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NEWS & EVENTS

Mar 29, 2023

7 rice projects underwent pre-completion review

To keep track and align targets and deliverables, as well as ensure the project’s smooth implementation, the DA-BAR conducted a virtual pre-completion review of seven rice R4D projects funded under the National Rice Program on 28-29 March 2023.Serving as the evaluators for the review were Dr. Pompe C. Sta Cruz and Paul Joseph Ramirez of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.Of the total, three projects were anchored on rice-based Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) technology which were implemented by the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management and DA-Bureau of Plant Industry.SMS is a technology on the production of easy-to-adopt, low-cost rice-based SMS soil conditioner from Pleurotus sp. for rice and mushroom farmers. This technology can be used by farmers in producing good quality rice-based soil conditioner from SMS through addition of organic plant supplements readily available in the farm. While the remaining four researches were geared towards scaling out of Rice Crop Manager (RCM) which were implemented by DA-Zamboanga Peninsula, West Visayas State University, Isabela State University, and Mindanao State University. Evaluators suggested to the RCM team to improve their interventions and further refine the RCM tool within the region.The RCM is a decision tool which provides a more specific and detailed fertilizer recommendation for Zamboanga Peninsula. The project’s objective is to improve the nutrient recommendation of RCM.

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Nov 30, -0001

Enhancing the native chicken breed in Zamboanga

Crossbreeding native chicken types is one strategy that has attracted poultry farmers to combine traits and qualities to produce a more favorable and resilient breed. This creative strategy deviates from conventional techniques and shows great promise in the pursuit of better results. Crossbreeding for success The DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) funded project titled, Community-based Native Chicken highlighted the positive outcomes of crossbreeding native chicken varieties in Zamboanga. Native chickens, known for their resilience and adaptability, form the foundation of many local poultry farms. However, crossbreeding aims to combine the favorable traits of different native breeds to create a more robust and productive lineage.The positive outcomes shown in Zamboanga demonstrate how well the crossbreeding technique works to improve the performance of native chicken populations. The resulting hybrid chickens have a superior combination of traits that lead to increased overall output in addition to retaining the resilience and adaptability of their native counterparts. This achievement supports the idea that crossbreeding is a useful technique for farmers looking to improve their methods for raising chickens.In addition, the project's emphasis on community-based projects highlights how cooperative and participatory it is. Through community involvement, it creates a venue for knowledge exchange and gives farmers the ability to directly contribute to the crossbreeding program's success. This strategy produces a beneficial effect that extends beyond the project's local boundaries by encouraging a sense of sustainability and responsibility throughout the community.Increased growth rate and resilienceThe higher growth rates seen in crossbred chickens are one of the noteworthy benefits that have been documented. Researchers have successfully mated chickens with desired qualities, such as uniform shank color and faster maturity to create hybrids that grow more quickly than conventional local breeds. This increases the efficiency of chicken farming operations overall and shortens the time to market.Furthermore, crossbreeding has shown to improve the quality of meat. Customers find the resulting hybrids more enticing since they frequently have a good balance of meat tenderness, flavor, and general quality. This is an important consideration in a market that is competitive and where customers are becoming more picky about the quality of the goods they buy.In terms of resilience, native chickens are recognized for their hardiness and capacity for environmental adaptation. The crossbred native chicken has greater resilience to common poultry diseases, lowering the need for antibiotics and other drugs, encouraging a more environmentally friendly and sustainable method of raising chickens.

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Mar 27, 2023

OPV corn highlights DA-BAR seminar

“Ang kagandahan sa [open pollinated variety] (OPV) pwede mo siyang itanim nang kahit ilang beses. Hindi gaya sa hybrid, ‘yong kanyang F1 seeds minsan mo lang sya itanim hindi na pwede kapag 2nd generation (F2). Pwedeng itanim [ang F2] pero you will not expect na ‘yong yield mo doon sa unang tinanim mo na F1 ay ganun din ang magiging yield due to inbreeding depression,” said corn breeding and corn seed production expert Roynic Y. Aquino of DA-Cagayan Valley Research Center during the DA-BAR in-house seminar on 16 March 2023 held via Cisco Webex and Facebook Live.From its name, OPV are pollinated through natural mechanisms (eg. insects, birds, wind, and humans). Its seeds will remain true-to-type year after year provided that it is not mixed with other varieties or cross pollinated from other varieties to avoid contamination. Crops from OPV are genetically diverse, giving varied appearances unlike the highly uniform ones produced from hybrid seeds.“OPV can be thought of as an extended family with all members having similar related characteristics, yet there will still be some extremes within the family,” Aquino said.He added that improved OPVs are available in the market. These are developed to be drought tolerant, disease resistant, and well adapted to the areas for which it is recommended. The cost of OPV seed is significantly cheaper than that of its hybrid counterpart. Its seeds can be recycled with minimal loss in yield, unlike the recycled hybrid seed which suffers as much as 30% loss in yield. Certified OPV seeds can be planted again for a maximum of three years without significant yield loss.Aquino also enumerated disadvantages of growing OPV such as its yield potential is typically 10-25% lower than that of hybrid seeds. He, however, noted that this often depends on the management and production environment of the farm. If the farm is situated in an area with high yield potential and has access to fertilizer and pesticides, then growing OPV will reduce their profit margin.The lack of uniformity in its appearance and maturity might also lead to less aesthetically pleasing harvests which could potentially impact its price, as well as difficulties in carrying out certain operations such as harvesting.Aquino also explained the three stages in OPV seed production, as well as tips on selecting planting materials of OPV corn. He also discussed the various food products, especially the Café Bagga, developed from OPV white and pigmented corn under the Mangi Maxi trademark.Café Bagga is a traditional breakfast drink in the region made from pan roasted purple and glutinous corn grits. The Sta. Maria Green Ladies Organization were among the beneficiaries trained to produce and commercialize the said product. At present, this drink is locally marketed in the region and is sold for PhP 75 per 250-gram pouch. This month’s seminar also aims to highlight the accomplishments of women in the agriculture and fisheries research for development sector in celebration of the National Women’s Month.

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Mar 27, 2023

MIMAROPA oil spill affected-communities receive 7,500 seed packets

The Institute of Plant Breeding under the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture and Food Science (UPLB CAFS IPB) turned over 7,500 vegetable seed packets to oil spill affected-communities in MIMAROPA on 27 March 2023 at the DA-MIMAROPA Main Office.This was made possible through the project titled, Scaling-out the Utilization of IPB-Developed Seeds for Selected Lowland Vegetables toward Sustainable Seed System, aimed to assist households and farming communities stricken by calamities in immediate rehabilitation through provision of alternative source of food and income.The vegetable seed packets were handed over by the UPLB CAFS IPB director Fe dela Cueva to DA-MIMAROPA regional executive director Engr. Maria Christine Inting. A simple turnover ceremony was held previously at the IPB, represented by DA Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and the National Program director for Urban Agriculture Gerald Glenn Panganiban, together with the project team leaders and senior consultants from IPB.Regional executive director Engr. Inting gratefully acknowledged the support in meeting the food and nutrition security needs of fishery families, as well as residents in oil spill-affected areas in Oriental Mindoro, adding that vegetable production in their homes may offer an alternative or supplemental source of food and income. In turn, IPB director dela Cueva assured the provision of technical assistance to ensure the availability of good quality seeds in support of the office’s initiatives to sustain food production systems in the region.Funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research, the said seed systems project has already distributed and made available 100,500 basic or breeder seed packets of selected IPB-approved varieties of lowland vegetables and legumes to partner DA regional field offices (RFOs) since 2022.Under the project, the produced breeder or foundation seeds will also be distributed to partner local government units, interested state universities and colleges, seeds growers, and cooperatives toward commercial scale seed production and distribution or sale to end-users. With established seed production partnership with nine DA-RFOs, IPB has an ongoing production of basic and breeder seeds from 17 crops and 31 varieties. These include tomato, eggplant, squash, pole sitao, bush sitao, cowpea, ampalaya, cucumber, okra, upo, patola, roselle, winged bean, lima bean, mungbean, peanut, and food soybeans.Further to this, DA and IPB also provided trainings and produced different information, education, and communication materials to outscale the adoption of package of technologies and enhance technical capacities of seed growers, associations, and cooperatives.

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Mar 30, 2023

DA-BAR represents Phl at the ASEAN-CRN Knowledge Exchange Event

“If no countermeasures are made, the devastation caused by rising floods will cost Asia’s major cities billions of dollars in the following years,” said DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) OIC-director Joell H. Lales during his opening remarks at the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) Knowledge Exchange Event and Partners Meeting on 28-30 March 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.“[T]his event allows us, policymakers and researchers, to answer those questions, and connect us with the scientific community, giving us the avenue to create meaningful dialogue, and exchange of information, expertise and experience on climate-smart approaches to food systems,” he added.As the incoming chair of the 17th ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agricultural Research and Development (ATWGARD), OIC-director Lales co-chaired the event and represented the Philippines, together with DA-Climate Resilience Agriculture Office director Alicia A. Ilaga and DA-BAR International R4D Relations acting head Mara Shyn Valdeabella-Pacunana. Co-hosted by the Philippine DA with Thailand’s Department of Agriculture, who is the current chair of the ASEAN-CRN, the three-day event was highlighted by discussions and presentations aimed at building the capacities of ASEAN-CRN focal points on the utilization of agrometeorology and climate information services, digitalization of information, and how agriculture can help achieve national climate targets. Attended by ASEAN-CRN, ATWGARD focal points, international development organizations conducting similar initiatives in the region, as well as civil society organization partners, the knowledge exchange event also highlighted the importance of forging multi-stakeholder engagements and having an enabling environment where climate policies, tools, and innovations will be institutionalized and effectively implemented.The Knowledge Exchange Event and Partners Meeting is one of the regional events of the network, whose key messages will form part of the upcoming 8th ASEAN-CRN Annual Meeting agenda and afterwards, the 17th ATWGARD meeting which will take place on 4-5 April 2023, respectively. “As we continue to underscore the important role that research and development plays in agriculture sector, I enjoin the ASEAN member states present here to stay engaged and continue the discussions as we see to it that the concepts and topics we discussed the past two days will be translated to actions that will ultimately lead to better lives for our smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, and communities,” said OIC-director Lales. 

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Mar 02, 2023

Ubi production empowers Aytas in Zambales and Pampanga

Purple yam has been a staple in Filipino desserts, pastries, and snacks, from the classic halayang ubi to the avant-garde ubi taho or champorado. In late 2019, the Religious of the Good Shepherd announced that they will be selling “white” ubi jams instead of the usual hue due to shortage of purple yam supply. This might be one of the instances that highlighted the gap between its demand and local production.In Central Luzon, purple yam is mainly sourced from the local production of the indigenous peoples in Zambales and Pampanga. This root crop has  high tolerance to stress and drought. However, the existing farmer’s practice cannot fully maximize their local production. They usually plant ubi in small patches of land and manage it only through their local knowledge, which results in low productivity.To assist and empower selected ubi farming indigenous peoples in the said provinces, DA-Central Luzon Integrated Agricultural Research Center for Upland Development (CLIARC-UD) spearheaded a community development program. Funded by DA-BAR, the project aims to increase the ubi yield and income of the IP farmers, as well as link three IP farmers’ groups to institutional buyers like MAYANI. DA-CLIARC-UD trained 30 IP farmers on ubi production. They introduced the following technology interventions: 1) use of quality planting materials and recommended varieties PSB VU-2 (Zambal) and PRA-35 (Kinampay), 2) cropping calendar from May to February, 3) use of ubi production guide developed by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and 4) soil analysis as basis for fertilizer application.“Malaking pagkakaiba sa [pagtatanim namin] noon at sa ngayon kasi naka-arrange na ang pagtatanim. Hindi gaya dati may tanim ka rito may tanim ka doon,” said farmer-partner Benzon S. King Jr. when asked about the differences between their local practice and the technology intervention introduced through the project.King is a member of the Sama-sama sa Kaunlaran para sa Pagsulong ng Barangay Ayta Inararo, Inc., one of the farmer cooperatives and associations tapped in the project. The other two are the Lupon ng Itanglew sa Ganap na Asenso and Ayta Sambunga Farmer Association. Through the project, DA-CLIARC-UD has procured 17,000 planting materials which were distributed to the farmers.While the project initially aims to link them to institutional buyers, project leader Dr. Emily A. Soriano shared during the project monitoring on 15 February 2023 that the IP farmers asserted their preference to market their own produce because they can dictate the selling price.“Hindi nila problem ang market. Nabebenta nila ang kanilang produkto sa presyong gusto nila. For example, hindi bababa ng PhP 50 [per kilogram pero] nabebenta pa nila hanggang PhP 80 per kilo. Unlike sa area na kinukuhanan ng MAYANI, nasa PhP 20-25 lang ang [per kilo],” she said.She added, “Kaya sabi nila na mas okay na sila ang magma-market ng sarili nilang produkto dahil nakukuha nila ang gusto nilang presyo. Isang ektarya na matamnan nila kumikita sila mula PhP 80,000 to PhP 100,000.”Dr. Soriano also noted that while the project introduced the cropping calendar of May to February, they decided to retain the farmers’ practice of December to November, as it coincides with the holiday season when demand is at its highest.Other activities of the project are the production of good quality planting materials and the development of ubi powder which can be used as base for various pastries and desserts.