To strengthen the countryโs efforts toward digital agriculture, the Department of Agriculture โ Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM), through the Soil and Water Resources Research Division (SWRRD), spearheaded the webinar session on โDecision Support Systems (DSS) for Soil Nutrient Management towards Sustainable Crop Productionโ on October 15, 2025, via Zoom and Facebook Live.
The webinar gained over 1,300 participants (via Zoom and Facebook live Platforms) and has reached more than 40,500 views after the session, showing the increasing interest in technological innovation in Philippine agriculture.
Dr. Karen S. Bautista, Chief of SWRRD, delivered the Opening Message on behalf of Dr. Gina Parde-Nilo, BSWM Director. She emphasized the significance of efficient and effective integration of soil, weather data sets, and crop requirements into a decision support system for improving nutrient efficiency. She called for collective action to protect soil resources through science-based and industry-driven innovations.
The session featured several technical presentations highlighting innovative DSS tools. Ms. Maribel R. Jalalon, Chief, Laboratory Services Division (LSD), introduced the Fertilizer Recommendation Mobile Application (FertRight), a mobile-based platform developed by DA-BSWM that helps farmers determine the right type and amount of fertilizer for specific crops and soil conditions.
Dr. Loucel E. Cui, from the University of the Philippines Los Baรฑos (UPLB), presented the Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture (SARAI) project, which uses weather data, satellite monitoring, and predictive modeling to help farmers in preparing their crop production plan.
Mr. Jesse C. Descalsota, University Researcher, also from UPLB, discussed the Nutrient Expert (NE)ยฎ tool for maize and cassava, which provides site-specific fertilizer recommendations to improve yields and nutrient balance. This is also applicable for soybean and potato.
The webinar ended with a warm closing message from Ms. Angelita C. Marcia, Assistant Chief of SWRRD, on behalf of Denise A. Solano, DA-BSWM Assistant Director. She encouraged participants to keep using DSS tools for sustainable, climate-resilient farming.
(Joann O. Allas, PDO II)
