Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture created through Executive Order 1061 on 5 November 1985 (as amended) to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies for farmers.The Institute accomplishes this mission through research and development work in our central and six branch stations, coordinating with a network that comprises 57 agencies and 70 seed centers located nationwide..
The invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), has become a major constraint to sweet corn (Zea mays subsp. saccharata S.) production in Indonesia, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. This study evaluated the field performance of an integrated IPM package combining sweet corn and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) intercropping with foliar eco-enzyme application compared with a sweet corn monoculture. Because the experiment involved two primary treatments, the study aimed to demonstrate the overall effectiveness of the integrated system rather than isolate the individual contributions of each component. Field trials were conducted from April to September 2025 under comparable agroecological conditions with five replicated plots per treatment. The integrated system significantly suppressed pest populations; specifically, by 6 weeks after planting (WAP), plant infestation reached 88
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major staple crop, feeding over half of the global population. However, its production is often compromised by biotic stressors, particularly fungal and bacterial diseases, which can cause severe yield losses. While conventional chemical controls offer short-term effectiveness, they also lead to environmental degradation, pathogen resistance, and health risks for farmers and consumers. To address these challenges, plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) have emerged as a sustainable alternative for rice disease management. PGPF enhance plant immunity, outcompete pathogens, and promote growth through mechanisms such as competition for nutrients and space, mycoparasitism, antibiosis, and induced systemic resistance. This review examines the mechanisms by which PGPF suppress rice pathogens, highlights their environmental and economic benefits, and addresses challenges to their practical application. Further research is essential to enable the widespread adoption of PGPF-based strategies in rice production systems.
Rice (Oryza sativa) is a global staple threatened by diseases such as bacterial leaf blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae), sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani), blast (Magnaporthe oryzae), and panicle blight (Burkholderia glumae and B. gladioli), which cause significant yield losses. Conventional agrochemical use has raised environmental and health concerns, prompting a shift toward sustainable alternatives. This review examines the role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as promising biocontrol agents. PGPR enhance rice health and suppress pathogens through a variety of direct and indirect mechanisms. Direct actions include the production of antibiotics and lytic enzymes, competition for nutrients, and the synthesis of phytohormones and siderophores. Indirectly, PGPR activate induced systemic resistance (ISR), priming the plant's immune system via jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) signaling pathways. While empirical studies confirm that PGPR can improve plant growth, enhance stress tolerance, and reduce disease severity, inconsistent field performance remains a major challenge. This variability is often due to complex strain-environment interactions, inconsistent root colonization, and the lack of robust formulations. To overcome these limitations, future research should focus on utilizing 'omics-based approaches to better understand PGPR-microbe-plant interactions. Additionally, there is a need to develop more stable biostimulant consortia and to fully integrate these biological agents into climate-smart agricultural systems. This review synthesizes current knowledge on PGPR-mediated disease management and highlights their potential to improve crop resilience and productivity while promoting eco-friendly farming practices.
Analysis of early morphophysiological traits revealed the competitive dominance of weedy rice (WR) biotypes (SR 1, ILO 13, ILO 17) over the cultivated rice variety NSIC Rc 222. Using the root box method, mono- and mixed cultures were grown under 2 fertilizer levels: 0 NPK and full NPK (120-60-60 kg ha−1). WR biotypes exhibited early vigor, characterized by greater plant height, tiller numbers, and shoot and root dry weights—traits that were further enhanced by fertilizer application. WR biotypes also maintained significantly higher total root lengths, total lateral root lengths, and nodal root counts. Notably, ILO 17 displayed a high root branching index (~4.0 to 4.8 lateral roots per cm nodal root), forming a dense fine-root mesh that suppressed Rc 222 root development. Although fertilizer × genotype interactions were not significant for major root traits, the stable root architecture of WR translated into a higher Competitive Index and greater dry matter accumulation. Under 0 NPK, WR competition, particularly from the spatially aggressive root system of ILO 17, compromised the crop’s photosynthetic capacity, causing a marked decline in net photosynthetic rate alongside increased intercellular CO2 concentration. Conversely, WR biotypes showed high resilience, tightly coupling stomatal conductance and transpiration (r = 0.959) to sustain photosynthesis. While full NPK inputs partially mitigated this suppression and allowed Rc 222 to recover leaf area and photosynthetic capacity, the crop remained vulnerable. These findings demonstrate that WR outcompetes cultivated rice through early shoot vigor and aggressive root proliferation, highlighting the critical need for early seedling management strategies to prevent crop yield losses.
Carrion-centric insects function as vital components in maintaining agroecosystem stability and crop health. This review examines the multifaceted contributions of carrion-centric insects, specifically within the orders Diptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera, as essential drivers of plant protection and soil ecosystem functionality. While these organisms accelerate the decomposition of dead organic mass and facilitate critical nutrient cycling pathways such as nitrogen mineralization and elemental translocation into the rhizosphere, current conservation and agricultural literature remains predominantly vertebrate-centric, leaving a significant gap in the understanding of invertebrate-led crop ecosystem services. This review bridges that gap by establishing an agroecosystem-centered framework that links carrion-centric insect activity directly to soil-rhizosphere health, crop pollination, and sustainable plant protection. The dual functional roles of these insects as non-bee crop pollinators and drivers of specialized soil microbiomes that stimulate systemic acquired resistance against phytopathogens are critically evaluated. Furthermore, the industrial biomanufacturing of insect-derived biopolymers, particularly chitosan and its derivatives, offers a nature-based platform for eco-friendly pest management, seed coatings, and controlled-release biopesticides, replacing traditional synthetic inputs within circular agricultural economies. To ensure biosecure field integration, these agro-ecological services are reconciled with pathogen vector risks through structured spatial management and a One Health biosecurity framework. Aligning insect-centric agroecosystem management with international environmental mandates, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and UN Sustainable Development Goal 15, is essential for building resilient agricultural landscapes. Ultimately, incorporating carrion-centric insects into modern plant protection strategies provides an indispensable foundation for sustainable crop health, biological pest suppression, and long-term agroecological resilience.
