The Hortivar Project

UNIVERSITY SPEARHEADS PLANT DATABASE FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENTISTS AND FARMERS

Plant information and farming techniques for specific crops or plant varieties are oftentimes difficult to find. Cultural requirements of plants often change from one place to another since climate, pests, and soil vary from place to place. Different farm practices and planting techniques vary from place to place, like for example, the different cultural practices for coffee plants in Cavite is different from those in other areas.

With these problems at hand, the Rizal Technological University (RTU) at Mandaluyong City has initiated the move to document the farming practices of Filipino farmers and the plant varieties they use in an electronic database, called HORTIVAR. The project is being funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO), located in Rome. As of present, RTU as the principal HORTIVAR Partner, has already trained a lot of other possible HORTIVAR partners here in the Philippines like Isabela State University, Benguet State University, Bureau of Plant Industry in Baguio, and Tarlac College of Agriculture. By the way, the database actually has an international coverage, and it has a lot of members from different countries around the world as well. HORTIVAR is FAO's database on performance of horticultural cultivars in relation to agro-ecological conditions, cultivation practices, the occurrence of pests and diseases and timing of the production. It covers six categories of horticultural crops, namely: fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, ornamentals, mushrooms, herbs and condiments.

The Database allows users to identify cultivars and cropping practices adapted to their specific requirements and environment. It is an easy tool for quick retrieval of information related to horticulture cultivars around the world. It also has a digital picture database so that the appearance of the plant can be identified. It has a standard methodology of data recording of cultivar trials, with a source of data analysis and extrapolation. The database output can be made as a template for educational purposes in college and universities. The plant data entries also shows the HORTIVAR partner who encoded the data their contact information, thus, growers can consult plant researchers and resource persons through email. It is also a tool for quick retrieval of information on seed sources or planting material.

The project addresses the needs of crop producers, the public and private sector, seed companies and also horticultural research centers for information management related to horticultural crop cultivars in different agro-climatic environments. Most of the description and cultural requirements of these Philippine grown vegetables and fruits are now available at Hortivar.

Anyone can actually participate in the HORTIVAR project in two ways. One could be just an ordinary researcher, who looks for plant information (data retrieval), or as a resource person or partner who enters plant data into the database (data entry). Access and use of the database is FREE of charge. Anyone who has background in computing or knows how to access the internet can retrieve data from the HORTIVAR Website by searching through the sorted files according to various parameters such as crop species, cultivar, country of origin, geographical references, pest resistance, eco-zone and production systems.

People living in remote areas in the Philippines can access the plant database, as long as they have electricity and an internet signal. The database is also accessible through CD format and printed format. It is time to help our farmers by providing the much needed information for them to produce food crops of our ever growing population.

HORTIVAR team at http://www.fao.org/hortivar

For more information, contact us at

The Plant Biotech Project
c/o Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
Philippines

Email: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com
Landline (+632)534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710.

The Urban Agriculture Project

With the national government’s address for Food Security and Safety, Rizal Technological
University (RTU) in Mandaluyong City, thru its President Dr. Jesus RF. Torres, has taken the lead and initiative in the implementation of the Urban Agriculture Project in selected barangays in the Mandaluyong City area. Dr. Ma. Eugenia Yangco, Director of the University’s Research and Development Center. its project leader, Prof. Alexander Quilang, Co-project leader Prof. Norberto Bautista and Prof. Jovita Anit are currently with the city’s League of Barangays in order to incorporate the plan into each barangay’s projects. Spearheaded by Atty. Jessie Cruz, it aims to implement the project slowly from the university to the grass-root level of the community through dissemination of information on urban agriculture and promotion of vegetable gardening among city dwellers in order to raise home-grown vegetables which will be pesticide-free and readily available. In the future, concept of urban farming can be adopted by other municipalities and cities in Metro Manila.

Urban Agriculture is not new. It is the practice of cultivating, processing, packaging and distributing food in or around a village, town or city. It involves the principles in horticulture, animal science, fisheries, and business. Instead of raising vegetables in the province, it focuses production right in the home, usually in all available spaces like roof top gardens, backyards, vacant residential lots, in school lots or in community parks. Urban farming usually focuses on food production, however, it may also include recreation and relaxation purposes. Urban farming has been successful in countries like the United States, where vegetables are raised in vacant lots to provide the much readily available crops in the area. The vegetables are usually cheap as it does not involve transporting them from long distances.

The main purpose of Urban Agriculture is to increase the amount of food available to the people living in the city and allows fresh vegetables, fruits, meat products to be made available to urban consumers.

With these, some of the activities to be involved in the project will include: (a) Planting / raising of small quantities of vegetable crops / small fruit trees; (b) cultivation of freshwater fish in containers; (c) raising poultry and small livestock ; (d) raising of houseplants for indoor use (residential or office) ; (e) vermi-composting (earthworm) of garden wastes ; and (f) gradual introduction of organic gardening concepts.

Urban Agriculture aims to encourages bio-intensive method of food production, to make the activity more efficient.

The objectives of Urban Agriculture are to make available and affordable food items especially common vegetables in the family household and in the city and in effect lower the expenses on these food items. Through close supervision of production, the project aims to encourage the production of healthy, safe, pesticide-free vegetables. With these, RTU and the Local Government of Mandaluyong aims to make use of vacant lots, residential spaces, balconies and roof-tops for vegetable growing, urban greening, and landscape beautification. With these, it aims to create an alternative means of livelihood to city-residents, especially women and out-of-school youth. This will also encourage entrepreneurship attitudes to its citizens and to encourage composting of organic wastes, recycling of plastic, styro-foam, glass and metal wastes, thereby reducing total waste output

Some of the vegetables and plant crops which are identified to be planted for urban agriculture are: Tomato, Bell Pepper, Hot Pepper, Pechay, Mustard, Upland KangKong, Spinach, Squash, Upo, Patola, Ampalaya, Eggplant, Onion, Shallots, Kinchay, Celery, Okra, Sitaw, Batao, Sweet Potato, Leeks, Basil, Alugbati, Raddish, Carrots, Saluyot, Wingbean, Lettuce, Ube, Papaya, Banana, Corn, Malunggay, Pandan, Katuray, Ginger and Gabi.

For areas with larger planting areas and for longer periods of time, fruit trees maybe included. Fruit trees may include Mango, Kamias, Sampaloc, Jackfruit, Star Apple, Balimbing, Guava, Rambutan, Chico, Makopa, and Guyabano. Non-tree fruits may include Pineapple, and Lakatan Banana.

For more information, contact us at:

The Plant Biotech & Urban Agriculture Project
c/o The Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
E-mail: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com

landline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710

The Banana Micropropagation Project

The Banana Micropropagation Project was the second project of the the Plant Biotech lab. With this, we aim to provide clean virus-free planting materials to farmers and also to mass produce economically important banana cultivars. There has been a need to produce banana seedlings for the Philippines' Food Security initiative as bananas are easy to grow and is sustainable. The project concentrates on the cultivars: Saba (Cardaba variety), Cavendish, and Lakatan, however, it aims to include other Philippine banana cultivars in its conservation efforts.

The project provides seminar workshops, trainings, culture services, as well as seedlings for interested parties.


For more information, contact us at:

The Plant Biotech & Urban Agriculture Project
c/o The Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
E-mail: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com

landline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710

The Conservation of Philippine Orchid Species Project

One of the first activity (in 1997) and concern of the Plant Biotech Project was the Conservation of Philippine native orchids, as it collaborated with the Philippine Orchid Society, The Orchid Society of Davao, the National Museum, The Institute of Plant Breeding in UPLB, the Ferns and Nature Society of the Philippines and other individuals concerned with orchids. With this, the project got its plant tissue culture laboratory and nursery.

Afterwhich, the project diversified into Banana Micropropagation and also Urban Agriculture, including being the first HORTIVAR member in the Philippines.

As of today, the project still accepts culture services of orchid seeds from hobbyists and enthusiasts. Technologies and growing guides for orchids, including seminar workshops are still available and scheduled periodically to cater the needs of the plant industry.


For more information, contact us at:

The Plant Biotech & Urban Agriculture Project
c/o The Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
E-mail: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com

landline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710

An Overview of our Project

Welcome to the Plant Biotechnology and Urban Agriculture Project of Rizal Technological University!

The projects were created and established through the Philippines' Agriculture Modernization Program and its thrusts are to promote plant tissue culture as one of the biotechnological tools in mass producing disease-free high value crops and also to promote urban gardening in the metropolis as well as promote agriculture in the country side. The project initially focused on orchid propagation and research, banana mass propagation and also urban vegetable gardening. Aside from research, the project also promotes its activities through trainings and seminars, both for its students as well as interested plant hobbyists and farmers.

The Project Team is composed of Prof. Alexander Quilang - Project Leader, Norberto Bautista, & Jovita Anit

The project has published some materials which includes:

The Urban Gardener Newsletter Series (with samples below):
http://www.scribd.com/doc/20100930/The-Urban-Gardener-1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16680433/The-Urban-Gardener-2
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16680448/Urban-Gardener-No3

As of February 2011, there are currently 28 issues already. (please search through www.scribd.com our publications with keywords: the urban gardener

The Urban Gardener is an official electronic publication (in PDF Format) of the Plant Biotechnology Project, Research & Development Center, Rizal Technological University, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is published monthly.
and

The RTU Orchid Micropropagation Guidebook
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30612218/The-Rtu-Orchid-Micro-Propagation-Guidebook

For more information, contact us at:

The Plant Biotech & Urban Agriculture Project
c/o The Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
E-mail: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com

landline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710