The Irrigated Upland Rice Pilot Farm which we launched 10 days ago is showing very encouraging results with the rice seeds sown earlier growing vigorously.
Yesterday, I received the first photos of the growth of TH 82 Upland Hybrid Rice Variety taken on Day 8 after sowing and what I saw pleased me.
Seed germination was placed at 82% which is outstanding in a dry seeding system and the field was clean following a post-emergence spraying of herbicide.
The first fertilizer application was done right after sowing using a liquid complete fertilizer 22-11-9 and the watering is now scheduled every five days.
What makes this pilot farm very important is the fact that this is the first documented and monitored planting of upland rice using the Israeli Pressurized Irrigation and Fertigation technology.
Using rainpipes, water is sprayed on the rice field and fertilizer is mixed in the 1,200-liter water tank which makes farming a lot easier.
What started as just a personal experiment which I started while taking an on-line course on Modern Pressurized Irrigation and Fertigation conducted by the Mashav of Israel is now a multi-agency effort.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) which I head as Chairman is documenting the progress of the project while the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is providing the technical support.
US Seedworks Philippines which distributes the TH 82 Upland Hybrid Rice Variety has committed to support the project by shouldering the expenses for labor and others.
With these positive developments, MinDA is now identifying 10 other areas in Mindanao where a similar Experimental Farm on Irrigated Upland Rice Farming will be established.
This project is expected to have a huge impact on the food sufficiency program of the government given the wide unutilized upland areas in Mindanao, many of which are part of the Tribal Ancestral Domains.
Developing the upland rice farming technology using presurized irrigation and fertigation could also address poverty in the rural areas, especially the mountainous regions of Mindanao.
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