Written by the Web Team   Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the country`s lead in rice research and development, is encouraging farmers to avail of its SMS service to manage pests and diseases. Rice blast, the world`s most prevalent disease reducing yield by 50 to 85 percent, may be expected in some fields in the country as its occurrence is triggered by frequent rains and high relative humidity. “Thanks to […]

Written by the Web Team   Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija –  Be RICEponsible, a campaign that aims to help the country continually increase its rice production, partnered with a community church to instill appreciation towards farmers` hard work and brown rice. In a mass feeding program with the San Sebastian Parish Church, Gemma Oreña, 12 years old said she valued more the work of his father, who is […]

Written by the Web Team   Korean rice cultivars being tested in the Philippines are found to be acceptable for farmers in Region III. In a recent sensory evaluation conducted in the Central Experiment Station of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, three Korean rice cultivars received higher acceptable rating over the local Philippine rice variety. Miyang, Dasanbyeo, and Saegyejinmi obtained an acceptable rating ranging from 85 to 87 percent from […]

Written by the Web Team   Hybrid parent lines from Mestiso 1 and 3 could withstand bacterial leaf blight attacks with the successful incorporation of resistance genes using gene pyramiding. This is the result of a research done by a team led by Dr. Dindo A. Tabanao, a plant breeder at PhilRice. Tabanao and his team conducted gene pyramiding or the introduction of multiple target genes from different parental donors […]

Written by the Web Team   In recognition of the importance of its partners in developing high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies for farmers toward productivity, PhilRice reinforces its ties with its local and international rice R&D counterparts during the 2014 Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) Expert Workshop on Development of Rice Production Techniques for Increase of Self-Sufficiency of Staple Food. The AFACI workshop appraises the efforts of member-countries with […]

Written by the Web Team   A Filipino scientist based at the New York University reiterated the importance of a strong base in science and technological research for the economy`s sustained growth. “To turn our back on science and technology will inevitably condemn [the Philippines] to perpetual economic backwardness,”  Dr. Michael D. Purugganan, Professor of Biology and the Dean for Science at New York University, said in the Thought Leaders […]

Written by the Web Team   The Philippines has to sharply scale up investments in research and development (R&D) to compete in the ASEAN Economic Community, University of the Philippines (UP) professors said. Dr. Ernesto Pernia, Dr. Ramon Clarete, and Dr. Gisela Padilla-Concepcion stressed that “economic growth can be effectively sustained by spending for technological innovation that results in new processes, products and markets, and innovation in turn can come […]

Written by the Web Team   Nueva Ecija rice farmers are up to the challenge of beating the record set by Isabela farmers in the dry season competition of Palayabangan, a national search for the best practices that can produce a harvest of 10t/ha  at P5 a kilo or 10-5 challenge.  Producing rice is priced at P11 a kilo while the average national yield is about 4 t/ha. In 2014 […]

Written by the Web Team   Supporting the Be RICEponsible campaign, the Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA) in Nueva Ecija promoted brown rice to sports enthusiasts in a Fun Run held at the Old Capitol Building, Cabanatuan City, July 12. CLMA, headed by Mel D. Ciriaco, awarded the first 100 finishers in the 10-k run with brown rice, the unpolished or partly milled rice with a nutty flavor and has […]

Written by the Web Team   Rice straws, which are generally burned after harvesting, are now made profitable with farmers` wives using them as basic material for mushroom production. Following a recent Specialized Training Course on Mushroom and Vermiculture Production conducted by PhilRice in Midsayap, women in Bual Norte and Bual Sur are encouraging more farmers` wives to join them in forming an organization that will engage in mushroom commercial […]