THE Department of Agriculture Cordillera through its Heirloom Rice Project (HRP), in partnership with Agriculture Training Institute, pushes for the preservation of the organic entity of Cordillera’s very own heirloom rice thru the training on Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management for Heirloom Rice Growers held recently.
Heirloom rice growers in Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Mt. Province were equipped with technologies and knowledge on integrated nutrient and pest management to improve their heirloom rice production and post-production practices.
“There must be balance among natural organisms in the field,” explains Jerry Batcagan, PhilRice research specialist.
Batcagan pointed out insect pest management is an ecologically-based pest control strategy that relies heavily on natural mortality factors and weather.
Batcagan added control by natural enemies (biological control) is cheap, effective, and non disruptive of other elements of the ecosystem while elaborating the presence of few individuals of insects in the field does not indicate they are inflicting damage that may result in significant grain yield reduction and does not necessarily constitute a pest problem.
When species population is higher than normal, then they can be considered as pests, Batcagan added.
Furthermore, bio-fermentation, which is a widely accepted practice for organic practitioners, was also introduced.
The project intends to register heirloom rice products within the region as organically produced for value addition purposes. (PR)