Published August 14, 2026 by Campus Information Office
Dr. Froilan A. Pacris, Jr., Campus Executive Officer of Cagayan State University–Gonzaga and Project Leader, presented the terminal report of the research project titled “Increasing Availability of Quality Planting Materials of Selected Horticulture Crops through Tissue Culture Propagation in Cagayan” during the Online Completion Review Presentation of Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF)-Funded Projects under the Technology Commercialization Program held on July 14, 2026.
The project, funded by the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (DA-ACEF) through the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), was implemented from July 2024 to January 2026. Dr. Pacris served as the Project Leader, while Ms. Myraly L. Marcos and Dr. Jayrome S. Butay served as the Study Leaders, with Ms. Vivien B. Gabriel as the Research Assistant and Project Staff.
Implemented in collaboration with the Local Government Unit of Gonzaga and partner Farmers' Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs), the project covered CSU-Gonzaga; Warat, Piat, Cagayan; Allacapan, Cagayan; Amulung, Cagayan, and other communities with farmer-adopters.
As one of its major accomplishments, the project strengthened the capacity of 258 farmers to produce high-quality planting material for selected horticultural crops through tissue culture propagation. It also enhanced the operations of two partner Farmers' Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) by improving the accessibility and affordability of quality planting materials through local production and distribution.
A significant outcome of the project was the accreditation of the Mangrove and Bamboo Research and Innovation Center (MABRIC) Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory by the Bureau of Plant Industry–National Seed Quality Control Services (BPI-NSQCS).
The project also achieved a 50.77% technology adoption rate among participating farmers following the implementation of post-training technical support and interventions.
Furthermore, the research team enhanced tissue culture propagation protocols for Lakatan banana, lowland potato, and pineapple, thereby improving the efficiency of producing quality planting materials.
The completion review concluded with the officials and evaluators from the DA-ACEF providing their inputs, comments, and recommendations on the project implementation and terminal report. These observations were duly noted and accepted by the CSU-Gonzaga project team for consideration in future technology commercialization initiatives.
Source and Photos: Campus Extension Office