Upang mapaigting ang produksyon ng hipon, isa ang paggamit ng mga teknolohiya gaya ng ‘biofloc-base nursery tank’ sa maaring gawin ayon sa mga eksperto.

Ang Pilipinas ang isa sa mga pinakamalaking prodyuser ng hipon sa mundo. Mula 2013 hanggang 2020, nakapagtala ang industriya ng aabot sa 12% paglago. Dahil sa mataas ang demand sa merkado, dumami rin ang nagpaparami nito. Ngunit, patuloy naman ang pagsubok sa industriya dala ng mga sakit, mababang kalidad ng tubig, at pagbagsak ng produksyon dahil sa pandemya.

Ibinahagi ni Dr. Christopher Marlowe A. Caipang, isang propesor mula sa University of the Philippines Visayas, ang kahalagahan ng patuloy na pagpapabuti sa mga bago at kasalukuyang teknolohiya gaya ng Biofloc Technology (BFT).  

Ang BFT ay isang teknolohiyang tumutulong upang masiguro ang kaligtasan at kalusugan ng hipon sa akwakultura. Nakatutulong ang BFT na pataasin ang kalidad ng tubig gamit ang mga piling ‘microorganism.’ Sa pamamagitan ng Innofloc (BFT), isang  inobasyong isinagawa ng grupo ni Dr. Caipang, sakop na ng BFT ang ‘nursery phase’ ng mga hipon na kung saan sila ay pinalalaki sa ‘nursery tanks’ sa loob ng 30 araw bago ilipat sa mas malaking lalagyan o ‘grow-out ponds’. 

Ayon kay Dr. Caipang, malaking benepisyo ang maidudulot ng paggamit nito. Una, ang paggamit ng mga nursery tanks ay makatutulong sa pagpapanatili ng mas malusog at mas mataas na kalidad ng mga hipon. Dagdag pa rito, masisiguro rin na aabot sa apat hanggang limang beses ang ani ng mga hipon kada taon. Higit ito na mas marami kaysa sa nakasanayang paraan ng pagpaparami na aabot lamang sa tatlong beses ang ani kada taon. Napansin din ng mga eksperto na mas naging produktibo ang pagpapalaki ng mga hipon sa tulong ng Innofloc (BFT).

Sa ibang aspeto ng produksyon, ang paggamit ng BFT ay nakatutulong din upang mabawasan ang maduming tubig na dulot ng pagpaparami ng hipon.

With its rich and savory taste, the freshwater eel has seen an increase in appreciation in local and international markets. Taking advantage of this, a study initiated by scientists from Cagayan Valley aims to propel the culture of eels with their simple yet stunning innovation.

The freshwater eel industry in the Philippines has become a valuable contributor to the national economy. In recent years, the Philippines has been a major source of eels for Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan. Meanwhile, local markets have also seen a significant consumption of eels, especially in the regions. 

To further propel the eel industry, Dr. Isagani P. Angeles, Jr. of the Isabela State University (ISU) started a research project that improved feeding practices in eel farms. The project aims to increase the survival rate of eels during culture using aquatic plants, such as  ‘kangkong’ and Azolla as feed supplements. Such plants were proven to improve the immune system of the eels against bacterial infections.

With eight months of research, Dr. Angeles and his team generated results that showcase improvements in the production of eels. By adding 2% kangkong and 2% Azolla extracts to the diet, the eels presented a positive immune response against Aeromonas hydrophila infection, a major problem in the industry. Also, the eels exhibited increased weight, growth, and survival rate. 

Dr. Angeles recommends that the formulated diet is fed daily for six months until the eels grow to six inches.

Dr. Angeles and his team plan to contribute more to the eel industry and turn Cagayan Valley into an eel capital. According to them, further research and development on eels' status, species composition, and diversity in other parts of the country like Ilocos, Bicol, Cotabato, and Butuan are in the pipeline.

Did you know that a technology that primarily addresses the existing challenges in maintaining good water quality in shrimp ponds has already been developed?

The Metals Industry Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-MIRDC) and industry partner Aqua Tierra Agri-Industrial Farms Inc. developed the technology, i-POND: a Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN)-based water quality control and monitoring system. 

iPOND was already tested in three shrimp grow-out cycles. Researchers collected real-time pH, dissolved oxygen, humidity, and temperature data that can be monitored through laptops, personal computers, and mobile phones. The technology aimed to improve the farm’s water quality monitoring system and result in an overall increase in productivity. 

From manually monitoring and visiting the pond three times, data gathering using hand-held measuring kits on different pond spots, and identifying any water quality issue, the technology can now allow farm technicians to monitor the pond’s water quality remotely as long as an internet connection is available. These efforts are expected to aid aquaculture sustainability, minimizing resource wastage and reducing manual labor.

The technology was an output of the project, “i-POND: A LoRaWAN-based Pond Water Quality Control and Monitoring System for Shrimp Farms," which was monitored by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).

Meanwhile, mangrove crab farming has also climbed the technology ladder. De La Salle University developed an Android-based mobile application for juvenile crab species identification called the Crabifier.

DOST-PCAARRD funded the project, “Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Mangrove Crab Culture and Resource Management: 'Omics Approaches, Web-based and Mobile Computing Technologies,” which has created the Crabifier. 

Crabifier is a free and accurate Android-based mobile application that can identify the species of juvenile crablets of the genus Scylla. It allows mangrove crab farmers to pick their chosen species from juveniles captured from the wild and to ensure the authenticity of species sold by the traders. 

Traditionally, fishermen and traders rely on visual features such as claws, width, and size of the carapace (thick part covering the body of the crab), and color to identify juvenile mangrove crabs. Some regions also consider behavior patterns, carapace texture, weight gain rate, and seasonality. The manual identification of crablets typically takes 3–4 hours per day, which adds significant time to the sorting process.

With the Crabifier, the identification of crab species for fishermen can now be streamlined. It helps them save time, minimize losses, and avoid potential fraudulent practices by verifying the crab species being sold.

These technologies were featured at the International Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities Exposition and Networking Engagement (iSCENE 2024) in Cauayan City, Isabela last April 11–13, 2024. The iSCENE 2024 was an avenue for key players in the government, industries, and academic institutions to explore opportunities to build and pave the way for smart and sustainable communities.

Highlighting the importance of science-based solutions and innovations, DOST-PCAARRD ensures that these technologies were built and designed to tend to the needs of the industry. The i-POND and Crabifier were two of the agency’s many efforts toward enabling smarter and sustainable practices in aquaculture for the future.

Invasive gastropods remain a major threat to agriculture and horticulture. They are known to feed on plant leaves, stems, and fruits, leading to reduced crop yields and economic losses for farmers. Although a wide range of management strategies are available, farmers continue to struggle to control these pests. Molluscicides, such as metaldehyde, are the most common management tool and although deemed effective, these can be toxic to non-target species and increase gastropod tolerance to metaldehyde.

Nematodes are considered very useful in sustainable pest management practices, particularly in managing gastropod populations in agriculture. This has been the research focus of nematologist and Balik Scientist Dr. Irma Tandingan De Ley, which she now shares with her host institutions in the Mindanao region.

Two of the world’s most invasive terrestrial gastropods are found in the Philippines namely, giant African land snail (GALS) and golden apple snail (GAS). However, gastropod research in the country only focused on GALS, with little to no attention given to slugs and their role in zoonosis or their impact on agriculture. 

In Mindanao, recent observations and reports collected in vegetable and fruit nurseries and from pineapple plantation growers revealed the presence of slugs in Davao del Sur, Davao City, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga del Sur. Studies on nematodes associated with slugs are new and have just started in the Mindanao region.

Recognizing the need for training and expertise in gastropod and nematode research, Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) and the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) brought in Dr. De Ley as a medium-term Balik Scientist to impart her knowledge and years of experience in gastropod biocontrol using nematode Phasmarbaditis, as well as gastropod and nematode species diagnostics, taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny.

With the support of DSSC and USeP, Dr. De Ley is spearheading the research on slugs in selected provinces of Northern Mindanao and Davao regions, focusing on their identity, diversity, and distribution using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial DNA barcode. Since commencing her Balik Scientist Program (BSP) stint, Dr. De Ley, USeP, and DDSC teams have surveyed a total of six slugs and four snail species. The team recorded the first report of a cosmopolitan terrestrial slug and a slug-associated nematode in the Philippines.

Currently, she is also training and mentoring students and faculty researchers from DSSC and USeP on the improved laboratory protocols for gastropod and nematode survey, maintenance, and molecular barcoding for fast and accurate species diagnostics. For the next phase of her BSP engagement, Dr. De Ley seeks to understand invasive gastropod spread in the region and isolate and identify nematodes with biocontrol potential. With this, a safer approach to mitigate invasive gastropod species in high-value crops can be established.

Dr. De Ley holds a doctorate in Plant Pathology from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Since 1997, she has been a member of the Department of Nematology at the University of California, where she served as an Associate Project Scientist IV until her retirement in 2023. In 2020, she was granted a US patent on the use of the CA isolates of Phasmarhabditis as a mollusk-killing biopesticide. Dr. De Ley’s initiatives are made possible through the BSP, which taps the ingenuity of Filipino scientists and experts residing and working abroad to strengthen the science and technology capabilities of local researchers and scholars addressing critical and emerging concerns in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources sector.