BAR to launch 5 books and an e-book under SPG

23 July 2008
Rita T. dela Cruz

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) will launch five books and a fishery publication in e-book format funded under the Special Publication Grant (SPG) during its 21st Anniversary celebration on 21-22 August 2008 at the SM Megamall.

The five books include a review publication, two technical books, a production manual, and a recipe book. These are: 1) An External Review of PhilRice Impact by Tess V. Rola (ed.); 2) Philippine Rats: Ecology and Management by Grant R. Singleton, Ravindra C. Joshi, and Leocadio S. Sebastian (eds.); 3) Rice Black Bugs: Taxonomy, Ecology, and Management of Invasive Species by Ravindra C. Joshi, Alberto T. Barrion, and Leocadio S. Sebastian (eds.); 4) Pagpapaunlad ng Industriya ng Lanzones sa Timog Katagalugan by Avelita M. Rosales, Virgilia D. Arellano, Elizabeth R. Gregorio, and Thelma M. Lambio (authors); and 5) O! May Gulay Recipe Book by DA-BAR.

An External Review of PhilRice Impact is a review publication that discusses the impact of the Philippine Rice Research Institute from 1997 to 2007 in the scientific and development work. It serves as a reference materials for the PhilRice Board of Trustees and its clientele. The external review was commissioned by BAR while the publication was prepared in partnership with the Conservation and Development Specialists Foundation, Inc. (CDSFI).

Philippine Rats: Ecology and Management features current knowledge on the Philippine rodents, their ecology, systematics, diseases, and management. The book covers a wide array of topics from the historical perspective of the development of rodent pest management from 1968 to 1988, to biology and management in complex agroecosystems, to ecology of pest and native rodent species, and to their impact on farming communities.

Rice Black Bugs: Taxonomy, Ecology, and Management of Invasive Species is a book comprising of an extensive literature on the taxonomy, ecology, and sustainable management of rice black bug (RBB). The 800-page book provides a lengthy discussion on some of the old problems and introduces new ecological techniques for the management RBB. It consists of four sections covering clarifications on the confusing taxonomy using traditional and modern taxonomic tools, country reports of RBB experiences of other rice-growing countries, aside from approaches to management of RBB pest species.

Pagpapaunlad ng Industriya ng Lanzones sa Timog Katagalugan is a user's manual on lanzones (Lansium domesticum Correa) production. The manual specifically discusses topics on the rehabilitation of lanzones, planting different varieties, production of quality planting materials, harvesting, and marketing.

O! May Gulay Recipe Book features the winning recipes from students of public high school in the National Capital Region (NCR) who joined the O! May Gulay Cooking Contest held and exhibited during the 2007 Agrilink/Aqualink/Foodlink on 4-6 October 2007 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. The activity was designed to develop vegetable recipes that are easy to prepare, affordable, and delicious in support of DA's efforts in promoting local agriculture products.

BAR will also launch two volumes of the Research Output of the Fisheries Sector Program (FSP) in e-book format for easy access and dissemination to the fisheries R&D sector and other concerned institutions. The two volumes of FSP books was packaged into a user-friendly CD booklet by the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD). FSP Volume 1 contains 34 research papers published in scientific journals and other publications and has a printed version released in November 2002 while Volume 2 consists of 32 BAR-funded researches on fisheries R&D reflecting the Department of Agriculture's (DA) directions and priority programs on fisheries.

SPG is one of the grants given by BAR to support the government initiatives in modernizing the agriculture and fisheries sectors of the country. SPG is given to an organization or institution to cover the cost of publications of scientific proceedings/symposia, refereed scientific journals, manuals on research methodologies, and books that can be availed of by members of the National Research and Development System of Agriculture and Fisheries (NaRDSAF).

Managed by BAR's Management Information Systems Division (MISD), requests for publication grants are reviewed by the SPG Committee to ensure that policies are being observed and to recommend appropriate action to the bureau director.