Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU tapped as key partner in enhancing PH cropping systems through soil health management

Daniel Tapaoan, Jr., STRATCOM Correspondent

Mariano Marcos State University was tapped as a key partner of the national government in developing soil knowledge, information, and capacity to improve the productivity and sustainability of key cropping systems in the Philippines.  

This five-year research program, led by Griffith University in Australia, is funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). 

In an inception meeting held March 24 to 26 at the Bataan Tourism Pavilion in Balanga City, Bataan, MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr. signified the university’s commitment to ensuring effective and successful implementation of the program.   

“We pledge to deliver all required outputs, and even exceed expectations through intangible contributions, in a timely and efficient manner,” Dr. Manzano said in a video message. 
As its counterpart in the program, MMSU will lead a research project on enhancing the productivity of rice-based cropping systems in Ilocos Norte, Tarlac, and Bataan through soil health management. 

Dr. Janet Villamor, project leader from MMSU, said the project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of various nutrient management practices and to develop yield-calibrated soil health indices for rice-garlic, rice-rice, and rice-onion cropping systems. She represented the university at the inception meeting along with Dr. Dinah Marie Dayag, project staff.

In its invitation letter to MMSU, Prof. Chengrong Chen, ACIAR project leader, believes the university’s support and commitment are crucial in ensuring the project’s impact and sustainability. 
Other partner-implementers of the program are the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology, the University of Southern Mindanao, and the provincial agricultural offices in Ilocos Norte, Tarlac, Bataan, and Agusan del Sur. 

Dubbed Project SLaM 2023/146, the program’s outcome shall serve as a basis for developing the National Soils Strategy, which shall support the government, farmers, and other stakeholders in managing soil for sustainable agricultural production.