NSIC releases 2 hybrid rice varieties

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

THE NATIONAL SEED INDUSTRY COUNCIL (NSIC) has again released for commercial planting two hybrid rice varieties bred by private seed companies but developed with the national Rice Varietal Improvement Group (RVIG) led by PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute). 

The new varieties are PSD 3 of Syngenta Phils. and BCS 064 of  Bayer Crop Science, which now carry the names NSIC Rc166H (Mestizo 10) and NSIC Rc168H (Mestizo 11), respectively.  In the national cooperative tests (NCT) in four cropping seasons from the 2005 dry season to 2007 wet season, both varieties produced an average yield of 130 bags a hectare (ha). 

Both are recommended for transplanting culture in irrigated lowland areas throughout the year, but preferably during the dry season.
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Craving for mushroom turns into a thriving agribusiness

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Eleven years ago, a mechanical engineer in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija craved for mushroom but was not able to buy any because no one was culturing it.  This prompted him to look for mushroom spawns instead so that he would produce the mushrooms himself.

For a number of years in between his busy schedule as a construction contractor, Jack Nagano continued asking people where he could buy the spawns but no source could be found.  After five years, he was invited to attend a three-day seminar on mushroom production and he offered his resort as the venue of the seminar.
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Public investments needed in improving rice productivity: III

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

So what now are the challenges to the “good news”?

Dr. Castillo mentioned that along with investments in improving rice productivity, efforts must be exerted to manage the denominator of the rice-population equation, which is rice consumption of the population.  Rice production is the numerator in calculating self-sufficiency, according to her.

She noted that over a 36-year period from 1970 to 2006, the Philippine population increased from 37 million to 87 million but rice production increased only 2.88 times.  During the same period, average per capita rice consumption also increased by 37 kg per capita or 45 percent from 82 kg to 119 kg.  In contrast, area harvested increased by only 1.34 times.
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Public investments needed in improving rice productivity: II

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Dr. Castillo’s arithmetic calculations also showed that only 25 of the 97 released varieties ranked among the top 10 in popularity among farmers (1991-2002) over three wet seasons and three dry seasons. 

Among the most popular top 10 varieties, 14 are from IRRI (IR64, IR60, PSB Rc10, PSB Rc18, IR36, PSB Rc4, PSB Rc28, PSB Rc82, IR72, PSB Rc2, PSB Rc80, IR68, IR5, and IR70).  In like manner, two are from PhilRice (PSB Rc42 and PSB Rc66); three from UPLB (PSB Rc74, PSB Rc14, and PSB Rc12); one from BPI (BPI Rc1); and five are traditional varieties (Masipag, Burdagol, PSB Rc36, Pino and Bugos).
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Public investments needed in improving rice productivity: I

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

The message of all this arithmetic is clear.  Without investments in improving rice productivity and efforts to manage the denominator of the rice-population equation, along with a focus on local-level potentials for growth, we will have to “run even faster just to stay in place’.”

This is how Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, world renown Filipino sociologist and a member of the board of trustees of PhilRice [Philippine Rice Research Institute], wrapped up her comments on the findings of the economist Dr. Mercedes Sombilla, a member of the team of experts that did an external review of PhilRice.

In her paper “The Arithmetic of Rice Production, Population, and Natural Resource Endowments”, Dr. Castillo said public investments on the development of new rice varieties, irrigation, and the accompanying improved rice crop management practices have led to increased yields.
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Biogas Generation and Durabloom Production at Wellisa Farms

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

THE PHILIPPINES won’t have much problem with methane gas emission if poultry and swine farms have their own biogas digesters for swine and use the sludge together with the poultry manure for the production of bio-organic fertilizer. Just like what Wellisa Farms in Bantayan Island and Consolacion Cebu is doing.

Owned and managed by a relatively young Chinoy, Wellington Chanlim, Wellisa Farms is a franchisee of Novatech Agri-Food Industries whose main processing plant is in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac. As one of the franchisees of Novatech, Wellisa Farms also produces the bio-organic fertilizer Durabloom. This fertilizer is now making waves in Mindanao, as users spread the word about its effectiveness in corn, rice, sugarcane, and fruit crops.
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Organic Agriculture and Certification now pushed

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Two years after Executive Order 481 was signed and declared that it is a national policy to promote organic agriculture nationwide, the Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of   Soils and Water Management (BSWM), now appears to be all out in the promotion of organic agriculture.  At the same time, the Organic Alliance of the Philippines has started to train trainers on organic agriculture and certification.

In his speech during a training at UP Los Banos, BSWM director Silvino Tejada said this sudden shift in agricultural production policy was caused by a number of factors.  First, the Green Revolution in the mid-sixties failed to sustain production targets to cope with the rapidly burgeoning population.  Secondly, the rising costs of agricultural inputs, primarily inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, exact a heavy burden on our farmers.
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Sprouted pigmented rice a rich source of nutrients

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Aside from the usual boiled rice and champorado prepared by housewives   for their respective family, they can also prepare dishes from sprouted pigmented rice and at the same time provide more nutrients for their family members.

Food chemists of PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute) have found that the unpolished pigmented rice when sprouted, just like toge, is a rich source of fiber, iron, vitamins and minerals.  It also contains other micronutrients needed by the human body.

Dr. Marissa Romero, who led the PhilRice food chemists, said sprouted pigmented rice can be consumed “just like toge or mongo sprouts and can be eaten alone, as viand, or as snack.”
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PhilRice comes up with submergence tolerant line

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

A RICE line that could withstand complete submergence for at least two weeks has been developed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

This line may very well be one of PhilRice’s answers to the adverse effects that would be brought about by climate change, which is expected to lead to greater rainfall variability, resulting in increased frequency of extreme events like flashfloods in some places.
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High hopes with Durabloom among Bayambang farmers

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

CORN FARMERS in San Gabriel, Bayambang, Pangasinan cultivating 301 hectares are placing their stakes on the bio-organic fertilizer Durabloom as they now witness the impressive performance of the crops of two farmer leaders.

Their centers of attention are the corn crops of Edgardo Abaya in Barangay Tubektubang, Moncada, Tarlac and Rogelio dv. dela Pena in San Gabriel. Edgardo, 43, resides in San Gabriel, which is to Tubektubang.

Rogelio, 54, resides at the Bayambang town center but is the chairman of the San Gabriel Segundo Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a prospective recipient of drying facilities from the Department of Agriculture. He is also the chairman of the Region I Federation of Corn Cluster Associations.
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