Hybrid rice seed producer uses effective weed control

BANAYBANAY, Davao Oriental—A farmer cooperative engaged in commercial and seed production of rice, including the popular Mestizo hybrid rice variety, implements proper crop management practices and uses an effective herbicide for weed control to attain yields as high as 1.6 metric tons of viable hybrid seeds per hectare in a 70-hectare field.

Felix Mejos, along with other members of the Davao Oriental Seed Producers Cooperative (DOSEPCO), uses DuPont™ Almix® herbicide in his production fields to eliminate weeds. Almix, a product of DuPont Crop Protection, is a non-phytotoxic, broad-spectrum control herbicide specifically for transplanted rice.

For hybrid rice seed production, Almix is applied 5-7 days after transplanting the male lines as early post-emergence. The same procedure is done when the female lines are planted 15 days after, which is considered as a late post-emergence for the male lines and early for the female. One week after herbicide application, rice production fields become clear of grasses, broadleaves, and sedges. The product is conveniently packed in 4-gram sachets—enough for one spray load of 16 liters of water to cover 1,000 square meters. Each flip top box of Almix contains 10 sachets good for one hectare, which makes it practical and very handy to use in the field.

With this practice, farmers save more than P 1,000 per hectare due to elimination of manual or selective weeding, which is normally done 30 days after transplanting. Yields are so encouraging that the group plans to expand operations next season.

"We are very pleased to hear the good news straight from our customers that our crop protection solutions, particularly Almix, have work effectively in their rice production—either for traditional or hybrid varieties," said DuPont Crop Protection Business Manager Jet Parma. "Our company's approach is making accessible many farming technology solutions for the farmers' customized needs and it is always their choice as to which ones will benefit them most in enhancing their farm productivity, income, and livelihood."

The Hybrid Rice Commercialization Program (HRCP) is the flagship project of the Arroyo administration's "Unlad Ani Program" charted to boost national effort to make the Philippines self-sufficient in rice at the soonest possible time.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by solving problems and creating solutions that make people's lives better, safer and easier. Operating in more than 70 countries, the company offers a wide range of products and services to markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.





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