To help Bicolano farmers become more climate resilient, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) promotes the use of quality seeds in the recent 2018 Lakbay Palay Dry Season held at PhilRice Bicol, Ligao City, Albay. Dr. Jonathan Niones, head of PhilRice Genetics Resources Division, encouraged seeds growers to increase their production of quality seeds so that access to these seeds is improved. With the region’s vulnerability to typhoons, flood, and […]

An analysis tool called the Rice Integrative Genomics Workbench in Galaxy (RIGby) will be released soon to hasten breeding of stress-tolerant rice varieties. A ‘swiss knife’ of tools for bioinformatics, Dr. Reynante L. Ordonio, a PhilRice biotechnology expert, said RIGBy will help generate genomic data needed in developing new rice varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases and can withstand drought, flood, low temperature, and salinity. Ordonio argues that […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Batac station joined the week-long celebration of Farmer’s Festival in Batac City this May 1-7. In the exhibit jointly set-up by seven Department of Agriculture (DA) attached agencies based in Batac, various production technologies were presented. For PhilRice, it showcased the importance of farm mechanization with miniatures of the Multi-Purpose Seeder and the Bamboo Bin Dryer. Some activities included in PhilRice’s booth were selling […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute was recently recognized by the Intellectual Property (IP) Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) for having the most number of patents granted to a government institution in the past 20 years. “Gawad Yamang Isip: Special Awards” was given to PhilRice during Intellectual Property Convergence 2018 held in Makati City, April 26. The said award is usually given to private and public institutions with record-breaking achievements in […]

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 […]

Farmers who depend on pumps for irrigation water suffer from the increased fuel prices. Their fuel consumption accounts for some 30% of their total production cost. TRAIN increases the production cost of pump-dependent farmers by 50 centavos for every kilogram of palay produced, which diminishes their income by 10%. Mechanization does not significantly increase farm fuel cost. To cushion the ill effects of TRAIN on rice farming, pump-dependent farmers have […]