DPM gets undergrad research assistance from DOST-PCAARRD

Fourteen plant protection majors from the agriculture program and one chemistry student are selected as recipients of the Undergraduate Research and Education Assistantship for Technology (uGREAT) Program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).

This program grants undergraduate students an assistantship allowance, access to advanced research facilities, and publication support to conduct research related to agriculture, aquatics, and natural resources, which are DOST-PCCARRD's strategic priorities.

VSU Department of Pest Management is the third recipient of the uGREAT project in the Philippines after PCAARRD approved Dr. Justine Bennette H. Millado's research proposal on Biological and Ecological Approaches for Coconut Pest Management of the Asiatic Palm Weevil and Spike Moth Infesting Hybrids and Parentals (BEACON).

“This project aims to improve the Integrated Pest Management approaches to Asiatic Palm Weevil (APW) and Coconut Spike Moth (CSM) infestations through thorough studies of the pest’s biology and ecology, which are aspects that were not fully covered in the ongoing APW project,” the Facebook post of VSU-DPM reads.

Dr. Millado's BEACON project has created opportunities for 15 selected Viscans to conduct their theses under the ongoing Coconut Hybridization Program. This program is a Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) research component.

VSU-DPM also added that the perks of being a uGREAT recipient are access to advanced technologies such as nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and nucleotide sequencing for their analysis. 

“They will also receive a monthly allowance, publication support, and the opportunity to present their work at a local or international conference.” 

According to VSU-DPM, Dr. Cyrill John Godinez, Mr. Jay Darryl Ermio, Mr. Genesis Albarico, and Dr. Mannylen Merioles will jointly guide the interdisciplinary studies in this project.

[This article aligns with Sustainable Development Goals No: 4 (Quality Education), 15 (Life on Land), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).]

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