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VSU’s Beneficial and Biocontrol Laboratory supports sustainable pest management in Eastern Visayas
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VSU’s Beneficial and Biocontrol Laboratory supports sustainable pest management in Eastern Visayas

The Beneficials and Biocontrol Laboratory (B2L) at Visayas State University (VSU) upgraded and equipped for enhanced testing, mass production, and maintenance of biocontrol agents. (Image credit: VSU)

The upgraded Beneficial and Biocontrol Laboratory (B2L) of the Visayas State University (VSU) now delivers faster testing, mass production, and deployment of biological control solutions for major coconut pests such as the Asiatic Palm Weevil (APW) and Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB), and for intercrops.

Led by Dr. Justine Bennette H. Millado, the B2L was upgraded into a specialized mass production and research facility to support the increasing demand for science-based pest management solutions alongside the expansion of hybrid coconut farming. This initiative supports the efforts under the Coconut Hybridization Program (CHP) of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

Students and researchers conducting pest analyses using the newly acquired and upgraded laboratory equipment at B2L. (Image credit: VSU)

Housed at the Department of Pest Management (DPM) Building of VSU, the upgraded laboratory is now equipped with advanced analytical, microscopy, and molecular tools such as the stereo zoom and compound microscopes to support precise pest analysis and efficient production of biological control agents. 

According to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), hybrid coconuts can produce up to 300 nuts per tree annually, representing a potential 300–400% increase over the current average yield, yet pest attacks and resistance issues remain key constraints to productivity. The project redesigned and converted existing facilities into specialized spaces, including rooms for entomopathogenic fungi isolation, analytical and molecular work, sterilization, media preparation, and mass rearing to improve laboratory capacity.

With these improvements, B2L now delivers enhanced technical services for laboratory testing, pest analysis, and evaluation of pests and biorational control agents for coconut farmers, partner agencies, researchers, and students across Eastern Visayas.

Photomicrographs of Cephaleuros sp., a plant-parasitic algae, taken using the stereomicroscope and compound microscope housed in the upgraded laboratory. (Image credit: Sean Jade Nicole Picorro-Lejas, VSU student)

By reinforcing science-based pest management and institutional capacity in this key coconut-producing region, the project supports the broader goal of modernizing the Philippine coconut industry through resilient, pest-tolerant hybrid varieties, and sustainable production systems.