b'such as the collection at GRU,tion of Irelands plant healthinsecurity, Japanese gov- Industry, DA- Regional Crop are traditional varieties orstatus, Minister Hackett said.ernment through the JapanProtection and Management landraces with defined traitsBy notifying the DepartmentInternational CooperationCenter (RCPMC) in Cagayan and form the backbone ofof the arrival of these plantsAgency (JICA) collaboratedValley and Central Luzon, crop gene pools and breedingand plant products into thewith the Nigerian governmentand local government units programs. State, operators will be play- to increase the supply of qual- of Pampanga, Tarlac, and The GRU wanted to helping a vital role in preventingity seeds needed to boost ricePangasinan.repay Indias generosity bythe spread of destructiveproduction. According to Genaro responding to a requestpests and diseases. This willThis has led to the dona- Rillon, DA-PhilRices crop by the Indian Council ofhelp to maintain and furthertion of some kits by JICAprotection expert, the training Agricultural Research- strengthen Irelands favour- to the National Agriculturalwas very timely and relevant National Bureau of Plantable plant health status. Seeds Council (NASC) inas the DAs existing manage-Genetic Resources (ICAR- Many plant pests andorder to strengthen thement protocol on FAW only NBPGR) for germplasm thatdiseases found elsewhere arecapacity of NASC Seedapplies to corn. He said that had either become extinct instill not present in Ireland. TheInspectors to conduct fielda protocol is required for rice its homeland or was unknowndepartment implements ainspection. The kits whichbecause its cultivation is dif-if it was represented in Indianstrict plant health regime inincluded 37 GPS devices,ferent from corn.collections. order to protect this favorable85 face shields, 85 PVCIn the past cropping To that end, 620 Indianplant health status.boots and safety over- season, FAW was observed wheat landraces were repat- One of the key princi- all, were presented by Mraffecting not only corn but riated to India from GRU,ples of my DepartmentsNakagawa Takayuki, the Chiefalso rice crops in Cagayan material that may no longerPlant Health and BiosecurityRepresentative JICA Nigeriaand in other parts of Region be grown locally or held in theStrategy is risk-based surveil- Office, on July 8, 2021, at the2. Minda Flor Aquino, gene banks of India. lance for early detection in lineNASC Headquarters, Sheda.DA-RCPMCchief, reported With 70% of its ruralwith international best prac- on May 20 that affected rice population still dependingtice and scientific evidence.crops are mostly at seedling on agriculture for their dailyThe introduction of additionalSTATUS PHILIPPINES stage.subsistence and livelihoods,notification requirements willTo prepare the rice researchIn a series of techni-genetic resources such asenable my department toand development workerscal briefings conducted in these locally adapted wheatensure proper surveillance ofin the country for the pos- affected and adjacent rice landraces, are invaluable totrade in these host speciessible Fall Armyworm (FAW)fields, DA Cagayan Valley future plant breeding effortsand early detection of pestsinfestation, the Departmentadvised farmers to observe in India. and diseases. of AgriculturePhilippineearly symptoms, such as cut/The department should beRice Research Institutedamaged leaf margins and notified of the arrival of these(DA-PhilRice) tapped thesightings of larvae in the area. STATUS IRELAND plants and plant productsCentre for Agriculture andFAW infestation was recorded Minister of State at thefrom other Member States asBioscience Internationalaffecting corn-producing Department of Agriculture,soon as practicable as and(CABI) in conducting anareas in the country.Food and the Marine, Senatorno later than 48 hours afterintensive training amongThetraining is under Pippa Hackett announced thearrival into the State. Theserice technical workers in thethe DA-PhilRice and CABI introduction of new legisla- arrangements are separate tocountry. project titled Monitoring tion setting out notificationthe notification requirementsTools developed by CABIthe Occurrence, Host Plant requirements on the arrival offor import of these plantswere introduced in a recentSpecificity, and Management certain plants and plant prod- from outside of the EU. three-day online session byof the Fall Armyworm in- and ucts from other EuropeanCABIs pest experts fromaround-Rice Ecosystems in Member States - EuropeanMalaysia, India, UK, and Africa.Selected Provinces in the Union (Plant Health Controls)STATUS NIGERIA Identifying and managingPhilippines funded by the Regulations 2021 (S.I. no. 310Due to the negative impactFAW were also presented toDA-Bureau of Agricultural of 2021). of the COVID-19 pandemic on49 researchers and extensionResearch. SWPlant health controls arefood production in Nigeria,workers from DA-PhilRice, fundamental to the protec- and the need to tackle foodDA-Bureau of Plant and SEPTEMBER 2021SEEDWORLD.COM /77'