New advanced propagation techniques, including “minisett” and tissue culture, are being developed by the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center of the Visayas State University (VSU-PhilRootcrops), together with Bohol Island State University, and introduced to Bohol ube farmers to help increase declining yields and meet the rising global demand for the purple delicacy.

Historically, Bohol has been the country’s largest producer of ube, accounting for about 35 percent of the Philippines’ total production.

Recently, however, PhilRootcrops director Marlon M. Tambis said Bohol farmers have been facing significant challenges in ube farming.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the Philippines produced 14,000 metric tons of ube in 2020, more than 50 percent lower than the 30,074 metric tons recorded in 2006.

Tambis said the decline was due to the lack of quality planting materials and the continued use of traditional, non-science-based farming practices.

“First is the lack of planting materials. Based on our scoping studies, their production practices are really not very scientific. So, there is a low adoption of necessary recommended practices or S&T-based practices, which we need to address to improve the yield,” Tambis said.

To address the problem, VSU-PhilRootcrops trained farmers to produce quality planting materials using the advanced propagation technique called “minisett” through the project titled, “Enhancement of Ubi Production through Trials and Demonstrations of S&T-Based Farm Practices to Support Industry Development in Bohol.”

According to PhilRootcrops, minisett is a rapid propagation technique used in yam production that involves cutting a healthy “mother” tuber into small pieces for planting.

Tambis explained that through the minisett method, farmers can produce more than 30 quality planting materials from one kilo of ube, compared to only seven to 10 planting materials using traditional methods.

However, Tambis noted that planting materials produced through the minisett method cannot be planted directly in the field and require extra care because they are smaller than those used in conventional planting.

This includes first preparing the planting materials in a seedbed for germination.

Tambis also said their team is working on protocols for tissue culture, which could help produce millions of quality planting materials in the future.

“Tissue culture will also be a big help later because we are also reproducing it now. [But] we haven’t released it yet this year because we are still establishing hardening protocols,” Tambis said.

“We target to produce millions of ube planting materials next year from tissue culture,” he added.

Tambis explained that tissue culture involves producing planting materials inside a laboratory under artificial conditions before they undergo incubation and hardening processes prior to field transfer.

“When we say tissue culture, it means it is produced from the lab. It goes through very artificial conditions and there is a long process before you can put it in actual field conditions. It first goes through incubation and hardening, and hardening is the critical part that determines if it is ready to be transferred to the field,” he explained.

Another challenge for farmers, Tambis said, is that ube is considered a seasonal root crop that is traditionally planted only during May and June.

To address this, Tambis’ team identified ube varieties suitable for year-round planting, including commercial varieties such as Baligonhon, Inoringnon, Kabus-ok, and Zambal (VU2), as well as Ubi Kinampay, a native variety known for its superior aroma, color, and taste.

“In our project, we have proven that February planting is possible. There are methods on how to germinate ube during months when it normally does not grow. So far, we have demonstrated to farmers protocols for breaking dormancy and propagation even during off-season months,” Tambis said.

The introduction of the new propagation techniques came amid concerns over whether the Philippines can meet the growing global demand for ube, particularly in Europe, Australia, and the United States.

New York City recently launched its own Ubeland food festival dedicated to Philippine ube delicacies, while an international café chain introduced its seasonal “Ube Spring Drinks” series in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Tambis said science- and technology-based interventions could help the Philippines meet the increasing global demand for ube, especially if farmers nationwide adopt the advanced propagation techniques developed by PhilRootcrops.

“Of course, it’s a big help to the farmers because it can potentially increase their income from root crops. It became a tool to expand the value chain and benefit more people,” Tambis said.

Tambis also thanked the Department of Science and Technology for supporting efforts to improve ube production as the crop continues to gain popularity worldwide.

He added that the center hopes for sustained or increased funding support from Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development for future research and development projects.