PhilRice pushes quality seeds

THE Philippine Rice Research Institute ( PhilRice) has urged seed growers in the Bicol region to use quality seeds to help their crops become more climate resilient, which would help increase farmers’ rice yield.

Jonathan Niones, head of PhilRice Genetics Resources Division, encouraged farmers in the recent 2018 Lakbay Palay Dry Season held at PhilRice Bicol, Ligao City, Albay, to increase their production of quality seeds so access to these seeds is improved.

Niones emphasized that by using quality seeds, farmers will be able to increase rice yield by 5 to 10 percent “owing to its high percentage of germination rate and high level of purity.”

According to him, it will also help Bicolano farmers become more climate resilient given the region’s vulnerability to typhoons, flood, and drought. Quality seeds are also known for their vigor, resistance to diseases, and uniform growth.

Niones told 270 Bicolano farmers, who ranked first for climate- smart resiliency, that quality seeds are better to plant because they have at least 85- percent germination rate.

“Low- quality seeds lead to unsynchronized germination and growth of crop, which will later become a problem in crop management,” he said.

For Bicol region, PhilRice recommends NSIC Rc 302 and NSIC Rc 308, which can yield from 5.7 to 10.9 tons per hectare ( t/ ha). Newly- released varieties, NSIC Rc 352 and NSIC Rc 354, are also suitable for the region, according to Philrice.

In 2016, PhilRice made the rice seeds more accessible to farmers through Lakbay Binhi, a project that brings high quality and location- specific seeds through trucks converted into mobile seed centers.

Since then PhilRice experts have visited provinces, especially areas where adoption of high quality seeds is low, to share knowledge on crop management practices and locationspecific technologies.