OK WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE. Taking lessons from the infestations of the fall army worms, 25 farmers in Diffun, Quirino recently underwent a five-day training on pest and nutrient management. Anchored on the PalayCheck System, an integrated crop management system for rice, training sessions emphasized the recommendations on managing major rice pests such as stem borers and rice black bug, and diseases such as bacterial leaf blight and tungro. Recommendations include […]

PEST AND NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY BUSTERS. The Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte recently trained 26 rice specialists on pest and nutrient management. Pest management is critical on rice production as failure in this area could lead to an estimated annual average loss of 37%. Meanwhile, excessive nutrients will cause pest damage, lodging, and soil pollution. The participants, who underwent training for three days, were […]

MINUS-ONE BUT PLUS YIELD. Farmers in Catanauan and Lopez, Quezon learn about the Minus-One Element Technique (MOET) in a recent five-day training conducted by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and Quezon local government unit. MOET is a farmer-friendly and quick soil analysis kit used in diagnosing soil nutrient status including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and copper. DA-PhilRice developed MOET to address high cost of soil chemical test, […]

MULTIPLIERS OF LEARNING. Twenty-five Rice Specialists’ Training Course (RSTC) and 97 Farmer Field School (FFS) participants recently completed a training on the latest farm technologies at the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Agusan del Norte. The trainees from Regions 10, 11, and 13 are now specialists on the production of high-quality inbred rice, seed certification, and farm mechanization. RSTC participants worked in the DA-Regional Field Office, Office […]

The local government units (LGUs) in the Bicol Region under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program are all set in providing farmers with certified rice seeds and knowledge critical on rice production. Romela Montesinay, municipal agriculturist of Malilipot, Albay, said their LGU is boosting its training and extension programs for the farmers, which include the technical briefing conducted during RCEF seed distribution. Recently, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research […]

To ensure high-quality and enough seeds of hybrid rice, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) has been training seed growers in Region II and CAR since June this year. Ending in October, four batches of season-long training and two batches of retooling on hybrid rice seed production and certification were lined-up. The trainees, who are expected to lead the production of public hybrid rice seeds in their areas, […]

With DA-BPI’s release of the final biosafety approval, Golden Rice is now cleared for commercial propagation. Science City of Muñoz, Philippines — Filipino rice consumers are close to benefiting from a Vitamin A-infused rice with the approval of its commercial propagation permit. Dr. John C. de Leon, executive director of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), announced that a biosafety permit for propagating the Golden Rice has been […]

Hangad ng DA-PhilRice ang maginhawang paggamit ng mga teknolohiyang nagpapataas-ani at kita para sa mga magsasaka. Kaya naman maging digital farming ay inilalako na rin. Sa ating mga magsasaka, subukan ang mga digital applications tulad ng Rice Crop Manager o Leaf Color Computing. Pwede na rin gamitin ang Facebook, Youtube, online training , o text center sa pagkuha ng impormasyon. Ano pang hinihintay mo, pili na nang ani at kita […]

Face-to-face communication is among the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has helped us remain connected somehow, providing a safe solution to survive the new normal. In rice farming, ICT-based technologies are supplying stakeholders, particularly farmers, science-based information that they can depend on in their decision-making – it’s all in their phones or computers. Even before the pandemic, efforts to harness the power of ICT […]