Written by the Web Team
The Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) had awarded researchers of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) during its 42nd annual conference held at A&A Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, April 16-21.
With the theme, Linking crop science technology and farmers toward sustainable agricultural productivity, the six-day conference highlighted special awards and paper and poster competitions in upstream and downstream research, socio-economics, and technology development, extension, and education.
Imelda A. Dela Cruz, PhilRice’s plant breeder, received the 2012 Sant S. Virmani Hybrid Rice Award in recognition of her significant contributions in hybrid rice breeding since 1989.
The society recognized her leadership in the development of two and three-line breeding system at PhilRice, leading to the release of new hybrid rice varieties including NSIC Rc186H (Mestiso 16), NSIC Rc1998H (Mestiso 17), and NSIC Rc242 (Mestiso 29). She also co-bred the newly-released two-line hybrids, NSIC Rc202H (Mestiso 19) and NSIC Rc204H (Mestiso 20).
In the best paper competitions, Jaime A. Manalo IV’s research titled, Really, they don’t want to farm?: Challenging existing orthodoxies on youth perceptions on rice farming in the Philippines, won in the Technology Extension, Dissemination, and Education category.
Basing from the results of his study conducted in Aurora and Albay, Manalo claimed that the youth want to be engaged in farming because his respondents have “heart for the farming family and vision for the farm.”
“There is a very strong link between love of family and the desire to continue farming in the future. One of my respondents even said that ‘Once a farmer, always a farmer’,” Manalo said.
Manalo said his youth-respondents wanted to become seafarers, nurses or information technologists. However, abandoning farming is not in their immediate list and many said they will invest on farming in the future.
With the results, Manalo proposed that the youth be mobilized as infomediaries for farmers who would access information and communications technology (ICTs) for those who have anxieties in using the device and other ICTs.
Meanwhile, the study, Exploring the flowering behavior of NSIC Rc204H (Mestiso 20) parent lines for optimum synchronization and high seed yield by Democrito B. Rebong II and Anna Theresa Isabel O. Rebong of PhilRice Isabela landed Best Poster in the Technology Development, Extension, and Education category. Results of the study are important with the commercialization of Mestiso 20 in 50,000 ha across the country in this year’s wet season.
Results revealed that P-line or the male parent flower seven days ahead of S-line or female parent. However, they have observed that flowering duration of S-line from heading until flowering stage is about two days while P-lines flower in half a day. As such, researchers recommended that P-lines should be seeded five days after seeding the S-lines to attain flowering synchronization.
It was also found that the floret opening of male parent is from 9 a.m to 12 noon while female florets open at 8 a.m. -5 p.m. As implication, researchers advised seed growers to remove dew out of S-line panicles before 8 a.m. as this will increase the temperature around the panicle and enhance early opening of florets.
“Supplementary pollination should also be more thorough from the third to fifth day of flowering of the parent lines as these are the days when floret opening are on its peak,” they said.
CSSP is an association of scientists organized to promote human welfare through the discovery and dissemination of knowledge on the nature, utilization, improvement and interrelationships of plants and their environment, and the people.
