DA pushes for hybrid corn as third crop

The Department of Agriculture (DA) 6 has been advising farmers to adopt hybrid corn instead of rice for their third crop, as this requires zero tillage, if planted right away after rice is harvested , when soil is still moist.

Agriculture Crops Division Chief Sofronio Parohinog said that hybrid corn does not need much water until it is tall enough, not when just emerging from soil.

He said that adoption of hybrid corn among farmers of Western Visayas is high and it has been successful in many barangays in Cabatuan , Zarraga and Tigbauan , to mention a few municipalities.

Mr. Parohinog said that farmers can count on big margin of profit, even bigger than rice, as the former commands a higher yield of about 8 tons which is about 8,000 kilos.  A kilo of corn costs about Php8-10 per kilo and in demand in the market.

Meanwhile, the adoption of hybrid rice is still considerably low as the first parent material tested yielded some impurities or imperfections, in the combination of A x B and A x R that produces F1 hybrid rice.  Mr. Parohinog said that the results are being subjected to study by experts of DA and other institutions, particularly on the adaptability of the variety.

There are technology demonstration farms being managed now by the DA in several areas in the region.  Parohinog cited the provinces of Negros and Aklan as having higher rates of adoption of hybrid rice, while Antique and Iloilo are having lower rates, because of the experience in   defective results of planting, which DA is presently addressing.  Parohinog believes the situation can be tackled well as soon as the results of the studies are out. (PIA/ESS)