DA mulls large-scale use of carrageenan fertilizer

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) may be the first large-scale adaptor of the breakthrough bio-fertilizer developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that can boost rice production by as much as 65 percent.

DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said the DA was looking at allocating as much as P50 million for the production of irradiated carrageenan to distribute to rice farmers nationwide cultivating some 30,000 hectares of rice lands all over the country.

“We are now preparing a MOA (memorandum of agreement) that we will soon sign with them (DA). They are looking at a P50 million funding,” Montejo told The STAR in an interview on the sidelines of the opening ceremonies of the three-day 3rd Philippine Nuclear Congress at the Manila Diamond Hotel in Manila.

Montejo said the irradiated carrageenan “bio-fertilizer” is a product of research and development of the DOST’s Philippine Nuclear Rsearch Institute (PNRI).

PNRI director Alumanda Dela Rosa said the successful development of the irradiated carrageenan fertilizer was showcased during the third  PNC as one of the non-power applications of nuclear science that had tremendous benefits to the country’s productivity and global competitiveness.

The DOST recently unveiled the results of field trials in Pulilan, Bulacan; Nueva Ecija, Los Baños and Victoria, Laguna, and Iloilo on the irradiated carrageenan fertilizer  which it dubbed “carra-vita.” 

The carrageenan fertilizer was shown to be highly effective in boosting typhoon resiliency as well as a plant growth promoter.

Dela Rosa said the PNRI’s R&D effort on the irradiation of carrageenan was a result of an agreement among nuclear science research agencies of the Asia-Pacific region in a meeting held under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA).

A parallel R&D was conducted using irradiation to break down the molecules of natural polymers such as chitosan or crab shells, alginate, and carrageenan to allow absorption of their micronutrients and their use as fertilizers in agriculture.

The DOST-PNRI earlier came up with an irradiated carrageenan burn wound dressing which showed faster healing.

Dela Rosa said the DOST-PNRI is also looking at the application of the irradiated carrageenan as a PGP for mung beans (monggo) and peanuts.

Carrageenan is an indigestible carbohydrate (polysaccharide) extracted from edible seaweeds.

Unknown to many, seaweed is commonly used as thickener or stabilizer by the food industry and also used as a binding agent for domestic products such as toothpaste and shampoo and are found in selected pharmaceutical products.

Some studies showed that when polysaccharide or carbohydrate is degraded or reduced to tiny sizes by a safe technology process called irradiation, it could be an effective growth promoter and makes rice resistant to major pests.

In fact, at very small doses, it is an effective organic fertilizer.

Carrageenan as a growth enhancer offers an array of benefits that result in improved productivity.

Used properly as prescribed, it makes the rice stem stronger thus improving rice resistance to lodging.

It also promotes resistance to rice ‘tungro’ virus and bacterial leaf blight, therefore giving farmers increased harvest. 

In the field trial conducted in Pulilan, Bulacan, the UPLB  research team found the “carra-vita” fortified rice field had an increased yield of 63.6-65.4 percent.

The same results were seen in all the other field trial areas in the three covered provinces namely Laguna, Iloilo and Nueva Ecija.

The  treatment provided higher grain weight (of 450 grams and 455 grams, respectively) compared to traditional farmers’ practice of applying nine  bags of fertilizer per hectare that yielded only 275 grams.

 Application of six bags of fertilizer per hectare plus 200 ppm (or 20 milliliters) of carrageenan is more or less comparable with the application of just three bags of fertilizer per hectare with the same mixture, the UPLB team noted.