National Soil and Water Resources Research and Development Center for Hillyland Pedo-Ecological Zone

This represents the national research center for the development of soil and water management technologies suited to hillyland pedo-ecological zone. It is located at Km 53, Marcos Highway, Cuyambay, Tanay, Rizal. It was established in 1966 as Rizal Soil Conservation Demonstration Center with the enactment of Republic Act 4806. The Center covering 29.9 hectares was donated in 1969 by the Tanay Municipal Government on condition of exclusive management of the Bureau of Soils.

The Center shall be strengthened to address targeted long-term researches relating to marginal areas particularly fragile sloping conditions prone to soil erosion and landslides which are critical concerns towards sustaining agricultural productivity while addressing disaster-risk reduction. With its secondary forest maintained especially the endangered indigenous white lauan, a unique feature of this Center is that it can serve as a platform for the research convergence of climate change, land degradation and biodiversity. More importantly for advocacy, promotion and demonstration, it has evolved into a living museum that depicts transformation of idle unproductive marginal hillylands in almost four decades into productive terraced conservation farming.

Mandate

As Research and Development Center to undertake applied and
location-specific researches in hillyland pedo-ecological zones. The Center also screens and validates appropriate agro-technologies and best practices gathered from successful farmers, indigenous communities, academe and research institutions and other practitioners for adoption and use for sustainable hillyland agriculture. As Learning Center, it showcases cost-efficient, socially acceptable and environment friendly soil and water management technologies in hillyland pedo-ecological zones.

Mission

Ensure viable and safe cultivation of marginal hillylands through conservation farming practices to boost hillyland farmers’ income and satisfy the nutritional and functional food requirement of rural communities.

Vision

Marginal hillylands transformed into productive and vibrant farming communities that ensure the primacy of soil and water conservation practices, promote agro-biodiversity and respect cultural diversity.

Functions

Provide and maintain experimental site for conduct of upstream researches by the SWRRD on marginal hillyland relating to soil physics and mineralogy, soil biology, soil and water conservation, cropping pattern, land use, organic agriculture, protective and conventional farming and relevant researches that address emerging issues on land degradation, agro-biodiversity and climate change
Develop plans, programs and projects for hilly agro-ecosystem in accordance with the national soil and water research and development agenda
Undertake all aspects of soil and water midstream researches on hillyland
Develop knowledge products on cost-efficient practices and environment-friendly technologies for hilly agro-ecological zone
Ensure proper maintenance and operation of machineries, equipment and research facilities including soil monoliths, erosion plots and soil conservation demonstration areas
Develop and manage research infrastructure and data base for soil and water researches for hilly pedo-ecological zones in coordination with concerned divisions of the Bureau
Prepare and implement capability building programs through participatory trainings, field visits and seminars for agricultural students, farmers, agricultural technicians, LGUs and other interested clientele on hilly agriculture technologies
Undertake validation and demonstration of agro-technologies relating to soil conservation, fertility management, water resources management, organic and protective agriculture in hilly pedo-ecological zone
In coordination with interested clientele, promote validated and tested technologies on soil and water management in selected areas for hillyland agriculture
In coordination with WRMD, generate agromet data as representative of hillyland conditions for real time data processing