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 technology to monitor methane reduction through the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method. 

Methane is a greenhouse gas that intensifies the greenhouse effect, trapping heat and raising Earth’s temperatures. 

To be pilot-tested in Burgos, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, the project will compare AWD to conventional continuous flooding this dry season.

“This initiative brings cutting-edge Japanese agri-tech to the Philippine rice sector, allowing us to optimize water management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and generate economic benefits through carbon credits,” Engr. Kristine S. Pascual, project lead, said.

Studies show that AWD, a technique that intermittently dries rice paddies instead of keeping them constantly flooded, can help reduce methane emissions. In the agreement, PhilRice will provide the technical expertise while NIA-UPRIIS Division 1 will facilitate the identification of project areas, ensure proper irrigation scheduling, and provide technical support to farmer cooperators. Sagri will oversee data analysis, predictive modeling, and remote sensing in collaboration with PhilRice.

Pascual said that the research will use on-the-ground and remote sensing approaches to validate AWD’s effectiveness in reducing methane emissions. 

“By integrating Sagri’s satellite-based water level detection and carbon credit monitoring system, the research project aims to come up with a robust methodology that can be integrated to the  Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) methodology, a program that promotes low-carbon technologies in partner countries including the Philippines,” she said.

Under the JCM, the Philippines can tap into international cooperation, technology transfer, and funding to accelerate AWD adoption. This initiative supports the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which prioritize cutting agricultural emissions and promoting sustainable rice farming practices. Project partners hope that the pilot study would position rice farmers to benefit from carbon trading markets, helping to make agriculture environmentally and economically sustainable.

The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. John C. de Leon, PhilRice executive director; Engr. Aldous Joseph S. Lamucho, NIA-UPRIIS Division I manager; Kazuki Sakamoto, Sagri Co., Ltd. ASEAN Business head; and Mark Patrick P. Atabay, Sagri Business development officer. Dr. Eduardo Jimmy Quilang, PhilRice deputy executive director for research, also participated virtually.

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Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture created through Executive Order 1061 on 5 November 1985 (as amended) to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

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Philippine Rice Research Institute