RIZAL, Kalinga – A field day and harvest festival was held last March 16, 2018, in Rizal, Kalinga, to celebrate the culmination of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) “Precision Rice Farming, Model Farm, and Hybridization Program,” that was undertaken here.
The Rice Crop Manager software (RCM) was utilized by the agency to maximize annual rice harvests of the farmers customized to their particular climate, season, and location in this research. Its outcome will guide farmers in judging and selecting the most competitive and efficient hybrid rice variety suited to their farms in the coming cropping season.
The project is successfully done and its replication by the farmers themselves is seen to advance the current administration’s thrust toward rice self-sufficiency for the country.
With a motorcade participated by 347 farmers in their motorbikes and vehicles, local government officials from the province and DA-CAR, the 10 model farms which showcased the 10 successful hybrid rice varieties for the dry season were visited.
The DA provided the seeds, namely; Habilis Plus, Pioneer 73, Pioneer 77, Pioneer 79, SL8, TH82, NK3017, RH9000, Syngenta 6003, and Bigante Plus. These varieties were planted in a total land area of 2,802 hectares distributed among the barangays of Babalag East, Babalag West, Bulbul, Calaocan, Kinama, Liwan East and West, Macutay, Romualdez, San Francisco, San Pascual, San Pedro, San Quintin, and Santor. Department of Agriculture-CAR Regional Executive Director, Narciso Edillo converses with farmers about the performance of hybrid rice variety, Habilis Plus.
Yield Results and ROI(%) are presented as follow Bigante Plus-7,739.00-142.92-7.20; Habilis Plus-5,256.00-97.83-9.10; Pioneer 73-7,131.00-129.72-7.84; Pioneer 77-7,273.00-136.06-7.41; Pioneer 79-7,609.00-147.46-7.27; SL 8-7,037.00-139.74-7.51; TH 82-7,493.00-149.14-7.22; NK -3017-7,394.00-150.52-7.19; RH 9000-7,309.00-141.01-7.47; SYNGENTA 6003-5,463.00-99.85-9.01.
The yield results of the hybrid rice varieties and their respective return-on-investment (ROI) are presented as follows: VARIETY YEILD PER HECTARE (kg) ROI(%) CostofProduction hp/kg 1. Bigante Plus 7,739.00 142.92 7.20 2. Habilis Plus 5,256.00 97.83 9.10 3. Pioneer 73 7,131.00 From the national average of 4.8metric tons yield (as of 2017) per hectare for inbred rice, the techno demo in Rizal, revealed that the hybrid rice, Bigante Plus leads at 7.7metric tons per hectare, followed by Pioneer 79 at 7.6 and TH 82 at 7.4metric tons. However, NK 3017’s ROI results are the highest at 150% followed by TH 82; 149% and Pioneer 79; 147%.
Meanwhile, the production cost per kilogram of all the hybrid varieties thwarts the national average of PHP 10 to 12 per kilogram with a PHP 7.20 for Bigante Plus, PHP 7.22 for TH 82 and PHP 7.27 for Pioneer 79.
Besides yield per hectare and ROI (%), the report also showed morphological characteristics such as height, maturity, length of the pinnacle, tiller, and total grain. Cost and return analysis showed to the farmers’ results on price per kilogram, gross income, production cost, net income, and production cost per kilogram of their rice harvest.
By Kheyna Capuyan
