By Allen V. Estabillo
For an ordinary farmer, only a miracle can make a corn plant survive
for almost a month under an unusually intense heat and without a single drop
of water.
But a scientific breakthrough practically made that history after
local farmers here witnessed for themselves how a new corn variety developed
by a local biotechnology company was able to survive a drought for 29
straight days.

"It's both a miracle and a genetic breakthrough. It's just timely to
have this new weapon when our worst fears about global warming are unfolding
before us," said plant scientist Dr. Antonio Mercado.

Mercado, a University of Philippines Los Banos (UPLB)-trained plant
breeder, spent almost five decades collecting various corn varieties
available in the planet on his quest of a perfect genetic base for his pet
project.

After 10 years of continuous research, Mercado finally cracked the
right genetic make-up for probably the first drought-resistant corn variety
in the world. Mercado's own biotechnology firm ACM genetics eventually
launched Gloria I Socialized Hybrid Corn Seed, which has been dubbed as "the
answer" to the worsening effects of global warming in the country.

Mercado personally named the new corn variety "Gloria" in honor of
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Despite lacking enough financial backup and working by himself,
Mercado still managed to launch his project a decade ago at his farm in
barangay Reyes here. He squeezed his own savings in order to put up his own
corn gene bank and a small research station.

Mercado said he started his research by studying the genetic traits of
some of the corn genes that he had collected from his travels to various
parts of the world. He eventually developed Gloria variety out of a broad
genetic base, primarily from corn varieties in Mexico, Thailand and UPLB.

"Its parent gene is from diverse origins and I carefully selected them
out of the traits that are needed for a heat-tolerant variety," he said.

Mercado has tested the Gloria variety in Bukidnon, Wao in Lanao del
Sur, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Isabela and the results turned out
favorable.

"It's tested and proven to thrive in both wet and dry seasons in any
part of the country," he said.

Early this year, ACM Genetics started the commercial distribution of
the product at a price much lower to other branded hybrid varieties.

A bag of the Gloria corn variety, which is just enough for a hectare
of farmland, has approximately 65,000 seeds and costs at least P1,700 only.

Owing to Mercado's successful research, the local government has
invested on establishing its own gene bank in a bid to develop more hybrid
corn varieties in the future.

The investment is in line with the efforts of Banga Mayor Isidro
Janita to develop this once sleepy municipality into a "corn-based
agri-industrial center in the south" and eventually the country's
corncapital.


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