By Rudy A. Fernandez, The Philippine Star via SEAMEO SEARCA

By this month, a high-yielding open-pollinated corn variety is a candidate for commercial release. 

The variety has been named Tupi Yellow, which has an average yield of 4.99 tons per hectare, or more than twice the national average corn yield of 2.4 t/ha. 

The yield was recorded in 11 tests undertaken in as many sites in Mindanao, reported the UPLB Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB). 

Tupi Yellow is but six of the new varieties of food crops developed by UPLB-IPB, which welcomed its new director, Dr. Jose Hernandez, last month (May) and celebrated its 31st anniversary last June 5. 

The five other crops are cassava (three), peanut (one), and sweet potato (one), reported IPB's Antonio Lalusin. 

The cassava varieties are Rajah 2 or CG97-07-05, Sultan 8 or CG97-16-01, and Sultan 9 or CG96-17-02. 

A sweet variety and adapted to all regions of the country with an average yield of 34.4 t/ha, Rajah 2 has been recommended as all-purpose. 

Sultan is a bitter or industrial type, adapted to all regions of the country, and has an average yield of 39.1 t/ha. 

Sultan 9 is also a bitter or industry type with an average yield of 35.3 t/ha across locations. 

IPB Pn 89-20-42 is a high-yielding Spanish type peanut variety with medium size seeds that are within the range required by peanut processors. 

UPL Sp-11 or SG99-09-02, a sweet variety, has an average yield of 16.7 t/ha. It is resistant to sweet potato weevil and scab and matures in 120 days. 

To date, reported Director Hernandez during IPB's 31st anniversary program last June 5, the institute has developed 126 varieties of 33 crops, including 17 varieties of corn, 12 varieties of grain legumes, 13 varieties of sweet potato, 17 varieties of cassava, and 56 varieties of vegetables. 

These had been approved for release by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) and IPB Germplasm Registration and Release Office.