Dr. Rodel G. Maghirang
Expertise
Agriculture
Contact
rgmaghirang@up.edu.ph
Bio
Dr. Rodel G. Maghirang is an organic plant breeder at the Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baňos. He developed a good number of varieties of pole sitao, bush sitao, cowpea, snap beans, garden pea, winged bean, pigeon pea, hyacinth bean, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, squash, indigenous vegetables with several still in the pipeline. He is the author of numerous scientific papers, information bulletins, and technical notes on Vegetable Production and Organic Agriculture.
He led projects and programs on organic breeding, participatory plant breeding, establishment of organic seed system, varietal development and seed system on indigenous fruits and vegetables. He is the technical working group member/chair for various Philippine National Standards (PNS) including Organic Agriculture and Code of Hygienic Practice (COHP) on various fruits and vegetables. Trainor and Consultant in various government and private sector programs on Organic Agriculture.
Affiliations
Director, Institute of Plant Breeding University of the Philippines
“The country has good efforts on climate change programs including organic agriculture that can mitigate climate change but they have to be synchronized and coordinated with other programs to minimize apparent policy and technical conflicts. The gradual shifting towards more sustainable farming practices for the improvement of soil health and air and water quality, back up by local ordinances and national laws and policies with clear implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
We need to support more efforts on the development and use of crop varieties tolerant to abiotic stresses related to climate change, especially on vegetables and cereals. There should also be more focus on the promotion of soil health to improve crop resilience and increase CO2 sequestration with the increase in soil organic matter. We also need to provide more support and efforts on below ground (rhizobiome) genetics and epigenetics and intercropping, agroforestry, permaculture, and regenerative agriculture with crop-livestock integration.”