Harvest Time
Pangasinan’s pride in Agricultural Research
By Sosimo Ma. Pablico
DANILDA HUFANA-Duran of Inmalog, San Fabian is already a multi-awarded animal biotechnologist specializing in buffalo reproduction, even as she is barely 40 years old.
As a senior agriculturist of the Philippine Carabao Center [PCC], she has become widely recognized for her researches on the production of genetically superior water buffaloes through embryo in vitro production in the laboratory and embryo transfer techniques.
Nilda and the members of PCC biotechnology research team developed three biotechnology methods that enable them to bring in embryos of water buffalo from India that they transfer to recipients animals in the Philippines.
These biotechnology methods are the: in vitro culture system for the production of water buffalo embryo at the PCC Satellite Embryo Biotechnology Laboratory in India; cryopreservation of the embryos by vitrification procedure to allow storage and transport to the Philippines; and embryo transfer to recipient animals in the Philippines for full-term development and birth of normal, healthy calves and to enhance the production of twincalves.
The first twin calves produced through these techniques were born in February 2004 and created a lot of interests among stakeholders, policy makers and media men. No less than Senator Ramon B. Magsaysay Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, and the Bureau of Agricultural Research have provided P6.8 million for a project using the newly developed techniques.
The project could be considered an effective breeding program, as it will produce genetically superior buffalos [carabaos] that will yield more milk and meat.
Indeed, Nilda’s biotechnology project has resulted in the production of eight award-winning research papers at the national level and seven at the regional level. For instance, two of her research papers won the second best paper awards in the research and development categories during the national symposium on agriculture and resources research and development at the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development last year.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
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