SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is advancing rice breeding technologies to help protect crop productivity against stemborer infestations and El Niño.
Imeldalyn Pacada, a senior breeder at PhilRice, developed a patented imaging method that uses an affordable pocket microscope and image-processing software to examine trichomes, or tiny hair-like structures on rice leaves that may help protect plants against insect pests.
“Their number, direction, and arrangement may help researchers identify rice plants with traits useful in breeding for stemborer resistance,” Pacada said.
The technology allows researchers to measure and compare leaf characteristics more precisely, providing useful information in selecting promising breeding materials.
Her research with Jerick Viz identified traditional rice varieties Red 18, Inarciaga, and Mukol as potential sources of leaf traits associated with stemborer protection.
The initiative addresses pest threats identified by the Bureau of Plant Industry, which warned that stemborer could affect rice fields during the last quarter of the year based on historical pest data.
Aside from pest resistance, Pacada developed VarMix®, a technology designed to help maintain stable rice yields during El Niño by combining compatible rice varieties.
Her 2024 study identified NSIC Rc 298, Rc 216, Rc 238, and PSB Rc 82, also known as VM-L8, as varieties that performed well together, and is now being adopted in Western Visayas.
Pacada’s other innovations include a digital seed classification system, an image-based tool that uses artificial neural networks to assess milled rice quality, and breeding materials carrying genes for bacterial leaf blight resistance.
She was among the government researchers conferred as Career Scientist I under the Scientific Career System in September 2026 in recognition of her contributions to agricultural research and technology development.
These innovations support the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve farmers’ resilience to climate-related risks through science-based solutions and agricultural modernization.
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