Biotech Expertise

Institute of Plant Breeding

The Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) is the national breeding center for all crops but rice. Established under the College of Agriculture at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, it’s primary objective is to strengthen research in plant breeding for the development of new and improved crop varieties to support the country’s intensified and diversified agriculture.

The Institute identifies its major functions as follows:

  • Develop new and improved variety of dryland crops
  • Conduct studies in plant breeding and allied disciplines related to crop improvement
  • Collect, introduce, preserve and maintain a germplasm bank
  • Assist other agencies in multiplying quality seeds and vegetative materials of recommended crop varieties
  • Promote the widescale utilization of IPB varieties and ensure that seeds are made available to farmers

To serve the needs of IPB researchers, the Institute has several assorted laboratory instruments housed in five laboratories: the Analytical Services Laboratory, the Biochemistry Laboratory, the Genetics Laboratory, the Plant and Tissue Culture Laboratory, and the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory. Each laboratory handles specific projects or a component of a bigger project.

One of IPB’s programs is the Plant Biotechnology Program, which spearheads the Institute’s lead role in upstream research by using biotechnology tools in crop improvement. The scope of the Program is classified into:

  1. Tissue and cell culture technologies and applications
  2. DNA marker technologies and molecular farming
  3. Gene discovery / Genomics
  4. Genetic Engineering / Transgenic technology
  5. Plant disease diagnostics

The Institute’s Plant Biotechnology Program has also involved itself in new directions, including the areas of bioinformatics, proteomics, biotech communication and public awareness, biotech training and technical assistance and intellectual property.

Among the new and ongoing projects and the new technologies are the following:

  • papaya and mango with delayed ripening traits
  • papaya resistant to the papaya ringspot virus
  • banana resistant to bunchy top virus
  • coconut with modified fatty acid composition
  • corn resistant to corn borer

IPB also maintains a germplasm of important and potentially useful crops.

Contact details:
Institute of Plant Breeding
University of the Philippines
College, Los Baños
4031 Laguna
Tel (049) 536-3304/2298/2512
URL http://www.ipb-uplb.org.ph

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