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Ka Bernie Dizon

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Can grape industry survive in RP?

by I.A. Ballesteros (Correspondent) 

     "It is no longer so today," Miss Mercedes Aguilar said, "since my co-growers and I employed the technique and miracle variety developed by Bernardo O. Dizon well known agriculturist."

     Dizon, it was learned, visited Cebu recently and discovered that the Cebu technique in grape growing stunts the growth of the grape vine after three years causing the vines to be unproductive. As the vine grows old, fruit production output decreases unlike in temperate countries where good harvest is obtained even from old vines.

     In a change interview at the U.P. BLISS Economic Garden, Diliman, Quezon City, Miss Aguilar said that Cebu grape growers followed the technique employed abroad, the same technique that Dizon has adopted while the agriculturist was with the Batangas grape plantation in the early '70's.

     Asked on how he developed his miracle variety of grapes, Dizon said that grape specialist in temperate countries confirmed that grape growing in the tropics like the Philippine is a problem and the plant is short-lived.

     "It would only be a problem," Dizon emphasized, "if we follow their technique. So, what I did was to reverse the grape culture of temperate countries, the exact opposite of their technique abroad. And it work!" Dizon said.

     Ulrich Volkel, a German missionary in the Philippines, commented recently that Dizon's breakthrough in viticulture is fantastic. The missionary made the comment after seeing the results of Dizon's technique wherein the agriculturist, within a span of few years was able to modify the conventional technique which has been in practice for over a thousand years in Germany and other traditional grape growing countries.

     Dwelling on the Cebu experience, Dizon said the pruning technique, variety and planting materials were contributory factors to the near downfall of the grape industry there.

     According to him, after three years Cebu grape growers cut the fruiting vine the end result of which was unproductivity. Due to difference in climate temperate countries, the cutback method stunt the growth thus producing no fruits.

     Rooted cutting and grafted seedling as a very slow growth which take four years in temperate countries before bearing fruits commercially. Under local conditions, Dizon found out that marcotted miracle variety can be induced to bear fruits after four months during summer. The Red Cardinal variety is susceptible to pest and disease and the fruit cracks. The Green and Black varieties are the leading table grapes abroad are also the varieties best suited in our country.

     Meanwhile, Dizon warned grape enthusiasts of rooted cutting seedling of Concord variety. In the Metro Manila and Central Luzon are 90 percent of grape variety is Concord which is sour and utilized in wine-making. Concord bears very small fruits and is unproductive. Dizon likewise said that he does not employ any agents nor has taught anybody the secret of marcotting his miracle grape. Marcotted seedlings are very hard to differentiate from rooted cuttings.

     To be sure of genuine marcotted variety and to obviate misrepresentations by unscrupulous persons Dizon said that he can be contacted at the UP BLISS Economic Garden, Diliman, Quezon City (near the Elliptical Road along Don Mariano Marcos Avenue) for free lecture during Saturdays on how to grow grapes, seedless atis, giant calamansi, orchard compliments of the UP BLISS Community Association and the Ministry of Human Settlement in line with the KKK program of the national leadership.