DA studying to develop resilient rice

CEBU, Philippines — To achieve food security amidst climate change, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-7 announced that it is studying developing rice varieties that can withstand flooding during the rainy season.

DA-7's Research Division officer-in-charge Gracelen Dagala said they have been continuously monitoring promising varieties of rice grains to make it agriculturally climate-resilient.

"Karon kay padong naman ta sa ting-ulan, (nag-conduct ta og study) kanang maka-resist (ang humay) sa submergence, kana bang mabahaan, (para) makabangon ra siyag balik," she said.

Dagala said the types of rice grain include submergence-resistant varieties, and drought-resistant varieties. Submergence-resistant varieties are bred to endure prolonged flooding and water submersion while drought-resistant varieties are developed to withstand and thrive with limited water supply.

DA-7 is actively partnering with the Philippine Rice Research Institute or the International Rice Research Institute in rice research. But Dagala said their top concern is the health of the soil used for crops. She said that because of this problem, the DA-7 advocacy includes a "balanced fertilization strategy."

"Tungod ani atong mga yuta na medyo dili na g’yud kaayu healthy ba so karon ang advocacy ron sa Department of Agriculure is towards balanced fertilization strategy," Dagala said.

Balanced fertilization strategy is a process of not relying solely on inorganic fertilizers particularly for larger fields. After harvest, instead of burning residue, farmers should return them to the field and incorporate them into the soil. Dagala said this helps maintain healthy soil.

In this process, land preparation for rice usually takes a month, especially when carabaos are used as tillers.

"Usually ang land preparation sa humay kay modagan siya'g one month ideally. Og moggamit kag kabaw inig daro nimo ma incorporate na sa yuta and og naa nay tubig kay malata nana siya," she added.

This study is part of DA-7's 30 on-farm research projects conducted in partnership with farmers and other government agencies, especially state universities and colleges, aimed at development and commercialization.

This is funded by the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, with grants ranging from ?1 million to ?5 million to support farmers.

"We already have new technologies nga mature na, so it is only a matter on how to utilize it so we can contribute our share to food sufficiency and food security," Dagala said.

It was reported that Central Visayas is still at 22% rice sufficiency, which is still far from the target. — Donna Rose Egos, CNU Intern (FREEMAN)