PhilRice farm management apps being improved after LGU, farmer feedback

THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said its farm management apps is undergoing a round of upgrades after consultation with local government units (LGUs) and rice farmers.

In a statement, PhilRice said developers are improving the PalayCheck App 2.0, the SMART-ICM Monitoring System, and the Scaling Rice Development Initiative Pest and Nutrient Management platform.

“These tools are being improved based on field feedback, which will support LGUs in helping farmers address yield gaps, limited machinery access, and climate risks,” Dindo King M. Donayre, SMART Farm Program lead, was quoted as saying in the statement.

PhilRice said the upgraded systems have been tested using real farm data to streamline data entry, improve workflows, and ensure accurate recommendations on fertilizer use, cropping sequences, and monitoring indicators.

An advisory feature is also being updated to include nutrient management guidance using diagnostic tools such as the minus-one-element technique, leaf color chart, and comparisons of around 20 rice varieties suitable for planting.

PhilRice said planned upgrades on its digital tools include offline functionality for use in the field, simplified farmer registration, and stronger data validation to improve record accuracy.

Mr. Donayre said PhilRice aims to roll out the upgraded PalayCheck App and monitoring platform by the first quarter of 2026, enabling wider adoption by LGUs and field technicians.

The agency said the upgrading of the digital tools is expected to benefit 3,780 farmers, including a 30-hectare clustered pilot site where local partnerships will help farmers access fertilizer and other inputs. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel