DOST helps Lanao Norte farmers raise yield with plant growth promoter

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) distributed 1,360 liters of Carrageenan Plant Growth Promoter (CPGP) in Lanao del Norte for rice farmers affected by the recent shear line weather disturbances.

Sameeha Ali, DOST-10 provincial focal person, said CPGP was provided to aid farmers in recovering from the shear line in December 2023 and middle of January this year.

"The solution aims to improve agricultural production,” she said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that CPGP is a natural product derived from red seaweed and developed by DOSTPhilippine Nuclear Research Institute scientists.

DOST data showed that the formula has been proven to increase rice yields by as much as 30 percent compared to the yield from average farmer practices.

It also enhances nutrient uptake, increases crop yield and improves resistance to pests and di seases.

CPGP also makes the crops more resistant to blight and infestation caused by the "tungro" (degenerated growth) virus and strengthens the crops' extensive root systems, which can better withstand the effects of lodging during typhoons.

The DOST project aims to help 925 rice farmers from the municipalities of Kapatagan, Lala, Sapad, Salvador, Baroy, Tubod, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Maigo and Tagoloan. Reinario Bihag, a provincial board member who chairs the Committee on Agriculture, said: "We are confident that, like the successful utilization of Portasol previously provided, we will effectively utilize this CPGP to enhance our agricultural productivity further."(PNA)