CHED okays CapSU’s upland rice, sorghum projects
By Niño S. Manaog
University Extension Associate
Capiz State University
Research activities at the Capiz State University will be prolific this year.
In December 2010, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the P2.6M worth of R&D projects which were started implementation in the last quarter of 2010.
The two programs—mainly on the development of indigenous upland rice and seed technology for sweet sorghum in the province of Capiz—contain five major projects with an average of three studies each.
The first project titled “Socio Economic Profile, Behavioral Perspectives and Farming Practices among Upland Rice Farmers in the Province of Capiz” to be conducted by dr. Evelyn Gregorio will assess the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of upland rice farmers towards adopting measures to cope with climate change. Besides producing the farmers’ socioeconomic profile, indigenous cultural management practices and farming systems. Gregorio’s research will also identify the economics of production and marketing modes being practices by the said group.
The second project titled “Varietal Collection and Characterization of Indigenous Upland Rice in the Highlands of the Province of Capiz” to be conducted by Dr. Geronimo Gregorio has three objectives. The research will assess the ecological attributes of upland rice farms in the province under study; it will undertake the varietal collection and characterization of existing upland rice varieties; and it will also evaluate the quality of grains of the rice varieties under study.
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| PATUBAS SA TAPAZ Upland farmers in Agcococ, Tapaz, Capiz take stock of the kalutak rice variety in October 2010. They prefer the variety for its robust yield and resistance to drought. |
Dr. Federito Launio’s “Technology Development and Evaluation to Optimize the Production Potentials of Indigenous Upland Rice in the Province of Capiz” will seek to evaluate the growth and yield of upland rice varieties. Launio’s study will also assess the varieties’ response to the levels of agricultural inputs and their reactions to common pests and diseases.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ramona Launio’s “Post-Harvest Management for Indigenous Upland Rice in the Province of Capiz” will not only document the post-harvest handling procedures practiced by upland rice farmers but also conduct assessment of their entrepreneurial potentials and activities on product development.
Finally, the “Seed Technology and Farming Systems Development for Sweet Sorghum in the province of Capiz will conduct seed maturation studies in relation to seed quality and storability. It will also study the production performance of sweet sorghum varieties after rainfed lowland rice applied with bio-organic inoculants and fertilizers. The last study on sweet sorghum will undertake the production of sweet sorghum varieties under grownup coconuts in various population densities applied with biofertilizer and soil enhancer.
Dr. Geronimo Gregorio, Vice-President for Research, Development and Extension of CapSU, expressed optimism on the forthcoming researches. According to Gregorio, said studies will help boost the momentum of the university’s research efforts. “There is indeed so much to do, given the bulk of studies on these two crops. “We can, however, try to accomplish the tasks piece by piece, bit by bit,” Gregorio said.
For Gregorio, the year 2010 has been productive for CapSU’s research and extension. The university has been very active in the said areas, churning out significant researches and relevant studies that even gained recognition from R&D associations and consortiums across the region and country.
With these projects lined up for 2011, the best in research is yet to come.
