By Adrianne Lorenzo C. Corpuz, StratCom Correspondent

As part of his service as balik-scientist at Mariano Marcos State University, Dr. Narceo Bajet delivered a lecture on plant disease detection using molecular biology-based approaches at the National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center conference room today, February 9. 

Around 60 faculty and students from the departments of biology and agriculture, and university researchers attended the lecture. 

Dr. Bajet hopes that he inspired the participants to venture on plant biology, particularly on helping address the waning production of garlic and onion caused by various plant diseases. 

University President Shirley C. Agrupis thanked the scientist for sharing his expertise to the MMSU community. She also expressed hopes Dr. Bajet will teach the personnel and students about research studies on seed systems, tissue-culture, and multilocation adaptability for food crops. 

The balik-scientist is staying at MMSU for three months to equip researchers, faculty, and students on plant biology research, and to help strengthen the initiatives of MMSU Garlic and other Agri-food Condiments Research Center. He started his mission on Monday, Feb. 8, by documenting plant diseases of garlic and onion in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte and by meeting with dragon fruit farmers in Burgos, same province. 

 
Dr. Bajet is a former faculty member of the College of Agriculture of the University of the Philippines - Los Baños, and senior scientist of the Eurofins Genomics in USA. He was sent by the Department of Science and Technology as the first balik-scientist in MMSU this year. (HLY/JVBT/DPTJ, StratCom)