Engineers and researchers from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) bagged the major awards at the 29th Philippine Agricultural Engineering Week, 15th International Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Conference and Exhibition, and 68th Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE) Annual National Convention held in Davao City, April 28.
The team of Engr. Kristine S. Pascual from the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division won the first place award under the Development Category for the paper “Accelerating the Dissemination of Alternate-Wetting and Drying and Associated Rice Production Technologies that are Resource-Use Efficient”. This paper tackles soil and water conservation, irrigation, and drainage.
The poster, “Development and Performance Evaluation of a Multi-crop Reduced-till Planter for Rice and Rice-based Crops” also authored by Pascual with Marvelin L. Rafael and Dr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado, likewise got the first place award.
Not only that, PhilRice researchers also received the first place in best paper award under the Research Category. Titled “Development of Appropriate Rice-Based Biomass Gasification Unit as Source of Power for Farm Use”, the paper is written by Alexis T. Belonio, Manuel Jose C. Regalado, and Phoebe R. Castillo. It is is about agricultural mechanization, power, machinery, and equipment.
Moreover, the following two technical papers were awarded third place under the Research Category: 1) Development of a Post-harvest Management Protocol for the Philippine Rice Post Production Industry written by Regalado, Paulino S. Ramos, and Jan dela Cruz; and 2) Sustainability Assessment of Hand-Dug Wells by Jessica P. Jimenez, Armando N. Espino Jr., Vitaliana U. Malamug, and Melissa E. Agulto.
PSABE is founded in 1950 with a vision of advancing agricultural engineering theory and practice, as well as sustainable development and modernization of agriculture and fisheries.
