#inPhotos | The Department of Agriculture 12 (DA-12), led by Regional Executive Director Roberto T. Perales, successfully conducted a Farmer’s Field Day on the Regional Varietal Trial for Corn for the Dry Season in M’lang, Cotabato on March 21, 2025. This initiative, spearheaded by the Corn Program and Research Development Division, aims to assess the performance of various corn varieties under low-moisture conditions, providing farmers with valuable insights for selecting the best-performing seeds.
The trial featured different categories of corn varieties from various seed companies. For Genetically Modified (GM) Varieties, participating companies included Asian Hybrid Seed Technologies, Syngenta Philippines, Corteva AgriScience, Bioseed Philippines, and Bayer Philippines – Dekalb. The Conventional Hybrid Corn Varieties were represented by Evo Gene Seeds, Vigour Seeds, Promland, Maharlika – RJR, FARCO, and Southside AgriProducts Trading – Filipina. Additionally, the Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV) category featured Tupi 1 WIT, developed by DA-12.
Among the GM Hybrid Corn varieties, Bayer Crop Science (DK8899S) achieved the highest yield at 7.12 t/ha, followed by Syngenta Philippines Inc. (NK6130 BGT) with 6.70 t/ha, while Bioseed (H101G) and Asian Hybrid (J505) both recorded 6.45 t/ha. In the Conventional Yellow Hybrid Corn category, Evo Gene (EG501) produced the highest yield at 8.53 t/ha, followed by Promland (USM Var 35) with 7.74 t/ha and Southside Agri-Trading (Filipina 753) with 7.62 t/ha. For Conventional White Hybrid Corn, Southside Agri-Trading (Ghen 802) led with an average yield of 6.72 t/ha, while Farco MPC (Farco 88) followed with 6.04 t/ha. In the Open-Pollinated Variety (OPV) category, Farco MPC (Farco 58) recorded the highest mean yield of 3.90 t/ha, with Tupi WIT following at 3.17 t/ha.
Through trials conducted in both low- and high-elevation areas, the Department of Agriculture aims to generate valuable data on how these corn varieties perform in different agro-climatic conditions. The trial seeks to identify the most productive varieties for Region 12, provide data-driven recommendations for farmers to optimize their production, support decision-making in policy formulation and seed selection, and ultimately enhance food security and sustainability in the region.
With the collective efforts of DA-12, seed companies, and farmers, this initiative is a significant step toward improving corn production in Region 12.
