Maguindanao del Sur farmer Hanan K. Abedin, 36, has reported a 4 to 7t/ha yield increase since he began using eDamuhan, an app he learned in 2022 from the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) to help identify weeds.
The app employs artificial intelligence and photo recognition to identify weed species. Farmers can browse its list of Philippine weed species, which includes their scientific and local names, their ill impact on rice, and provides science-based recommendations for control measures.
“I discovered the app on Google Play Store and started using it three years ago. It guided me in identifying weeds and in managing my field better, from land preparation to water control,” Abedin said.
Scientist Dindo King M. Donayre, who led the app’s content development, noted that unmanaged weeds can cause severe yield losses—up to 40% in irrigated areas and as high as 90% in upland farms.
“We noticed many farmers carrying printed guides to identify weeds, so we built a more accessible digital version,” said Nehemiah L. Caballong, PhilRice information systems expert.
While Abedin’s experience offers a promising glimpse into the app’s potential, PhilRice has yet to release broader field data on its impact across other farming communities.
PhilRice is currently working to improve the app’s accuracy and real-time functionality, though it acknowledged that more data and large-scale impact assessments are still needed. The app is free and available for download on the Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ph.gov.philrice.edamuhan&pcampaignid=web_share).
