Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija – Amid rising labor costs and a dwindling number of farmworkers, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is providing a new solution to help farmers plant more efficiently and reduce production expenses. In a field demonstration held in Brgy. Bangad, PhilRice introduced a riding-type paddy seeder capable of planting up to 2.5ha per day while consuming just 1 L of gasoline in an hour. “This machine […]

To provide an environment-friendly alternative to controlling weeds in rice fields, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has partnered with Japan-based NEWGREEN Inc. for the field testing of a solar-powered robot called Aigamorobo.  Under a Memorandum of Agreement, NEWGREEN Inc. will provide two robot units for testing at PhilRice’s Central Experiment Station in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, which will run from the incoming wet season to next year’s dry […]

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) is set to collaborate with Japan-based Sagri Co., Ltd. and the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) Division 1 to pilot a smart agriculture initiative aimed at reducing methane emissions in rice farming while providing carbon credit opportunities for farmers. Under a newly signed Memorandum of Agreement, the research project will utilize Japan’s satellite-based big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning […]

Development communication specialists, Joshua P. Mendoza and Carlo G. Dacumos, of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have been recently recognized for their excellence in journalism and photography. Mendoza, science research specialist and Climate Tracker Asia reporter, won the Best Online Story award at the 17th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards for his report on the potential role of climate change in the migration of fall armyworm in the Philippines. […]