DA-RCPC 10 benchmarks LAMP technique in DA-RCPC VI in Jaro, Iloilo City.

 

MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON – The Department of Agriculture (DA) – Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) 10 recently conducted a benchmarking on Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technique in DA-RCPC VI in Jaro, Iloilo City.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) granted DA-10 with P5 million worth of funding for the establishment of a Plant Health Hub (PHH) facility in Barangay Bangcud, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Considering that LAMP is part of the new PHH facility in NorMin, DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado sent the team headed by DA-RCPC 10 chief Lucille T. Minguez along with three other technical personnel to Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC).

The benchmarking aims to equip the DA-RCPC 10 staff on the recent standard laboratory protocols on the use of LAMP equipment in detecting viral pathogens and early disease detection affecting crops.

The team was exposed to the demonstration of the assay procedure of the LAMP kit with different primers for a specific virus strain, its reagents, and concentration, used in the detection of rice viruses.

Based on the results of the benchmarking, comparing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques that demand an expensive thermal cycler, it showed how LAMP amplifies the virus or virus strain in plants and insect vectors using a simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-operate isothermal hot or water bath.

Through the benchmarking, DA-RCPC 10 is seen to more capably aid farmers in diagnosing viral diseases and recommending appropriate control measures to mitigate the spread of diseases on plants.#