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NEWS & EVENTS

Jun 16, 2023

DA-BAR, AFD-CIRAD convene for possible partnership on climate change resiliency

DA-BAR and Climate Resilient Agricultural Office met with key officials and representatives from CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to discuss the implementation of the technical assistance support for the research for development (R4D) policy reform agenda of the DA-Climate Change Action Program on 16 June 2023 at DA-BAR.Under the Philippine policy-based loan on the Climate Change Action Program (CCAP), the assistance is a strategy to ensure that research and development key players are equipped and ready for the implementation of the policy outcomes or commitments endorsed and approved by both the Philippines and ADB.AFD deputy country director Thierry Liabastre facilitated the meeting  wherein timelines and deliverables on the implementation of the technical assistance were discussed.Philippe Guizol and Jean-Marc Roda, CIRAD Public Policies and Sustainability Reforms team leader and Southeast Asia Island Countries regional director, respectively, presented their agriculture research agenda focus, as well as the possible technical support to programs focusing on climate change-vulnerable crops and commodities and other related areas. Meanwhile, ADB lead expert and policy analyst Lourdes Adriano discussed the possible role of the bureau in increasing the R4D funding in the country by 2024. DA-BAR director Junel Soriano, together with assistant director Joell Lales, highlighted the role of the bureau in the agri-fisheries R4D sector and sought further support from the organization toward the actualization of the said partnership.The meeting was part of the AFD-CIRAD’s inception mission that ran from 15 to 23 June 2023 aimed at fast tracking and finalizing the launching and implementation of the said technical assistance support.

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Mar 16, 2024

Farmers and partners feedback to DA-BAR’s SCALE-UP program in Quezon Province

"Maniwala at sundin nang maayos ang mga modernong pamamaraan sa agrikultura na natutunan mula sa ibinigay na pagsasanay, ito ay mahalaga na gawin na sana ay paniwalaan ng ibang magsasaka upang makita kung makatutulong nga ang mga bagong teknolohiya sa mga magsasaka. (Believing and diligently following the modern agricultural technological procedures learned from provided training are key to the success of the program that other farmers should also embrace to see if these new agricultural technologies will indeed help farmers.)" This sentiment was echoed by farmers interviewed during the field monitoring of the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research’s (BAR) Sustainable Community-based Action R4DE for Livelihood Enhancement, Upliftment, and Prosperity (SCALE-UP) program in March 2024 in selected barangays of Plaridel and Atimonan in Quezon Province.The SCALE-UP program aims to establish innovative and sustainable agriculture through enhanced soil rejuvenation, soil test-based nutrient management recommendations, and other approaches to enhance productivity and profitability. Quezon Province was selected as one of the pilot sites due to its high agricultural productivity and for its vast rainfed areas. As such, to validate progress in achieving agricultural productivity goals through farmland rejuvenation, DA-BAR conducted progress review and field monitoring. Farmers accompanied the monitoring team to the program sites and shared their experiences and insights acquired from the training sessions. Key learnings highlighted by farmers included proper fertilizer application, appropriate cropping patterns, pest and disease identification and management, and correct planting distances. Positive feedback regarding the SCALE-UP program emphasized observed enhanced plant yield growth and anticipated increase in harvests.Rice farmer Norberto S. Anda of the Samahan ng Magpapalay ng Tanauan said, “nagpapasalamat ako at nabibigyang pansin ang mga kagaya kong magsasaka at naturuan kami kung paano lumago ang ani at mga tamang paraan ng pagtatanim lalo na ang makabagong teknolohiya (I am thankful that farmers like me are being given attention and are being taught how to increase yield and the correct methods of planting, especially with modern technology).”Some farmers highlighted how important it is for the program to work well by not dwelling on local problems but finding solutions, like dealing with scarcity of water, and closely following the farming procedures learned. Rice farmer Quirino V. Vicen, Jr. from the Lusong Farmers Association of Barangay Ilosong showed this dedication by actively searching for water sources no matter how far, and following all the farming steps wholeheartedly instead of just doing the easy steps.Farmers also provided recommendations for program improvement, including the need for Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials featuring visuals of pests and diseases, along with recommendations on appropriate inputs and activities. Dr. Huelgas encouraged farmers to actively engage in documenting diseases and pests observed in their farms and share them through agreed designated communication channels.Likewise, Local Government Unit (LGUs) partners expressed support for the project, with Atimonan Mayor Rustico Joven U. Mendoza welcoming the monitoring team and local farmers. Mayor Mendoza anticipated increased adoption of SCALE-UP approaches based on observed positive results and acknowledged the necessity of advanced farming technology for the municipality.Atimonan Municipal Agriculturist Pedro B. Gariguez, Jr. and Plaridel Municipal Agriculturist Albert Saavedra demonstrated their support by attending farm visits and engaging with the monitoring team and farmers, as well.OIC-assistant head of the DA-BAR Program Development Division and SCALE-UP Program lead focal Kris Thea Marie Hernandez, conducted an orientation session for farmers and LGU partners, emphasizing the objectives of the SCALE-UP program and outlining upcoming activities, such as the distribution of soil cards and the creation of soil maps. Emphasis was placed on understanding soil health and nutrient status as the basis for fertilizer and technology recommendations, utilizing soil health cards and maps to identify suitable and ideal amounts of nutrient and farm practices, thereby minimizing excessive fertilizer application, reducing production costs, and increasing yields.DA-BAR and DA-CALABARZON committed to providing further support to farmers through continued provision of technical assistance, training, capacity building activities, and appropriate IEC materials.

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Jun 22, 2023

BIOTECH-UPLB-pioneered microbial inoculants for rice, corn, and cassava featured in DA-BAR webinar

Global zinc deficiency is a major problem today, and the Philippines is among the countries with widespread soil zinc deficiency. To address this challenge, the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology-University of the Philippines Los Baños (BIOTECH-UPLB) developed microbial inoculants for rice and corn. University researcher Robert A. Nepomuceno talked about these microbial inoculants during the DA-BAR’s monthly webinar on 22 June 2023 conducted via StreamYard and Facebook Live. He also discussed the microbial inoculant developed to sustainable combat cassava phytoplasma disease (CPD).Microbial inoculants are intended to increase crop yield, enhance nutrient availability in the soil, improve uptake of plant nutrients, promote plant growth, stimulate biological processes in the soil, restore the soil’s natural fertility, act as a biological control agent against pests, and pathogens, and reduces the application of chemical fertilizers and production cost.“These inoculants are eco-friendly,” Nepomuceno added. He proceeded to explain the purpose of the three microbial inoculants featured in the webinar. First on the list was Oryzinc, which is an inoculant designed specifically for rice.“It contains zinc solubilizing bacteria, converts zinc in the soil into a form that plants can absorb, and decreases the zinc chemical fertilizer application in lowland rice, a crop sensitive to zinc deficiency,” he said. In vivo screening of top zinc solubilizing isolates shows that plants treated with the bacterial isolates show comparable results with the positive control. Second, Maizinc was designed specifically for corn. It is a microbial-based inoculant that contains zinc-solubilizing bacteria, converts zinc in the soil into a form that plants can absorb, and decreases the zinc chemical fertilizer application in corn. As to how the technologies were developed, Nepomuceno explained that there were several steps in the development of these technologies, which include the isolation and screening of microorganisms, efficacy trial through field testing in different areas, optimization of conditions for the production of zinc solubilizing microorganisms (ZSM) and shelf-life studies, and mass production of inoculant and DA-Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority registration and field demonstration.Part of the process was gathering feedback across farms from operators and stakeholders indicating their satisfaction and increase in crop growth because of the application of microbial inoculants for rice. Nepomuceno said that the application of Oryzinc contributes to rice resilience toward rice sufficiency. He further said that it has a greater yield as compared to the control. Also, the local products were promoted to the farmers, who were educated about their usage and application.“Oryzinc and Maizinc could help address the problem of insufficiency of rice and corn crops,” Nepomuceno said.Lastly, he discussed Bioplasma which is a microbial-based inoculant when supplemented with VAMRI, prevents the occurrence and regulates the severity of CPD. It promotes the growth of both healthy and CPD-infected cassava.  Nepomuceno explained “VAMRI or Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Root Inoculant is composed of Glomus mosseae and fasciculatum and is capable of replacing 50-100% of the plant’s chemical fertilizer requirement and has been reported to confer disease resistance against soil-borne phytopathogens.”Before the webinar ended, Nepomuceno underscored that there is an urgent need for the upscaling of the production of the technologies for nationwide utilization for organic agriculture, food security, and sustainable agriculture. 

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Jun 30, 2023

DA-BAR appraises the PSA palay production survey project

To address inadequate and outdated rice statistics, as well as update rice statistics for the rice database to serve as a basis for policy-making, the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) with funding support from DA-BAR conducted a nationwide assessment on costs and returns of palay production on May 2023 and will run until September 2023. The bureau conducted a series of field validation in Biliran, Palawan, and South Cotabato on 9-11 and 16-19 May 2023 and 6-8 June 2023, respectively. This is to assess the accomplishments and outputs vis-à-vis project objectives and targets; identify issues and problems, and recommend solutions and actions to improve project implementation; and document the significant accomplishments and updates. The field validation was done in four sample households in Naval, Biliran; four sample households in Roxas and El Nido, Palawan; and four sample households in Banga, Tantangan, and Tupi, Koronadal.By the end of September 2023, the project is expected to deliver the establishment of up-to-date production cost structures; benchmark and generate updated data sets on average use of material and labor inputs; generate other related socio-economic variables; and determine indicators of profitability.The dashboard for monitoring of survey activities presented by the PSA is found informative. It contains an information management tool that receives data from a linked database to provide data visualization and serve as a one-stop shop of information about the project. It shows that the dashboard presented by PSA offers high-level information in one view that end users can use to monitor project deliverables.The target beneficiaries of the project include the palay farmers. The data on production costs and returns can serve as a basis for their planning and programming activities. They can also use these data in selecting the most profitable set of crops to plant during a particular season. Moreover, both government and non-government planners and policymakers can use this data in designing appropriate programs and projects to boost the growth and development of the palay industry. 

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Mar 19, 2024

2024 DA-BAR sportsfest kicks off, highlights health and wellness in workplace

With the goal of promoting camaraderie and boosting solidarity among its staff while creating a healthy lifestyle through sports, DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) director led the lighting of the cauldron during the bureau’s kick-off ceremony for its 2024 Sportsfest on 11 March 2024 at DA-BAR Grounds, Quezon City. In his message, DA-BAR Director Soriano underscored that “The best team is not just who may get the highest ranking but a team who may make more happiness. Amidst the busy schedules of all employees, this is a time to connect and know each other, connect information for more happiness at DA-BAR and Bagong Pilipinas,” . Director Soriano also  led the lighting of the cauldron. Meanwhile, assistant director Joell H. Lales led the oath of sportsmanship for staff participating in various games, as they are grouped into five teams: Kunig (yellow), Mabaya (red), Kalimbahin (pink), Kahel (orange), and Lungti (green) led by key officials of the bureau.Bureau staff will participate in various sports like basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, darts, among others.The kick-off highlighted a parade, where each team drumbeat their chant and showcased their respective muses.  The Association of BAR Employees (ABARE) spearheads the activity.  #BagongPilipinas

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Jun 22, 2023

Web application for smart crop production and marketing launched

To help farmers modernize their farming and trading practices, a web application for smart crop production and marketing was launched on 23 June 2023 at Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. Developed by the J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC) through a DA-BAR supported project, the application can generate important information on the soil’s physical and chemical properties which aids in deciding the type and amount of fertilizer to be applied to grow quality high value crops. Aside from the soil, the web application also analyzes weather, climate conditions, and crop-land suitability maps and models for precise farming strategies.Termed as e-Pharian, the application also has a “buy and sell” feature where sellers and buyers can interact and trade. Farmers can post their available crops for sale in the app for interested buyers while  consumers  can post details of what crops they need for possible suppliers.Gracing the launch were Zamboanga del Sur governor Victor J. Yu along with other local government officials and farmers. DA-BAR director Junel B. Soriano, assistant director Joell H. Lales, and technical staff Gian Carlo R. Espiritu also attended the launching which served as a venue in showcasing  the results of the project implementation and the soil fertility mapping of the province. The fertility maps will be used by farmers as a guide on which crops are suitable to be planted in their area. In addition to farmers, other expected beneficiaries of the web application are the DA regional office, local government units, researchers, technicians, and students in Zamboanga. The developed web applications will not only help the farmers modernize crop production practices, but will also create livelihood opportunities, generate income, and improve the quality of life of those in the agricultural sector of the province.