Participants with Dr. Lilia M. Fernando-Corpuz and Mr. Kris Lord T. Santos, resource speakers; Dr. Barbara L. Caoili, NCPC Director; and the NCPC webinar team (Photo by CHHagosojos)
The National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) held a webinar on Nanobiotechnology Applications for the Management of Crop Pests and Diseases on 27 September 2022.
In the opening remarks, Dr. Barbara L. Caoili, NCPC Director, stressed the importance of looking for innovative ways to manage crop pests. She expressed her hopes that the webinar will foster appreciation for nanobiotechnology and will inspire more people to explore the field and its prospects on crop protection.
The webinar featured discussions on Nano-biosensors for the Detection of Plant Pathogens by Dr. Lilia M. Fernando-Corpuz of the Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science, UPLB and on Nanobiopesticides from Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) by Mr. Kris Lord T. Santos of the Biological Control Research Unit, CENSER, De La Salle University.
In her presentation, Dr. Fernando-Corpuz talked about their team’s nano-biosensor program, specifically the development of nano-biosensor for fungal diseases of cacao. She shared that rapid detection time, high sensitivity and specificity, and compatibility with data processing technologies are among the advantages of using nano-biosensors in the detection of plant diseases.
Meanwhile, Mr. Santos shared the results of his study on the use of enzymes, particularly chitinase, as biocontrol agent against plant pathogens. According to him, the use of nanotechnology allowed for higher stability, efficient delivery, and enhanced activity of these enzymes so they can be applied in the field as biopesticide. He also discussed the process for producing enzyme-loaded nanoparticles.
The webinar was attended by more than 300 participants via Zoom and YouTube livestreaming.
