MACTAN, CEBU ― Around 1,000 local farmer technicians (LFTs) and government workers from all over the country gathered during the National Convention for LFTs to discuss issues, concerns, and solutions on LFT implementation, 27-28 Nov.   DA Assistant Secretary Edilberto M. De Luna addressed the LFTs who act as active partners of the DA and local government units in promoting and disseminating rice farm technologies. De Luna, who is also […]

With the theme, Be RICEponsible in your own way now (BROWN) 4 good, DA through its Be Riceponsible campaign, enjoins the public to celebrate the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) in November. This year, NRAM highlights the production and consumption of brown rice. “The theme is also highly promoting the consumption of brown rice since it is a good way to be healthy, to help our farmers have advantage come […]

In time with the National Museum and Galleries Month in October, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has established its second branch of Rice Science Museum in San Mateo, Isabela.  With the opening exhibit theme titled, Bountiful Harvest, the branch museum highlights the role of Isabela, Philippines’ second highest rice-growing province, in providing enough food for the country. The museum also showcases the interaction among the rice varieties – hybrid, inbred, […]

Global adoption of biotech crops is skyrocketing. From 1.7 M ha in 1996, production area has increased to 181.5 M ha in 2014—more than a hundred fold increase, thus making biotech one of the fastest adopted crop technologies worldwide. In the Philippines, adoption of biotech crops has also been increasing. From less than 50,000 ha in 2003, GM corn area has reached 800,000 ha in 2014, ranking the Philippines 12th […]

To promote the latest farming technologies developed by PhilRice, science and technology (S&T) updates were conducted for 109 farmers, municipal legislators, agriculturists, and extension workers in Nagtipunan and Cabbaroguis, Quirino, 21 Sept. and 5 Oct.  “This activity is conducted in various municipalities, and provinces all over the country for legislators’ awareness so they can make informed decisions in the agriculture sector. This is also for farmers to increase their farm […]

Researchers from PhilRice Midsayap in North Cotabato are tapping Muslim religious leaders in disseminating rice information and technologies and integrating the Islamic faith in agricultural development.  Six Muslim religious leaders from the pilot test site in Bgy. Bugawas, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao were trained for two weeks on the Palaycheck system and other rice farming technologies to serve the community and capacitate their fellow farmers after the training. “Community organizing […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Midsayap, North Cotabato has partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to conduct skills training and enhancement on rice production for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.  Over 600 4Ps beneficiaries from Libungan, Aleosan, and Pigcawayan in North Cotabato will be trained on rice production specifically on pests and diseases management, chemical handling, and sustainable farming. The P7M project funded […]

PhilRice researchers are developing a virtual farming assistant designed as mobile application for smartphones.  The AgriDoc App features knowledge links, farm journals, and farm management tools. It can also control advanced instruments in the farm. “The application has knowledge links where users can search for any information regarding rice farming; a farm journal where users can record their activities and monitor farm inputs; a scheduler to improve farm tasking and […]

A model farming community anchored on integrated, and diversified rice-based farming system will soon rise in Isabela to help farmers increase their productivity, and profitability. “The said concept is an upgraded Palayamanan System now called Palayamanan Plus,” said Andres L. dela Cruz, PhilRice Isabela science research specialist. Palayamanan is a diversified integrated rice-based farming system focusing on small-scale rice farming households directed towards farm diversification to increase farm productivity and […]

Researchers from PhilRice discovered that growing of azolla is an alternative way to minimize golden apple snail (GAS) damages in transplanted rice.  Dindo King Donayre, lead researcher, said that growing azolla together with rice will divert the appetency of GAS away from the newly-established rice. “The amount of missing seedlings is significantly reduced up to 89.2% per square meter with an average of 60 snails per square meter,” Donayre said. […]