Mariano Marcos
State University

PSHS-IRC students visit MMSU demo farm for sustainable farming practices

By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM Correspondent

Highlighting sustainable farming practices and their importance in enhancing student-communal activity, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) demonstrated its hybrid off-season tomato varieties to students of the Philippine Science High School- Ilocos Region Campus (PSHS-IRC) during their educational visit on September 19 at the Technology Demonstration Farm in Sta. Magdalena, Sarrat. 

The said visit was part of their Community Immersion Program titled "The Science of Survival: A Community-Based Exploration," aimed to link classroom concepts with practical applications. It also coincided with the National Biotechnology Week celebration.

A total of 59 Grade 11 and 12 students of the PSHS-IRC Agriculture Elective Class first attended an orientation at the ILAARRDEC One Stop Information Shop (OSIS) of MMSU, before their actual site visit. 
Dr. Marlowe Aquino enlightened the students with the significance of biotechnology in agriculture and presented MMSU’s hybrid tomato varieties through information, education, and communication (IEC) materials. He stressed how research-based interventions empower communities to cope and survive in the face of environmental difficulties.

Other lecture topics included cultural practice and interventions in the production of tomatoes, mulching, trellising, and nutrient management.  

The students were accompanied by technical specialists from the MMSU Research Directorate, Dr. Alecsis G. Villarin, along with School Farm Demonstrator Jonathan Ramos, Science Research Assistant Jerold Labii, and Senior Science Research Specialist Dr. Menissa Antonio. They were welcomed by Zanjera Nagcarsuan Farmers Association President Hermigildo Labugen.

Through this partnership, MMSU persistently carries out its extension mandate of advancing innovative technologies, while PSHS-IRC enhances its holistic learning pedagogy by engaging students with community-based exposures that develop consciousness, flexibility, and dedication to sustainable development.  

The 1,000-square meter Technology Demonstration Farm showcasing MMSU Hybrid Off-Season Tomato Varieties was established by MMSU, in collaboration with the Zanjera Nagcarsuan Farmers Association. It showcases two MMSU hybrid tomato varieties (Hybrid 1 and Hybrid 3). With enhanced cultural practices, including mulching, trellising, and nutrient management, the project demonstrates potential to enhance productivity for tomatoes even during the off-season, giving farmers extra opportunities for income. 

📸MMSU Extension Directorate