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BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Tolerability of papaya plants to bacteria
PAPAYA plants that are tolerant to the bacterial crown rot or BCR are now being developed.
The expected breakthrough is under a project which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST).
During a recent visit at the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in Los Baños, Laguna, researchers of the project examined the potential BCR-tolerant lines grown inside the screen house at the site.
New stems, termed as regrowth, appeared in some of the infected plants two to three months after complete collapse of the crown of the test plants that were treated with the BCR pathogen.
According to Dr. Pablito M. Magdalita of the UPLB, the occurrence of regrowth as a form of tolerance to bacterial crown rot is a promising technology in identifying the papaya selections that are tolerant to the BCR.
The project which was dubbed “Integrated disease management strategies for the productive, profitable and sustainable production of high quality papaya fruit in the southern Philippines and Australia” is being implemented by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Del Monte Philippines.
The BCR usually causes the leaves of the papaya plant to turn yellow and would eventually die.
It also causes discoloration and water-soaking of the stem and the crown of the plant. The disease has already affected many parts of Southern Philippines.
Dr. Nanditha Pathania, collaborating scientist from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Queensland, Australia, discussed the process in generating the potential BCR-tolerant lines.
A joint project review was also conducted between the IPB-UPLB researchers and PCAARRD-DOST staff.
During the said review, Dr. Magdalita explained that the 58 new papaya accessions screened for BCR resistance at a farm in Tranca, Bay, Laguna, have remained uninfected since December 2014.
Dr. Magdalita also discussed the different activities relative to the development of the papaya genotypes that are resistant or tolerant to BCR: purification and advancement of BCR tolerant lines; hybridization of BCR with PRSV tolerant lines; selection of new BCR tolerant lines; and natural screening for BCR resistance, acquisition of seeds, and preparation of seedlings for third batch of screening.
Dr. Pathania recommended to look into the relationship between time of field planting and BCR incidence.
She also suggested the testing for lignified tissues at the different parts of the plant to identify which part is most vulnerable to bacteria, especially with factors that influence bacterial growth, such as cold weather, rainfall, and wind that could damage the tissues./PN
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