CALAMBA CITY, July 22 -- Emerging smart-farming technologies that promise to boost rice productivity and strengthen provincial food security were showcased during a joint demonstration by three government agencies at Barangay Bagumbayan, Santa Cruz town on Wednesday.

The smart technology presenters included the Field Agricultural Extension Services-Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (FAES-OPAG), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

Provincial information officer Danilo Lucas disclosed in a report that IRRI presented Drone4Rice, which uses XAG agricultural drones for direct seeding, targeted fertilizer application, and pesticide spraying.

Lucas said that the drones ...