MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (PIA)--The Department of Agriculture-Regional Crop Protection Center (DA-RCPC)-10 recently conducted a benchmarking on the Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technique in DA-RCPC Region 6 in Jaro, Iloilo City.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) granted DA-10 P5 million worth of funding to establish a Plant Health Hub (PHH) facility in Barangay Bangcud, Malaybalay City, here.

Considering that LAMP is part of the new PHH facility in NorMin, DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado sent the team headed by DA-RCPC 10 chief Lucille T. Minguez along with three other technical personnel to the Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC).

The benchmarking aims to equip the DA-RCPC 10 staff with the standard laboratory protocols for using LAMP equipment to detect viral pathogens and early disease detection affecting crops.

The team witnessed a demonstration of the assay procedure of the LAMP kit with different primers for a specific virus strain, its reagents, and the concentration used in detecting rice viruses.

Based on the results of the benchmarking, comparing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques that demand an expensive thermal cycler, it showed how LAMP amplifies the virus or virus strain in plants and insect vectors using a simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-operate isothermal hot or water bath.

Through benchmarking, DA-RCPC 10 proves enhanced capability in assisting farmers with diagnosing viral diseases and recommending suitable control measures to mitigate the spread of diseases on plants. (DA-10/PIA-10/Bukidnon)