To help farmers maximize water use and improve irrigation efficiency, the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, in partnership with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), have trained about 130 NIA Region 1 staff on Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and other water-saving technologies. Held in four batches at PhilRice Batac, the two-day training provided hands-on learning on the said technology that can reduce water use by up to 30% while maintaining rice yields. AWD not only helps farmers cut costs on water and fuel but also contributes to sustainable rice farming by improving soil health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
