The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) supports the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in promoting proper nutrition through month-long activities conducted in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. The Institute promotes balanced nutrition by encouraging the public to diversify diet by eating brown rice and other nutritious staple food such as corn and kamote. Led by Rice Chemistry and Food Science Division (RCFSD), the institute’s Nutrition Month celebration highlighted a feeding […]

To help address the growing concern on obesity in the country, the Rice Science Museum recently opened an exhibit on Colors of Rice at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Nueva Ecija.  Sophia Maria Cuevas, curator, said that the exhibit aims to increase awareness on the health and nutritional value of pigmented rices through interactive displays on brown, purple, red, and black rices. “We launched the exhibit this July […]

To emphasize the value of access to financial services in the agriculture sector, PhilRice Los Baños conducted a seminar titled Financial Inclusion: Prospects for Agriculture and Rural Development, 24 June. Asst. Prof. Maria Kristina G. Alinsunurin of the UPLB College of Public Affairs and Development delivered the lecture attended by over 40 Research and Development staff of PhilRice LB. Financial inclusion refers to availability and affordability of basic financial services. […]

PhilRice has installed a billboard along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) promoting the PhilRice Text Center (PTC). The Text Center is an SMS-based helpdesk and customer support service that caters to farmers anywhere in the Philippines. PhilRice’s Text Center Agents respond to more than 300 queries everyday about rice varieties, pest management, or anything that relates to rice crop management. The Institute encourages sharing of the PTC number to farmers […]

New rice varieties  that could withstand in the toughest conditions are now in the pipeline through the Green Super Rice (GSR) Project. GSRs are multi-trait cultivars that produce higher and stable yield using lesser inputs. The multi-trait varieties are resistant to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, alkalinity, iron toxicity, among others. Under the High Yielding Technology Adoption (HYTA) program of DA, the potential of GSRs was introduced to farmers […]

PhilRice’s Batac station and the international Rice Research Institute, in partnership with the local government of Ilocos Norte, conducted a climate change adaptation seminar on 8-10 July at the Capitol session hall of Ilocos Norte, Laoag City.  The 55 participants, all from Ilocos Norte, were out-of-school youth, entrepreneur farmers, municipal agricultural officers, and agricultural extension workers. “We hope that this seminar will help the participants to better adapt to the […]

With rice production woes peaking during the rainy season, PhilRice Agusan in partnership with the Department of Agriculture Regional Office 13 (DA-RFO 13) conducted a training on identifying and managing rice pests and diseases, 7-9 July. “Incidences of rice insect pests and diseases and pests are relatively higher during rainy season. This translates to massive yield loss. Hence, it is imperative that we assist farmers by giving them science-based information,” said […]

President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed Dr. Calixto M. Protacio, a crop science professor and scientist, as the new executive director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).  Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala swore him into office on 10 July replacing DA Assistant Secretary Edilberto M. De Luna who served as the officer-in-charge after the retirement of Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr. in February. Protacio has worked with various […]

The research paper titled Plant disease suppression by a plant-symbiotic endophytic fungus (Epichloë festucae) depends on its ability to produce an antifungal compound has identified a gene responsible for an endophyte’s plant host disease resistance-enhancing ability.  “Endophytes are either bacteria or fungi, which spend the whole or part of their life cycle inside a healthy host plant. Unlike pathogens, they don’t cause apparent symptoms of disease; some of them can […]

The members of the National Cooperative Test (NCT) approved more than 20 inbred and hybrid varieties in 2014 developed by public and private rice breeding institutions. According to PhilRice plant breeder Dr. Oliver Manangkil, among the newly-released varieties, 1 hybrid (Mestiso 55) and 2 inbreds (Tubigan 28 and Tubigan 30) were developed by PhilRice. NSIC Rc354 or Tubigan 28 is an early-maturing variety (112 days) with higher resistance to common […]