Especially with its increasing popularity in the west.
In the province of Bohol in central Philippines, the country’s Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARD) has funded a project aimed at helping meet the increasing appetite for one of the country’s top seasonal crops — ube, which is also known as purple yam.
Entitled “Enhancement of Ubi Production through Trials and Demonstrations of S&T-Based Farm Practices to Support Industry Development in Bohol,” it is an initiative by the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center of the Visayas State University (VSU-PhilRootcrops) together with the Bohol Island State University (BISU).
This project aims to develop advanced propagation techniques that will help address the insufficient supply of ube planting materials and increase the production of purple yams in Bohol.
The province is deemed the largest producer of ube in the Philippines, accounting for nearly 35% of the country’s total production.
However, Director Marlon Tambis of the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center told in a report by the DOST that Bohol farmers are facing significant challenges in farming, such as the lack of planting materials.
Tambis noted that the production techniques were “not scientific” and the group aims to train farmers in producing quality planting materials using advanced methods to improve the yield.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country saw a more than 50 percent decline in 14 years in terms of ube production, as it only yielded 14,000 metric tons in 2020 compared to 30,074 metric tons in 2006.
One of the techniques being introduced is the minisett, which is a rapid propagation technique specifically in yams.
The VSU Philrootcrops director noted that through the minisett propagation technique, farmers can produce more than 30 quality planting materials, as opposed to just 7 to 10 in the traditional method.
Tambis also noted that these planting materials need extra precautions when planted as they are smaller than those used in traditional planting including preparation of the seedbed.
Thus, the team is working to craft protocols on the use of the tissue culture method, which is viewed as a potential help in producing more quality planting materials in the future.
“Tissue culture will also be a big help later because we are also reproducing it now,” he said. While they have not released it yet this year, they are looking to produce millions of ube planting materials next year from the tissue culture.
According to Tambis, hardening is a crucial part in growing tissue cultured ube, as this will determine whether the plant is ready to be transferred to the field.
“When we say tissue culture, it means it is produced from the lab. It goes through a very artificial condition and there is a long process before you can put it in the actual conditions in the field.”
Aside from the lack of quality planting materials, another challenge for farmers is that ube is considered a seasonal root crop and can only be planted between May and June using the traditional model.
The group has since identified varieties appropriate for year-round planting, such as those grown in other provinces like Baligonhon, Inoringnon, Kabus-ok, and Zambal (VU2), and Ubi Kinampay.
Noting on how beneficial these interventions are, Tambis said, “Of course, it’s a big help to the farmer because that can potentially increase their income from root crops. So, it became a tool to expand the value chain and benefit more people.”
Currently, there is an ube craze in various parts of the world, as it has been increasingly used as flavor for pastries and drinks, including latte.
