Bakanae, a fungal disease of rice, may pose a threat to the country’s rice supply.

Rice plants infected with bakanae, also known as ‘foolish seedling of rice’, have abnormal elongation growth, produce empty panicles or no edible grains, are incapable of supporting their own weight, and eventually topple over and die. These are the effects of gibberellic acid, a growth hormone, produced by the fungus during its sexual reproduction stage.

UPLB plant pathologist Christian Joseph Cumagun found that there is very high genetic diversity in the numerous isolates of Gibberella fujikuroi, the fungus that causes bakanae, which he collected in Nueva Ecija and Laguna provinces. This genetic variation opens up new problems for rice breeders who are into developing a bakanae-resistant rice variety.

Are you an ampalaya farmer or grower? You must be well aware of the pest that attacks your crop – Melon fly. The Melon fly is the most destructive pest attacking ampalaya fruits and losses in yield due to its infestation may go up as high as 80%.

This pest can now be controlled not by using expensive and imported pesticides but by simply using rotten table fruits and vegetables as baits. Thanks to the researchers at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, who have found out that your kitchen refuse can well become your next simple control strategy against the said pest. So, do not throw out kitchen discards into the waste bin or compost pit just yet, they have their uses now.