A PAPER presented by a faculty researcher was adjudged as best in the national congress and general meeting of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS).

The paper, Biodegradation of nipa frond biomass (Nypa fruticans Wurmb) using indigenous fungi in solid state fermentation, which was presented by Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, bested 15 other entries under the environmental sustainability sub-theme. The other entries were from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and 10 other state colleges and universities (SUC) in the country. Agrupis shared the limelight with her co-authors, Ellane Angel U. Tabangcura and Ma. Teresa A. Blanco.

ISSAAS is an organization of agricultural scientists, technical experts and scholars in Southeast Asia which primary aim is to strengthen cooperation among member-countries and to bring together groups of professionals with common interests on agricultural development in the region.

This year’s national congress which was held on October 16-19 was jointly hosted by the Central Luzon State University and the Philippine Carabao Center in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Agrupis is the principal investigator of researches funded by USAID-STRIDE and the Department of Energy. (By Lea C. Agbigay)