T3 had the highest (p < 0.05) soluble fraction for both DM (37.32%) and OM (37.71%), whereas T4 had the highest (p < 0.05) effective degradability (ED) (50.14%). In conclusion, the addition of 2% L. plantarum inoculant improved the physicochemical characteristics and degradation kinetics of corn silage by promoting a rapid and efficient fermentation process that can improve nutrient composition, reduce fermentation losses, and enhance both silage quality and effective DM degradability.

Comparative Analysis of Vermicomposting Practices Utilizing Agroforestry Farm Materials

2025-10-14T06:05:16+00:00

Vermicomposting is an effective and eco-friendly method of converting biodegradable materials into fertilizers that promote plant growth and development. This study aimed to assess the efficiency and quality of vermicompost and vermiworms produced using combinations of biodegradable farm materials in agroforestry systems. The materials used for the 6 treatments included combinations of the following materials: fresh leaves of leguminous plants (Gliricidia sepium, Flemingia macrophylla, and Senna spectabilis), fresh cattle manure, and other plant materials (rice straw and banana trunk). Using a 90:10 ratio of plant residues and cattle manure, respectively, a substrate of 100 kg was prepared for each treatment stocked with 350 g (39 worms) of African nightcrawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae). The 6 treatments were: G. sepium leaves, cattle manure, banana trunk (T1); G. sepium leaves, cattle manure, rice straw (T2); F. macrophylla leaves, cattle manure, banana trunk (T3); F. macrophylla leaves, cattle manure, rice straw (T4); S. spectabilis leaves, cattle manure, banana trunk (T5); and S. spectabilis leaves, cattle manure, rice straw (T6). Results revealed that T2 produced the highest quantity of vermicast, which is significantly higher than all other treatments except T4. Both T5 and T6 had significantly lower vermicast output than all other treatments, while the top 3 treatments with good vermicast quality were T5, T1, and T2. The treatments that produced the highest amount of vermiworms (800 g) were T3 and T4, while the least amount (275 g) was observed in T5, with no significant difference observed across all treatments. Overall, the findings suggest that T5 has the potential to produce good-quality vermicast (N, P, K, organic matter, and organic carbon), while T1 and T2 may yield substantial quantities of good-quality vermicast compared with the other treatments due to high organic raw material recovery efficiency and good chemical composition of the vermicast.

Growth Performance and Yield of Two Bioguma Sorghum Varieties Cultivated During the Rainy Season [RESEARCH NOTE]

2025-10-14T06:05:17+00:00

Sorghum is a cereal crop with significant potential, considering its benefits as a food, feed, or bioethanol source. Aside from being a drought-tolerant plant, sorghum can grow in different land conditions, with varieties Bioguma 1 and 2 considered to have high yield potential. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the growth and yield of these 2 sorghum varieties using a randomized block design with 3 replicates. The results showed that Bioguma 1 had a significantly better growth performance and produced a higher yield compared with Bioguma 2. Considering its higher disease resistance, growth, and yield, Bioguma 1 could be used as the mother plant for a ratoon system. This ratoon system would allow sorghum to be harvested twice a year, requires fewer inputs, and shortens the second harvest period.