Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, June 18 – As farmers continue to seek for promising corn varieties and technologies available in the market, seed companies have participated in DA’s corn derby and commenced planting using their respective protocols.

Richan D. Lacanaria, regional corn focal person, said that such initiative is housed at the agency’s research stations, the first being at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC), while the Regional Center for Upland Development (RCUD) in Barongcot, Dangcagan will follow a week later, and in the Research Center for Hillyland Development on June 30.

“The derby will serve as a venue in featuring the different cultural management practices of corn varieties while allowing farmers to reach informed decisions in choosing varieties they might prefer to plant,” Lacanaria explained.

The generated results from the activity will be one of DA-10’s basis in the procurement of corn seeds and in coming up with location-specific recommendations for varieties, Lacanaria underscored.
Eight private seed companies will vie for the best performing corn variety to determine the highest yield and net income.

Participating are Bayer Crop Science showcasing the DK 8899S, DK 8719S varieties, Corteva-Pioneer (P4124YHR, P345YR), Syngenta (NK306, NK6505), Asian Hybrid Seed Tech, Inc. (J505, Supreme), RJR Agro-Industrial (Maharlika 8888), Bioseed (Biocom High Fly, B9909G), AMTRAC (Active 678), and Green and Grow Tech Company with its Maxicorn 201 and Maxicorn 701 varieties.

Each seed company is asked to plant two varieties (except RJR Agro-Industrial and AMTRAC) in a 437.50, 937.50 and 15,000 square meter area per variety at NMACLRC, RCUD and RCHD, respectively.

Besides providing the area, DA research stations will shoulder the land preparation activities and standard labor costs, while seed companies will be providing farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, including labor.

“The derby’s output highlight will be based on the actual harvest with an agreed moisture content at 14 percent and cost of production,” Lacanaria detailed, adding that such is anchored on the department’s battlecry of ‘Masaganang Ani, Mataas na Kita’.

Through the corn derby, DA-RFO 10 together with the seed companies can readily share data of various corn varieties across sites thru the promotion and eventual adoption among farmers. #