Feb 20, 2026 (LAGUNA, Philippines) — Laguna rice farmers were recently introduced to drone-assisted rice farming for smarter, more efficient production through the Drones4Rice project.

The project, co-implemented by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), together with the DA Regional Field Offices 2, 4A, and 5, aims to make precision agriculture more accessible to farmers and help drive sustainable improvements in rice productivity.

Two technology demonstrations were held focused on the use of drones in direct seeding and fertilizer applications. They drew 150 farmers from Nagcarlan, Los Baños, Sta. Cruz, Bay, Nagcarlan, Sta. Cruz, Los Baños, Pila, Pagsanjan, and Liliw, Laguna, together with researchers, development, and extension (RDE) personnel, and municipal agriculturists.

At the IRRI Los Baños Headquarters, the Drones4Rice team demonstrated the readiness of drone technology to support fertilizer management. Through variable rate application (VRA), fertilizers can be applied according to the specific nutrient requirements of different areas within a field, ensuring more precise, site-specific, and timely nutrient delivery.

“We saw that it (drone technology) is faster and less labor-intensive compared to doing it manually,” said Mr. Mamerto Hontiveros, one of the farmer participants from Nagcarlan, Laguna. “Fertilizing would usually take me from morning until noon. Sometimes it takes an hour. I carry five kilos at a time because it’s not possible for me to carry 20 kilos at once,” he added.

Engr. Joseph Sandro from the Drones4Rice team shares information on drone applications for farm inputs at the Zeigler Experiment Station, IRRI Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.

The Drones4Rice team also demonstrated drone-assisted direct seeding operations at the 1.8-hectare experimental site of the Office of the Laguna Provincial Agriculture (OPAG). Farmers witnessed operations completed in under an hour, whereas manually completing one hectare typically requires half a day to a full day.

Dr. Niño Paul Meynard Banayo, Provincial Agriculturist, expressed appreciation for the project’s efforts to introduce precision agriculture technologies to farmers in the province. “With the Drones4Rice technology, we’ve seen how we can help farmers boost productivity and reduce labor costs. Through precise and uniform application of agricultural inputs, it can help optimize and modernize our agricultural farm management and practices,” he said.

To further support adoption of drone-assisted rice farming in the Philippines, the demonstrations also served as a platform to promote the government’s Drone Voucher Program. The program provides subsidies for selected field operations, with farmers assuming certain responsibilities, such as land preparation and provision of seeds. Access to drone technology is facilitated through registered agricultural drone merchants (ADMs) or certified drone service providers.

Concerns about high capital costs were also addressed with practical options. While individual ownership may be expensive, organizing farmers into clusters can improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. Farmers can pool resources through associations or cooperatives to hire professional drone service providers who have the technical expertise and equipment and ensure proper operation and maintenance.

“As the project rolls out during its second year of implementation, DA and IRRI, together with our partners, continue to strengthen our collaborative efforts to support more project partners,” said Dr. Carlito Balingbing, IRRI’s Drones4Rice project lead. “This includes training on basic drone operation skills and mapping workflows, enabling them to analyze drone-captured images for nutrient recommendations and targeted herbicide applications.”

Published Date: March 5, 2026