PhilRice-Japan firm project to help cut methane emissions from rice farms

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THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is collaborating with Japan-based Sagri Co. Ltd. and the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) Division 1 to pilot a smart agriculture initiative.

 The project aims to reduce methane emissions in rice farming while providing carbon credit opportunities for farmers, the agency said in a statement late Tuesday.

 Methane is a known greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and its effects, while carbon credits are tradable certificates for the right to emit an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

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 PhilRice said under the memorandum of agreement signed by the parties, the research project will utilize Japan’s satellite-based big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to monitor methane reduction through the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method.

 The agency added the program will be pilot-tested in Burgos, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija. It will com pare AWD, which involves the intermittent drying of rice paddies, against conventional continuous flooding this dry season.

  The agreement also mandates PhilRice to provide the technical expertise while NIA-UPRIIS Division 1 will facilitate the identification of project areas, ensure proper irrigation scheduling and provide technical support to farmer cooperators.

Meanwhile, Sagri will oversee data analysis, predictive modeling and remote sensing in collaboration with PhilRice.

 “This initiative brings cutting-edge Japanese agri-tech to the Philippine rice sector, allowing us to optimize water management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate economic benefits through carbon credits,” said engineer Kristine Pascual, PhilRice project lead.

She also said the research will use on-the-ground and remote sensing approaches to validate AWD’s effectiveness in reducing methane emissions.

 “By integrating Sagri’s satellite-based water level detection and carbon credit monitoring system, the research project aims to come up with a robust methodology that can be integrated to the joint credit mechanism methodology (JCM), a program that promotes low-carbon technologies in partner countries including the Philippines,” Pascual said.

Under JCM, the Philippines can tap into international cooperation, technology transfer and funding to accelerate AWD adoption.

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