Amidst the rising prices of fertilizers in the country, DA-PhilRice launched the balanced fertilization strategy during this dry season Lakbay Palay, April 6-7.
Together with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Agricultural Training Institute, and Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division, DA’s campaign “Abonong Swak (Swak sa badyet, swak sa palay),” was promoted to urge farmers to complement inorganic fertilizer application with organic materials.
Nutrient experts from DA said that organic and biofertilizers could provide the supplemental nutrition needed by the rice crop, and that farmers could also save P2,000 – P4,000 per hectare by using these in combination with inorganic fertilizers.
Organic-inorganic fertilizer combinations based on their budgets and target yields were introduced to the farmers by BSWM Assistant Director Dr. Gina P. Nilo on the first day, and by the institute’s nutrient management expert Wilfredo B. Collado on the second day.
The event also featured the soft launch of the DA-PhilRice 360 virtual tour presented by Lorelie Vee C. Domingo. The tour is a self-navigated online platform that features a 360° view of the institute’s most commonly visited areas, including the laboratories, farm machine sites, Rice Science Museum, and FutureRice Farm.
Around 500 farmers, partners, and other stakeholders from Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Quirino, Ifugao, Aurora, Bataan, and Zambales benefitted from the educational visit.
The participants toured the evaluation site of rice lines and germplasm, machine display, and Palayamanan for the walk tour; and the model farm, agronomy project, machine demo, and FutureRice Farm for the ride tour.
Led by the Community Relations Office, the Lakbay Palay was held face-to-face for the first time since 2020, following the Nueva Ecija-Interagency Task Force rules and guidelines governing the control and management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The activity was aired through the Institute’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DAPhilRice.
