Written by Web Team   The Department of Agriculture (DA) designated Ruben B. Miranda, deputy director for development (DED) of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), as the Institute’s officer-in-charge following the reassignment of its chief to DA last week of March. Miranda, who has been with the country`s lead agency on rice research and development for 20 years, served as DED in 2009. He also led the implementation of […]

Written by Web Team   Come harvest season, crop protection experts advise farmers to clean up grain spills to prevent rats from habituating the field. Ulysses Duque, crop protection expert at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), say rat population increases during harvest season as the rodents multiply rapidly when food sources are aplenty. Studies on rat ecology found that female rats can give birth to 120 puppies in a cropping […]

The Department of Agriculture (DA), through Asst. Sec. Dennis B. Araullo, announced that the country is all set in achieving enough food for the Filipinos with the submission of the Philippine Food Staples Self-Sufficiency and the National Food Authority Roadmaps for 2011-2016 to the Malacañang. “The road to self-sufficiency is not well-paved yet. What we need to do, foremost, is to increase farmers’ income to make them believe rice farming […]

Written by Web Team   Ronilo A. Beronio, executive director of Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), maintains optimism that the country could hit its goal of producing enough rice with the innovations and initiatives on research, development, and extension (RD&E), which contribute 40 percent to rice self-sufficiency. “As far as RD&E is concerned, technology components and [other social aspects] are well-covered. With the accomplishments in rice R&D during the past […]

Written by Web Team   With two years left to hit the country’s goal of rice self-sufficiency, the 24th National Rice Research and Development (R&D) Conference being conducted at Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, March 16-18, focuses on optimizing the accomplishments in rice research and development during the past 25 years. Being hosted by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the three-day conference provides opportunities on charting more doable solutions in […]

Written by Web Team   An internationally-funded project, hosted by Philippine Rice Research Institute based in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, helped increase rice production in Tarlac by 83 percent last cropping season. Jesusa Noveda, municipal agriculturist in Lapaz, a 4th class municipality in the province,  said the project, Increasing Rice Yields and Productivity through the Promotion of Small-Scale Irrigation and Integrated Crop Management Systems in Rainfed Areas improved […]

Written by Web Team   New and high yielding rice varieties, with maximum yield potential ranging from 9-12 t/ha, are being promoted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to help farmers increase their production. Thelma F. Padolina, division head of PhilRice`s Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division, said the varieties, released since 2009, are noted for their 1 t/ha-yield advantage over the previously bred varieties. The inbred varieties, suited for […]

Written by Web Team   Farmer-partners at the Location Specific Technology Development (LSTD) project sites of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) are receiving more benefits with the Institute`s forged partnership with a micro-financing organization. Alliance of Philippine Partners in Enterprise Development, Inc. (APPEND), through its affiliate, Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), initially released more than P700,000 to about 45 farmers in Bulacan and Aurora for this year’s dry season. […]

Written by Web Team   Farmers` worries on controlling the populations of rice black bugs (RBB) may now be lessened with the mass production of the insect pests’ biological enemies. In a recent National Consultation and Planning Workshop to Address RBB and other Pests in the Philippines conducted at PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, experts from public sector agreed to make Metarhizium anisopliae […]

Written by Web Team   Department of Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala urged Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country`s lead in rice science and development, to help him find ways to attain the country’s goal of rice self-sufficiency by 2013. “Attaining rice sufficiency is possible when we find ways to make it possible with the efforts of institutions such as PhilRice,” the agriculture secretary said in Filipino during his […]