Close to 4,000 farmers were updated with the latest technologies through the Lakbay-Palay conducted at the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, April 14-15. 
Celia Abadilla, activity lead coordinator, said that FutureRice Farm, breeder seed production, and on-farm learning center were among the stations where visiting farmers, mostly from the country’s rice granary, learned new technologies.
Promoting technologies that are clean, green, practical, and smart, the FutureRice Farm the solar panel, mechanically transplanted rice, reduced tillage technology, and Korean and traditional varieties. Abadilla said that the farm also featured organic farming, nutrient recycling, use of alternative energy, and farm mechanization.
“Most farmers inquire about the seeds that they can plant the next season. So in the breeder seed production area, modern rice varieties were planted for farmers to select the varieties most suited to their field. They also saw the result of planting certified seeds,” Abadilla said.
Farmers were taught on how to use the ICT-based fertilizer guides such as Rice Crop Manager and MOET (Minus-One Element Technique) Application. Rice Crop Manager, which data underwent 15 years of intensive research across the country, provides specific amount of fertilizer and its time of application while MOET app can diagnose nutrient deficiencies of the rice crop.
The two-day activity is held bi-annually usually during harvest season.
