MANILA, Philippines — The APO rice seed variety has turned out a better yield particularly when it is cultured using aerobic rice technology (ART), a system that uses less water like the System for Rice Intensification (SRI) developed in Madagascar, according to farmers who have tested the seed variety.

Planted the ART way, APO had larger and fuller grains, taller and had more tillers than other varieties that produced stunted and tungro-laced rice plants in a demo farm of Nemencio J. Concepcion in Barangay Mataas na Parang, San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

Concepcion showcased the superior characteristics of APO variety, which is known by scientific nomenclature PSBRc-9, during a field day techno forum of the Science and Technology-based Farm (STBF) on aerobic rice production system (ARPS.)

The farmer has been named Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) for adopting modern technology in growing rice as promoted by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Research Development (PCARRD.)

A farmer's son, Concepcion had balked at using the STBF-recommended APO variety.

But he soon found that with APO he could increase his yield with less water.

APO performed well agronomically, beating other varieties that were stricken with disease and offered little defense against prolonged dry spells or drought.

Dr. Junel B. Soriano, a technical expert from the Bulacan Agriculture State College (BASC), presented the advantage of the science and technology (S&T) interventions applied by Concepcion.

These interventions are the application of APO, the use of furrow seeder spaced from 25 cm to 35 cm and planting during the rainy season.

“NSIC 192 or PSBRc-9 or APO variety is drought-tolerant and can survive under low moisture. It is also resistant to various pest and diseases. The use of furrow seeder reduced the seeding rate to 60 kilos per hectare, half of the rate previously used 120 kilos per hectare,” Soriano explained.

BASC president Dr. Josie Valdez said her college was the first to conduct experiments on aerobic rice production in Bulacan.