A deep-planting cultivation method developed by the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) is set to strengthen the resilience of sugarcane farming in the Philippines against typhoons and drought.
JIRCAS, the agricultural research arm of the Japanese government, recently collaborated with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on a study validating the method’s suitability for local conditions. The technique was originally created with private-sector partners in Thailand to boost sugarcane yields and increase the number of harvests, with early studies showing promising results in the drought-prone northeast, reported Philippines Media.
To evaluate its performance under both typhoon and drought scenarios in the Philippines, JIRCAS and the SRA conducted joint field trials. These tests aimed to determine whether the approach could sustain sugarcane production despite severe weather.
According to SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, the study found that deep planting raised yields to 77.23 tons per hectare (t/ha), compared with 63.92 t/ha using manual planting.
“It has been a great honor for SRA to work with the Japanese towards the improvement and sustainability of our industry,” Azcona said.
The rollout of the deep-planting method comes as the sugar sector works to recover from a destructive storm. The SRA reported ₱1.2 billion worth of damage to the Visayas sugar industry from Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) last month.
The storm affected more than 16,000 sugar farmers and 53,000 hectares across the mill districts of Negros Island, Capiz, Iloilo, Leyte, and Cebu. JIRCAS says it plans to introduce deep tillage and deep-planting machinery in the Philippines to help expand adoption of the technique.
