Quality rice seed promoted for wet-season planting

THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recommended that farmers use high-quality seed to ensure good yields during the wet season.

In a statement, PhilRice Plant Breeding and Biotechnology head Dr. Oliver E. Manangkil said that crops from high-quality seed grow, mature, and ripen uniformly, resulting in a 10% or more increase in yield.

To prevent yield loss, Mr. Manangkil called for the use of high-quality seed, ‘relatively pure’ and free from visible seed-borne diseases.

PhilRice said that field pests and diseases are prevalent during the wet season.

Mr. Manangkil said that high-quality seed also has at least an 85% germination rate and lower content of weed seed.

“Seeds play a huge role in achieving good harvest and income, as they are basically the foundation of any crop. Using high-quality seeds is one of the most fundamental strategies for farmers to be competitive,” Mr. Manangkil said.

Mr. Manangkil encouraged farmers to buy seed from accredited growers to ensure quality.

However, if there are no accredited growers in an area, PhilRice said that farmers may source their seed from fellow farmers whose fields have demonstrated uniform crop growth.

“Farmers can also produce their own high-quality seeds by following proper procedures in rouging and removing off-types,” Mr. Manangkil said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave