The Southern Mindanao Forest Tree Seed Center (SMFTSC) of the Agroforestry Research, Development and Extension Center (ARDEC) in partnership with the DENR Regional Office XI-Conservation and Development Division (DENR XI-CDD) conducted the “Training on Seed Technology, Seed Identification, Macro-somatic Clonal Propagation, and Hi-Q VAM 1 Application” on August 25-26, 2022 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

A total of twenty-four participants attended the two-day activity which aimed to provide vital information on the production of quality planting materials to the National Greening Program (NGP) coordinators as well as Seed Production Areas (SPAs) focal persons of the regional office, PENROs, and CENROs of DENR XI.

Three ARDEC technical personnel served as resource persons where Forester Rizalita C. Maningas, SMFTSC Manager, discussed the criteria for selecting IPTs as good sources of seeds and wildings; tree phenology assessment; and seed technology on the proper timing of seed collection.

Meanwhile, SRS I Norlyn S. Yap discussed and demonstrated to the participants the techniques for macro-somatic clonal propagation.

The participants had also the chance to perform the macro-somatic clonal propagation through a hands-on demonstration.

Supervising SRS Lyrae A. Casidsid, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of Hi-Q VAM 1 as endomycorrhizal inoculants which makes seedlings grow into more robust trees.

She highlighted the benefits of applying Hi-Q VAM1 in the mass production of planting materials especially in the reforestation initiatives of the DENR like the NGP.

In her message, ARDEC Center Head Minda S. Odsey revealed that one of the problems in the established reforestation sites is the stunted growth of the planting materials.

Hence, she emphasized the need to collect seeds from identified mother trees with genotypic traits and highlighted the significance of Hi-Q VAM 1 inoculation to plants.

The two-day activity also served as a venue to discuss updates on the development status of SPAs and other seed sources of the different PENROs of DENR XI.

Through the conduct of the training, the SMFTSC is hoping to level up the delivery of seeds collected from SPAs and submitted by different PENROs as well as improve the quality of the produced planting materials to aid the low survival rate of seedlings in the field. Riezel Mae H. Cain, ARDEC

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