Over 300 farmers participated in the Provincial Rice Techno Forum (PRTF) held in Barangay Malingeb, Bantay, Ilocos Sur, on Friday, February 21.

The PRTF is an annual event of the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office 1 through the Rice Banner Program. It aligns with the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program’s objective of promoting hybrid rice to improve farmers’ yield and income.

This year’s forum in Ilocos Sur featured participation from 11 companies, including Bioseed, Seedworks, Syngenta, PASCo Leads, Advanta, GGT, TAO, Envro Scope, Bayer, and SL Agritech.

Farmers had the opportunity to observe 26 rice varieties cultivated on a 20.18-hectare demonstration farm owned by the Malingeb Dur-as Bantay Farmers Association.

The showcased varieties include:

· NSIC Rc 162H (BioZarap)

· NSIC Rc 522H (BioRice453)

· NSIC Rc 180H (BioRic650)

· NSIC Rc 350H (TH 82)

· NSIC Rc 236H (US 88)

· NSIC Rc 234H (NK 5017)

· NSIC Rc 376H (S6003)

· NSIC Rc 404H (LP 2096)

· NSIC Rc 456H (LP 937)

· NSIC Rc 696H (LP908)

· NSIC Rc 486 (LP 534)

· NSIC Rc 656H (LAV 777)

· NSIC Rc 666H (Jackpot 102)

· NSIC Rc 246H (ADV 8112)

· NSIC Rc 246H (ADV 8112)

· NSIC Rc 620H (Hyvar S26)

· NSIC Rc 504H (Hatao Sinandomeng)

· NSIC Rc 4904 (Hatao Dinorado)

· ECO SIERRA 299

· ECO Sierra 497

· NSIC Rc 314 (Arize Bigante Plus)

· NSIC Rc 748H (AZ 6585)

· NSIC Rc 408H (SL 68)

 

· NSIC Rc 540H (SL 20)

· NSIC Rc 718H (SL 39)

· NSIC Rc 132H (SL8)

· NSIC Rc 488H (SL 19)

All varieties were cultivated under uniform management from sowing to harvesting.

Through this forum, farmers will assess the best-performing varieties based on crop stand, panicle formation, and resistance to pests.

The DA-RFO1 has successfully established six trial sites across the region during the last wet cropping season of 2024 and four sites for the current dry season of 2024-2025.