Bing Caasi-Lit is the recipient of L.B. Uichanco Award

Bing Lit (2nd from right) is the recipient of the L.B. Uichanco Outstanding Entomologist Award. Cristy Madamba-Bajet (Innovation Batch ’74; 4th from right), one of the officers of the entomological society, was also a previous recipient of the award.

Bing was recognized by the entomological society for her pioneering and innovative research work in areas of entomology and crop protection. The following is part of the citation:

For her contribution to the understanding of host plant resistance (HPR) of corn, eggplant, bamboo and other economically important crops to major insect pests in the Philippine setting. Her pioneering work on the mechanism of resistance of eggplant to the cotton leafhopper has set the standard for HPR mechanism studies. Her work on corn led to the identification of sources of resistance to the corn borer and helped in the development of corn borer resistant genetic stock produced through conventional breeding. Her work on bamboo resulted in the identification of potential insect pest constraints in bamboo shoot production, nursery practices and plantation establishment. She also pioneered in the study of the effects of ultraviolet-B absorbing compounds on selected insect pests. Her work led to the discovery of novel flavonoids that help rice plants survive in environments with increased UV radiation and provided insights to explain behavioral changes among insect pests with ensuing climate change events. Her HPR work extends to related studies in various fields like crop and weed alternate hosts of corn pests, risk assessments on non-target organisms particularly arthropods, insights into resistance or susceptibility of plants to invasive pests. These HPR researches and other related fields of study are important milestones in providing fundamental information to breeders and other researchers as well as most relevant to farmers and the industry.

Bing is the section head of the Entomology Laboratory of the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). She also has joint academic appointments with other units of UPLB. She is an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the Department of Horticulture and at the Plant Biology Division of the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS).