Oud Academia™

Indang, Cavite, Philippines — Cavite State University (CvSU) and the Agarwood Growers Association of the Philippines Inc. (AGAP) have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate a long-term scientific and technological collaboration focused on organogenesis propagation, bio-inoculant development, and biofertilizer research for the growing Philippine agarwood industry.

The partnership brings together CvSU’s strong research expertise in agriculture, biotechnology, and plant sciences with AGAP’s nationwide network of agarwood growers, industry practitioners, and field-based innovation platforms.

This MOU marks a milestone in the country’s movement toward science-based, sustainable, and globally competitive agarwood production.

Strengthening Organogenesis & Mass Propagation of Aquilaria

Under the collaboration, CvSU will lead research efforts to refine and scale organogenesis protocols for Aquilaria malaccensis and other perfumery crops. The research program aims to:

• Improve survivability and rooting efficiency
• Enhance clonal fidelity and genetic stability
• Reduce propagation costs through refined media formulations
• Create mass-production pathways for consistent, high-quality planting materials
• Establish a university-industry model for tissue culture commercialization

“This partnership empowers CvSU to translate academic research into real-world agricultural impact,” said CvSU project leads during the signing ceremony.

Joint Development of Agarwood Bio-Inoculants

CvSU and AGAP will also collaborate on bio-inoculant research aimed at improving sustainable resin induction. The project will explore:

• Fungal and microbial strains beneficial to resin formation
• Biological inoculation pathways and host-pathogen interactions
• Safety, efficacy, and optimized application protocols
• Side-by-side comparisons with chemical and hybrid induction methods
• Field validation through AGAP’s nationwide member farms

AGAP emphasized that this initiative will pave the way for ethical, science-verified, and legally compliant agarwood production across the Philippines.

Biofertilizer Research for High-Value Trees

The partnership further expands into the development of biofertilizers that support the long-term growth, vigor, and environmental resilience of agarwood and related forestry crops. Research areas include:

• Formulation of nutrient-enhancing microbial consortia
• Soil microbiome enhancement strategies
• Climate-smart fertilization systems
• Field trials in diverse agroecological conditions
• Integration into sustainable agroforestry frameworks

These biofertilizers aim to reduce growers’ dependence on chemical inputs while improving yields and ecological outcomes.

A Unified Vision for a Sustainable Agarwood Sector

CvSU and AGAP share a mission to uplift the Philippine agarwood industry by merging academic excellence, scientific integrity, and farmer-level capacity building.

Through this MOU, both institutions commit to:
✓ Advancing national research leadership in perfumery crops
✓ Providing farmers with reliable, science-backed technologies
✓ Supporting regulatory compliance and sustainable practices
✓ Developing future-ready biotech solutions for the forestry and wellness industries
✓ Strengthening the value chain from propagation to production

About Cavite State University (CvSU)

CvSU is a premier agricultural and science university dedicated to research, innovation, and community development across multiple campuses in Cavite.

About AGAP

The Agarwood Growers Association of the Philippines Inc. (AGAP) is a national organization committed to sustainable agarwood cultivation, training, regulatory compliance, and industry advancement.

“Uniting science, sustainability, and innovation for a greener future.”

The partnership between Crown Agroforestry Group Inc. (CAGI) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) represents a groundbreaking step toward building a more sustainable and science-driven agricultural future. UST — home to one of the Philippines’ most respected research institutions in biology, microbiology, and natural sciences — brings academic rigor and advanced laboratory expertise. Crown Agroforestry Group contributes its industry knowledge, field networks, and commercialization strength. Together, they form a powerful alliance for agricultural biotechnology innovation.

This collaboration focuses on the development, optimization, and field deployment of next-generation bio-inoculants and bio-fertilizers designed to enhance soil health, boost crop resilience, and improve productivity for high-value perfumery and agroforestry crops such as Agarwood, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and more.

Key Pillars of the Collaboration

1. Joint Research & Laboratory Innovation
UST researchers and Crown scientists co-develop microbial formulations — including nitrogen-fixing, phosphorus-solubilizing, growth-promoting, and plant-defense–enhancing strains.
This synergy accelerates discovery, ensures scientific validity, and strengthens product reliability.

2. Sustainable Bio-Based Solutions for Farmers
The collaboration champions eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fertilizers.
These bio-inoculants:
• Improve nutrient uptake
• Strengthen root development
• Enhance plant immunity
• Reduce dependence on chemical inputs
• Support climate-smart and organic farming systems

3. Technology Transfer & Scale-Up
UST provides the foundational science; Crown Agroforestry Group ensures real-world application, pilot trials, and scalable manufacturing through its plantation networks and partner farms.

4. Capacity Building & Knowledge Exchange
The partnership supports training programs, seminars, internships, and field demonstrations — empowering students, farmers, and industry stakeholders with modern biotechnology skills.

5. Commercialization & Industry Integration
Crown Agroforestry Group leads product development, branding, market distribution, and regulatory compliance, ensuring the innovations reach farmers, cooperatives, plantations, and agribusinesses nationwide.

Shared Vision

Both institutions are united by a mission to advance green biotechnology, support regenerative agriculture, and promote environmentally responsible crop production.

Together, UST and Crown Agroforestry Group strive to create:
✓ Higher-yielding, healthier plantations
✓ Affordable and accessible bio-organic inputs
✓ Reduced environmental impact
✓ Stronger local biotech solutions for global markets

Smart agriculture integrates advanced technologies—such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and data analytics—to transform traditional farming into a data-driven, precision-managed system. This approach enhances farm management efficiency, increases productivity, and promotes long-term environmental sustainability. By enabling real-time monitoring, predictive decision-making, and optimized resource use, smart agriculture directly addresses critical global challenges, including food security, labor constraints, climate variability, and the need for transparent, resilient agricultural value chains.

ASEAN-focused who’s-who you can tap for propagation, inoculation, and harvest know-how. I kept it practical: who they are, why they matter, and what kind of partnership makes sense.

 1. Asia Plantation Capital (APC) – Malaysia/Thailand (private sector)

Scale operator with R&D, patented inoculation, and an agarwood factory/distillery in Johor for chips & oil—useful benchmark for end-to-end integration. Partnership angle: study tours, process benchmarking, contract distillation best practices.  

 2. Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) – Malaysia (public research)

Long-running agarwood program: species work on A. malaccensis, grading systems, inoculation/cultivation trials; national CITES/NDF inputs. Partnership angle: protocol/advisory MOU, training on grading & quality, lab support.  

 3. Assoc. Prof. Pakamas Chetpattananondh, Prince of Songkla University – Thailand (academic/processing)

Chemical engineering researcher linked with APC’s research agenda; Thailand studies on hydrodistillation kinetics and oil quality appear around PSU circles. Partnership angle: short course on distillation, oil QC methods, yield optimization.  

 4. AFoCO (Asian Forest Cooperation Organization) – Cambodia focus (regional public initiative)

Leading a current project to restore native A. crassna & A. malaccensis in SW Cambodia; active on livelihoods, restoration, and policy coordination. Partnership angle: join knowledge exchanges, restoration/intercrop models, access to training materials.  

 5. Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS) & Vietnam research network – Vietnam (public research + industry links)

Vietnam has >10,000 ha of A. crassna; strong literature on hydrodistillation & oil chemistry; VAFS is an industry reference point used for wood/ID certificates (e.g., Oud Vietnam). Partnership angle: compare crassna vs. malaccensis oil profiles; QC/standards exchange.  

 6. FORDA/BRIN & Indonesian researchers (incl. Mulyadi Turjaman) – Indonesia (public research)

Indonesia’s forestry research has mapped millions of planted agarwood trees and published feasibility/dynamic-systems models for cultivation; deep experience with Fusarium-based induction and monitoring. Partnership angle: protocol exchange on biological inoculation and plantation economics.  

 7. Putz Agarwood Farm Corporation (PAFC) – Philippines (private sector)

Licensed PH plantation developer with operations in Antique; shares practical PH context on permits and commercialization. Partnership angle: peer-to-peer on DENR compliance (W/C WCuP), local seedling sources, and site management in Visayas conditions.  

 8. Dadvance Agarwood Solutions (with FRIM collaboration) – Malaysia (private sector + research linkage)

Reports successful A. malaccensis harvest outcomes under FRIM-linked collaboration; shows how SMEs can plug into public research. Partnership angle: pilot inoculation trials and metrics for resin formation.  

 9. AAVI Siam – Thailand (private sector, oud distillation)

Producer focused on “top-grade” oud oils and derivatives; potential window into Thai processing SOPs & market requirements. Partnership angle: compare Thai oil specs, buyers’ preferences, and small-batch vs. scale tradeoffs.  

Sources: Chatgpt