Dr Nelly Aggangan and the MYKOVAM production staff of BIOTECHUPLB, Laguna.

Good day to everyone.

My name is Dr. Nelly Siababa Aggangan, Scientist 1 of the National Institute of
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), one of the research institutes of the
University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), Laguna
BIOTECH-UPLB was established in 1980 and one of the missions of producing
microbial based biofertilizer and had been working on mycorrhizal fungi for 30 years
The original version of MYKOVAM that was developed from the late 90s consist of
three species: Gigaspora margarita, Glomus etunicatum and Glomus macrocarpum.
Selling of MYKOVAM started in 1993.
Thru the years, we have steadily increased the number of mycorrhizal specie contained
in MYKOVAM and we now have a total of 12 species.

Since 30 years ago we have been working on this

technology, but the adoption of MYKOVAM was
significantly started ten years ago when we collaborated
with Dr. Alexis G. de Manuel/ADAM FARMS, Inc. for the
distribution of MYKOVAM here in Mindanao.
The increasing demand of MYKOVAM is due to the
farmers recommending to their fellow farmers.
A one time application of just 10 grams per plant will
result to a savings of inorganic fertilizer for the whole
lifetime of the plant that is naturally healthy and
productive.
May forever sa MYKOVAM!

a. What are
BIOFERTILIZERS?
Living beneficial microorganisms

Promote plant growth and yield through increased supply

and availability of nutrients
Plants are unable to use gaseous nitrogen present in the
atmosphere or sulphur or phosphorus present in the soil
Provide protection and tolerance against drought, soil
borne diseases and to heavy metals
Restore natural soil fertility
Biofertilizers do not directly increase soil fertility but they
initiate or accelerate the process of mineralization

b. Beneficial Fungi
Fungi are naturally occurring in the air, water
and in soil.
In the soil, the fungi include mushrooms, rusts,
smuts, puffballs, truffles, morels, molds, and
yeasts which could be for food, medicines and
biofertilizers
Biofertilizers as an alternative to chemical
fertilizers.

C. Mycorrhizal fungi
Mycorrhiza is a root fungus/fungi interaction
Association is symbiotic or give and take relationship
Mycorrhizal fungi colonize the roots of almost all plants and
the plants benefit from the water and nutrients extracted
from the nutrient deficient soil and increased tolerance to
environmental stresses.
Thus, the growth of mycorrhizal plants is improved
and consequently increased yield.

Benefits from BIOTECHs Mycorrhizal Inoculants:

MYKOVAM
1. Enhance growth and yield of inoculated plants
2. Promote absorption of nutrients and water
3. Reduce chemical fertilizer input from 25% up to 85%
of the fertilizer required for normal growth of plants
4. Improve plant health (increased production,
biocontrol, increase tolerance to environmental
stresses,)
5. Improve soil properties and soil fertility
6. Cheap and easy to apply
7. Environment friendly

MYKOVAM

Soil based mycorrhizal inoculant

Contain spores, colonized roots and other infective propagules of TWELVE
species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Replaces about 60-85% of the plants chemical fertilizer requirement for a
normal growth
Help plants absorb nutrients and water from nutrient deficient soils
Shelf life is 2 years under room temperature or 5 year at 4oC
The trade name Mykovam is registered at the Intellectual Property Office
(IPO), Registration No. 4-2012-001012, April 2012

With
Mykovam

No
Mykovam

Interview of 60 coconut growers in Sitio Kipalili, San Isidro, Davao del

Norte by Mr. Ronnie Violanta PhD Thesis BIOTECH, UPLB

Yield before
Mykovam
(kg/ha)

Yield before
Mykovam
(Peso)

Yield after
Mykovam
(kg)

Yield after
Mykovam
(Peso)

2,240.83

44,986.66

3,571.55

76,817.16

Yield increase = 59.40%

Peso increase = 70.76%

Mykovam rescued the 5ha

durian plantation infested with
Phythophora (shoot die back) in
Atty. Partozas Farm, Mati,
Davao, Mindanao

10

Cavendish Banana with Mykovam in

Compostella Valley, Mindanao
Mr. Richie Neri, Owner of the Farm
Feedback:
Mykovam increased Box Stem Ratio (BSR) from 1.4 to 2.0
With Mykovam, fertilizer application is every 45 days vs once a month
as recommended by the company

11

 Arabica coffee trees inoculated with

MYKOVAM planted under Pinus kesiya
Planted 200 ha by the Rocky Mountain
Arabica Coffee 2013
Expanding coffee plantations (many hectares)
in Nueva Viscaya, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan de
Oro and Palawan using tons of MYKOVAM

One year old

2014

Two year old

2015

12

III. Birth of Mykovam

The name Mykovam came out in 1989 and started selling in
1995, with three (Gigaspora margarita, Glomus etunicatum and
Glomus macrocarpum) species.
In 2000, Mykovam was reformulated comprising of eight species
of endomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
In 2016, we have increased to 12 the number of endomycorrhizal
specie contained in MYKOVAM

Sequence of events upon entry of fungi inside the root

hyphae
root

Vesicles- fungal food

storage inside the root

The external hyphae serve as root extension for uptake of more nutrients and
water; each hyphae can reachout from 3 to10m from the point of infection

CURRENT AREAS OF APPLICATION

Fruit crops: banana, mango, rambutan, durian,
lanzones, mangosteen, papaya, coffee, cacao,
coconut, pineapple, watermelon, muskmelon,
honeydew, etc.
Forest trees: mahogany, narra, acacias, gmelina,
falcata, eucalypts, etc.
Vegetables: Eggplant, tomato, sweet pepper,
bitter gourd, okra (lady finger), etc.
Root crops: Cassava, sweet potato, ube, yacon, etc.
Ornamental crops: gumamela, ornamental palms,
song of india, santan, cut flowers, etc.
Herbs: basil, oregano, stevia, tanglad, etc.
Forage crops: paragrass, napier, guinea grass,
Desmodium cinerium, bahia grass, frog grass,
bermuda grass, etc

Mykovam as biocontrol
against root pathogens

Tomato roots with nematodes

MykovamTM as biocontrol of
nematodes on Lakatan

Con

+Nem

+Myk+ Nem

+Myk
M+
Rado

M+
Meloi

18

Mycorrhiza and Fusarium oxysporum

on Tomato

No Mykovam
With Fusarium

DEAD

Biocontrol of Fusarium wilt problem on

banana in Mindanao

With Mykovam
Farm visited = September 2012
Planting was done in 2010
Adjacent farms (1.5 ha each)

No Mykovam

Fusarium wilt infested Lakatan

banana in Mindanao

No Mykovam farm after one more month (October 2012)

4 month old Mykovam inoculated Lakatan

planted in Fusarium wilt infected area
Lakatan with MYKOVAM

Planted October 2012

Farm visited on Feb 17, 2013 (after four mos)

Fusarium infected Lakatan

with no MYKOVAM

9 month old Mykovam inoculated Lakatan

planted in Fusarium wilt infected area

Photo taken July 2013

Fusarium wilt infestation on Cavendish

in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley
No Mykovam

Owner: Dr. Sisenio Calamba

Mykovam applied July 2013

Photos taken Oct 25, 2013

4-mos after inoculation with Mykovam

Photos taken Oct 25, 2013

24

Lakatan planted in a previously abandoned farm due to

Fusarium wilt infection inoculated with Mykovam
(July 2013)

Photo taken October 25, 2013

Photo taken Feb 4, 2014

25

Manila Bulletin
Agriculture Magazine
November 2012
Vol 16 (11): 12-15

Atty. Antonio Ony Partoza

Crossing ula, Mintal, Davao City

Mykovam on
Phythophora infected
durian (shoot die back)
in Atty. Partozas Farm,
Davao

27

Mykovam Defense
Mechanisms
1. Improved plant nutrition higher tolerance of mycorrhizal
plants to pathogens
2. Root damage compensation - Fungal hyphae in the soil act
like the roots increasing the amount of nutrients and water
absorbed by the plant.
3. Competition for photosynthates the higher carbon
demand by the AM fungi can inhibit the growth of the
pathogen by denying them food.
4. More functional roots will result to better nourished plants
that can better resist soil pathogens.

Biocontrol Defense Mechanisms

5. Competition for colonization/infection sites - pathogens can
not penetrate arbuscule-containing cells. arbuscules are the
site of nutrient exchange between the plant and the
mycorrhizal fungi. More beneficial fungi in the soil will mean
less space available for the survival of harmful root pathogens.
6. Changes in mycorrhizosphere microbial population
mycorrhizal formation can be antagonistic to root pathogens
like nematodes and other harmful soil organisms
7.Activation of plant defense mechanisms such as production
of phenolics, new proteins (endomycorrhizins), enzymes, etc.
contributes to biocontrol mechanisms by AM fungi

AM fungi has been reported to

reduce disease symptoms for these
fungal pathogens and nematodes
Fungal
pathogens

Nematodes

Phytophthora
Rotylenchus
Gaeumannomyces Pratylenchus
Fusarium
Meloidogyne
Chalara
Pythium
Rhizoctonia
Sclerotium
Verticilium
Aphanomyces
etc

Mykovam as plant
growth promoter

Mykovam on Cavendish
(Bantacan, New Bataan,
Compostella Valley)
Farm Owner: Mr. Richie Neri
Observations: Fruits with and without
Mykovam differed in weight but not
in appearance
Box Stem Ratio of 2.0 vs 1.4 BSR of
his neighbors
Fertilization done every 45 days vs
once a month as recommended by
the company
thus,
SAVINGS ON CHEMICAL
FERTILIZER COST and
INCREASED YIELD.
32

No Mykovam

With Mykovam

Interview of 100 coconut growers in Sitio Kipalili, San Isidro, Davao del Norte
by Mr. Ronnie Violanta PhD Thesis BIOTECH, UPLB

Yield before Yield after

Mykovam
Mykovam
(kg/ha)
(kg/ha)

Yield before Yield after

(Peso/ha)
(Peso/ha)

2,240.83

44,986.66 76,817.16

3,571.55

Yield increase = 59.40%

Peso increase = 70.76%

Manila Bulletin
Agriculture Magazin
January 2013
Vol 17 (1): 38-39

Lanzones in Cotabato

No Mykovam

With Mykovam

Mr. Ben Rara with his durian and jack fruit trees
inoculated with Mykovam planted in Bukidnon

Farm of USM Retired VP Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona

Kabacan, Cotabato
Davao Pomelo applied with
Mykovam, branches need
props to hold the fruits

Oil palm with Mykovam,

more and bigger sized fruits
than without Mykovam

Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona showing off his 2 year old hybrid

coconut that is applied with MYKOVAM, with Dr. Nelly
Aggangan and Dr. Alexis de Manuel.

Cacao with Mykovam with

greener and larger leaves
Cacao with no Mykovam,
yellow and small sized
leaves

Narra (Pterocarpus indicus, Family Fabaceae) six

months after outplanting
without or with MYKOVAM

Kisubeng (Sapindus saponaria, Family Sapindaceae),

six months after outplanting

without or with MYKOVAM

Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

With Mykovam

No Mykovam

State of the Art of MYKOVAM

Mykovam showed its vital role as biocontrol agent against root
pathogens such as nematodes, Fusarium oxysporum,
Fusarium wilt/Panama disease and Phytophora spp.
Mykovam improve plant growth and yield of a variety of plants
Mykovam contains mycorrhizal fungi that are naturally
occurring in the soil, thus, this technology is environment
friendly
Cheap because application is done once only throughout the
lifetime of a crop
Low cost Mykovam can replace expensive chemical farm
inputs thus more income is generated by the users
More importantly, the use of soil degrading chemical farm
inputs can be reduced thus soil fertility can be restored.

MYKOVAM
For more product information and sales,
please contact our exclusive distributor for mindanao:

Dr. Alexis G. de Manuel

President - Adam Farms, Inc.
09294436288 smart
<alexisdemanuel@yahoo.com>