ShareThisLOS BANOS, LAGUNA – Are you aware that a new corn variety has been named after a former Agriculture Secretary?
Former DA Secretary Arthur Yap received the YAP corn variety from the University of the Philippines Los Banos in simple rites held at the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), UPLB on June 10, 2010, records show.
Dr. Artemio Salazar, together with UPLB officials led by Chancellor Luis Rey I. Velasco, presented the new YAP (Yield and Protein) corn variety to Secretary Arthur C. Yap, whom the corn was named after.
Dr. Salazar said the “YAP corn is a high yield, high protein variety that is too good to be true but true.”
Dr. Salazar, principal breeder of the YAP corn, is also Deputy Director of the College of Agriculture-Crop Science Cluster, UPLB.
He said the open-pollinated corn variety has highly acceptable grits quality for food, high quality protein maize and has more lysine than normal corn.
“Lysine is important for proper growth, and it plays an essential role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient responsible for converting fatty acids into energy and helping to lower cholesterol. Lysine cannot be produced by the body so it must be obtained from food,” Dr. Salazar said.
He said Secretary Yap lauded the UPLB for contributing a great deal in agriculture and appealed to its constituents to remain as a DA partner in the his quest to advance the agriculture industry.
According to Dr. Salazar, Secretary Yap had explained that challenges in Philippine Agriculture remained the same in spite of the technological advances that have occurred through the years.
He added that as a partner, he encouraged UPLB to undertake more projects that will address climate change.
“DA is willing to fund projects that may need a large budget but has a great multiplier effect than small researches that promise small contributions,” Secretary Yap said, according to Dr. Salazar.
He noted that the former DA chief also stated that the real problem of the agriculture industry is not lack of technologies but how to bridge the gap between generation of technologies and adaptation of farmers, Salazar said.
Dr. Salazar said presentation of the YAP corn variety to Secretary Yap highlighted awards of different technology breakthroughs to scientists and researchers of the University in June last year.