Abaca breeding for a more viable Philippine abaca industry

Abaca (Musa textilis Nee), a plant native to the Philippines, is the source of fiber known internationally as Manila Hemp. It is indigenous to the Philippines whose favorable climatic condition and volcanic soils are suited to its cultivation. It is often used as raw material for cordage, clothing and various handicrafts. Furthermore, the fibers can be manufactured into specialty papers such as currency notes, filter papers, stencil papers, tea bags among others. Due to the current concern for biodegradable products and forest conservation, it is expected that the abaca industry will continue to flourish in both domestic and international markets. With the advent of new uses of abaca, the crop will be extensively utilized for more industrial applications because it is a natural and superior material. The abaca industry continues to make a stronghold in both international and domestic markets generating US$80M annually from 1996-2000. Being an export-oriented commodity, the abaca industry has maintained its status as the world's largest producer accounting fro 97% share of world imports. However, the abaca industry is still relyi8ng solely on traditional varieties for its survival in the absence of new and improved ones. This is one reason why there is a decline in the abaca industry because limited attention is devoted to varietal improvement. The old abaca varieties had outlived their usefulness and now become easy prey for disease devastation. Different plant breeding techniques should be employed to develop abaca varieties possessing desirable traits like high fiber yield, good fiber quality and high degree of resistance to major diseases of abaca. With conventional breeding method coupled with the recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology, a more directed solution to the disease problem of the industry can now be identified. It is possible to fish out resistance genes from abaca varieties or in wild relatives. With basic knowledge on mechanisms of abaca-pathogen interactions, similar approaches can be applied to abaca breeding to produce durable resistances at a much faster pace. These improved abaca varieties can either be used for commercial planting or as genetic stocks for the development of high yielding varieties resistant to various diseases. The availability of these improved resistant high yielding varieties backed by appropriate marketing strategies and employed with sound resistance management schemes brings forth a package of technology that could make abaca one of the top foreign exchange earners of the country. Different plant breeding techniques should be employed to develop abaca varieties possessing desirable traits like high fiber yield, good fiber quality and high degree of resistance to major diseases of abaca. With conventional breeding coupled with the recent advances in molecular biology and biotechnology, a more directed solution to the disease problem of the industry can now be identified. It is possible to fish out resistance genes from abaca varieties or in wild relatives. With basic knowledge on mechanisms of abaca-pathogen interactions, similar approaches can be applied to abaca breeding to produce durable resistances at a much faster pace. These improved abaca varieties can either be used for commercial planting or as genetic stock for the development of high yielding varieties to various diseases. The availability of these improved resistant high yielding varieties backed by appropriate marketing strategies and employed with sound resistance management schemes brings forth a package of technology that could make abaca one of the top foreigh exchange earners of the country.