Recipient Institution:
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)

Project Leader:
Roger F. Barroga, Head, Information and Communications Technology Division

Amount and Duration: US$ 30,000 / 24 months

Commencement Date:
January 2005

Abstract of Project
With less land and exploding population, yield increase will have to come from the rice plant itself, using modern technology. Since 1990, the Philippines have produced over 100 new rice varieties. However, only about 15-20 percent of the rice fields are planted with new rice varieties.

Thus the Philippine Rice Research in 1994 created a national seed network called "Seed Net" with 100 "seed centers" serving as "point of sales." Seed centers multiply "foundation seeds" right in the farmers' locale, and sell the seeds to commercial seed growers for further multiplication.

A single seed net member with 5 hectares and yield of 4 tons seed/ha can support 100 commercial seed growers. These seed growers, in turn, can produce enough seeds to support 25,000 farmers. This link, however, has not fully materialized because of lack connectivity and real time exchange of information. Commercial seed growers are not aware of the Seed Net stocks. The Seed Net on the other hand, does not know where to move their stocks.

Mobile phones will enable seed growers and seed centres to link together and share a real-time seed stock inventory system. The system will have an sms server to handle incoming data and query, and a database to process data, directory, and report generation.

This research hopes to (1) develop a real-time seed stock inventory system; (2) enable farmers to query seed stock thru sms; (3) link breeding centers, seed net, and commercial seed growers; (4) and spur a seed reservation system.