The Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM) received the Outstanding Research and Development Award given by the Los Baños Science Community Foundation Inc.’s (LBSCFI) during the 2016 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW), July 29, 2016. LBSCFI celebrated the NSTW through Syensaya, a science festival celebrated in Los Baños, Laguna with the support of its 22-member agencies and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The paper Mapping and monitoring rice […]

As La Niña is forecasted to hit the country this year, there’s a heightened need to develop technologies that will enable the adaptability and economic stability of rice-based farming communities. Experts from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have evaluated the Sorjan cropping system in response to climate change, to maximize farm productivity, and ensure food security and regular income of farming families. Sorjan, developed by Indonesian farmers, is a […]

In the cooking contest, Going Greens: A cook-off showdown, ten pairs of culinary enthusiasts showed their prowess in preparing brown rice and local green leafy vegetables, July 26. Each participating team was tasked to prepare Filipino dishes from a mystery basket filled with leafy vegetables such as pechay, spinach, camote tops, bitter gourd leaves, string bean leaves, chili pepper leaves, and upland water spinach. To support the Institute’s campaign on […]

A book assessing the country’s provincial rice security was launched during the 38th National Academy of Science and Technology’s (NAST) annual scientific meeting at the Manila Hotel, July 13, 2016. Titled Rice self-sufficiency under the lens of provincial analysis: A new way of looking at the national rice security, the book analyzes the provincial data on rice production, harvested area, and yield from 2000 to 2013 to assess provincial rice […]

Farmers in Brgy. Biclat, San Miguel, Bulacan are taking advantage of the rainy season by saving rainwater for their rice farms’ use during dry months. Small farm reservoirs (SFR) help them do so. SFR, according to Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), is a water impounding structure with a maximum height of embankment of 4 meter and average pond area of 1,500 square meters. Farmers with areas no more […]

Rice farming is a good source of biomass energy. Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, in a lecture given at PhilRice Los Banos on July 15, said rice husks and straws, found in the rice farming environment have so much potential as energy sources. For an average harvest of 4.5 t/ha, there are around 900 kg of rice husks and 4,500 kg of rice straws. “At 3,000 kcal/kg of rice husks and […]

Poor to zero germination of sown seeds is one of the major problems of farmers who practice direct wet seeding during rainy season. Experts at the Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division of PhilRice are working on a study titled Germination under water: Wanted trait for direct wet-seeded rice to solve this problem by identifying breeding lines with high anaerobic germination rate. Anaerobic germination is the ability of the rice seeds […]

                Rice productivity remains a challenge in Isabela, despite being the second largest province in the country with favorable rice-growing environment, according to Isabela Provincial Agriculturist Danilo Tumamao. In a stakeholders’ meeting organized by PhilRice Isabela at Cagayan Valley Research Center on July 7, stakeholders from public and private sectors were gathered to solicit their engagement in helping rice-based communities towards inclusive and […]

Sowing rice seeds in straight rows directly into the soil is now made easier with the reduced-till planter. As the name connotes, the reduced-till planter works in minimally prepared soil at a predetermined seeding rate, with an option to simultaneously apply basal fertilizer. The machine can also be used to plant other crops such as maize, soybean, and mungbean. The machine is a product of collaboration among the DA National […]

Comprising about 19% of the total labor cost in rice production, land preparation can be worrisome for farmers. Experts at the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Division (REMD) of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) find ways to ease farm drudgery while reducing labor cost. They developed a 3-disc plow attachment for hand tractors to make land preparation less laborious and more economical for farmers. Engr. Elmer Bautista of PhilRice’s REMD […]