SAN AGUSTIN, Pili, Camarines Sur—The Department of Agriculture-5 through its Rice Program conducted the Hybrid Rice Seed Derby on November 26, 2021 at the Central Bicol Experiment Station (CBES) here to promote to the rice farmers high yielding and cost reducing technologies and the importance of using hybrid rice seeds to enhance rice productivity in the region amid the Covid19 pandemic.
Lorenzo Alvina, Chief of the Integrated Laboratories Division, represented DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla who was in Manila.
He said that this is the second Hybrid Rice Derby at the DA RFO5 to convince rice farmers to adopt hybrid rice technology. The use of hybrid rice seeds together with recommended amount of fertilizer has been proven to increase farmers’income by up to 20%.
Alvina reiterated Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar’s marching order to promote the use of organic fertilizer through balanced fertilization to help farmers save on fertilizer cost.
Regional Rice Focal Person Earl Vincent Vegas said that this initiative will show the farmers that the hybrid seed variety is adaptable to our environment.
Alvina said that the nine seed companies showcased their rice varieties to more than 77 farmers, municipal agriculturists, representatives of seed companies and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).
“The 17 hybrid rice seed varieties include Bioseed’s Biorice 453; Syngenta’s NK 5017 and S6003; Bayer’s AZ 88433 DT, Habilis Plus and Bigante Plus; DOSEPCO’s Mestizo 20; Seedworks’ TH 82 and US 88; Corteva’s PHB 77 and PHB 79; SL Agritech’s SL 19, SL 20 and SL 68; Longping’s Longping 205 and Longping 937; and Leads Agri’s Jackpot.”
The techno-demo covered 5.95 hectares with each seed variety planted in an area of 3,500-sqm. The technicians of seed companies used their package of technologies.
The farmer-participants were from the municipalities of Bula, Buhi, Goa, San Fernando, Magarao, San Jose, Minalabac, Pamplona, Libmanan and Lagonoy.
DA Bicol distributed knapsack sprayers, plant growth enhancers, foliar fertilizers and laminated sacks to the 14 farmers’ associations and cooperatives.
According to IRRI, hybrid rice is a type of rice that has been bred from two different parents. It can significantly outyield other rice varieties. When the right parents are selected, the hybrid will have both greater vigor and yield that either of the parents. (jaysonmgonzales)
