First-time hybrid seed user in Leon, Iloilo gains 6.79mt/ha yield this wet season

A first-time user of hybrid seeds in Leon, Iloilo has reported a substantial increase in his rice yield this wet season, reaching 6.79 metric tons per hectare.

Raian John Cainglet, a 37-year-old member of the Buenamano Farmer Cluster Association in the Municipality of Leon, Iloilo, significantly improved his rice harvest by using hybrid seeds provided under the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas’ MASAGANA 200 Program.

On October 2, Cainglet harvested 146 bags of palay from his one-hectare farm in Barangay Omambong using a rice combine harvester. He had sowed the 15 kilograms of NSIC 2021 Rc 666H (Jackpot 102) on July 7 and transplanted the seedlings mechanically on July 26. Urged by the DA’s recommendations and positive feedback from fellow farmers, Cainglet tried planting hybrid rice for the first time during the 2024 wet cropping season.

Using rice cultivation techniques learned from DA Western Visayas, Cainglet achieved a yield of 6.79 metric tons per hectare—a significant increase compared to his previous yield of 4.2 metric tons per hectare using NSIC Rc 216 seeds. Despite facing challenges such as a stemborer infestation, he effectively managed the pest using Trichogramma provided by the Municipal Agriculture Office of Leon. Fortunately, water availability was not an issue, as his farm benefits from irrigation.

Cainglet recommended transplanting hybrid seeds instead of direct seeding, believing transplanting helps reduce weed emergence and increases resistance to typhoon damage.

Jessa Caisido, DA MASAGANA Program cluster coordinator, reported that 290 hectares of farmland in the municipality had been allocated hybrid seeds for the wet cropping season. Four hybrid rice varieties were distributed, including Jackpot 102, SL 20, Habilis Plus, and TH 82.

Caisido commended the efforts of the agricultural extension workers in Leon, Iloilo, in successfully implementing the MASAGANA 200 Program. The program supports 13 farm clusters across 85 barangays, benefiting 325 farmers in Leon by providing hybrid seeds, fertilizer discount vouchers, biofertilizers, and soil ameliorants.

She assured the farmers that the DA, in partnership with the local government unit, remains committed to supporting them beyond input distribution. To ensure increased yield performance, the department’s cluster coordinators continuously monitor farmers’ activities from planting to harvesting.###Texts by SMHToreno and Photos  by KDCCaldina/DA-RAFIS 6