SRA upgrades Visayas Agricultural Research Station
LA CARLOTA CITY, Negros Occidental — The Sugar Regulatory Administration's La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center (LGAREC) continues to improve their research facility with the recent upgrading of their soil’s laboratory.
LGAREC’s Soils Laboratory is a member of the Global Soil Laboratory Network, a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations initiative designed to harmonize soil analysis methods worldwide. The technical network supports the 2030 sustainable development goals and the FAO mandate on Food and Nutrition.
Research stations like LGAREC provide extension services to industry stakeholders, including soil analysis, fertilizer recommendations, sugarcane maturity testing, rendement, research, and support to help planters and millers make science-based decisions for higher yields.
The Soil Analysis and Fertilizer Recommendations for Sugarcane Crops analyzes essential nutrients, pH levels, and organic matter content to recommend optimal soil ameliorant (lime) amounts.
Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona lauded the laboratory's newly procured Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) equipment for soil analysis which he said will be “very helpful to our farmers to determine the necessary amount of fertilizers for their canes during planting season and in the fastest time possible.”
The P8.5 million ICP-OES spectrometer tests and analyzes soil for multi-element analyses, expecting a five-fold increase in speed and efficiency, capable of analyzing elements in a matter of minutes.
Azcona said SRA procured two of these Horiba ICP-OES, the only machines available in Negros Island Region and can be utilized not just by the sugar industries but by other industries as well.
“This puts SRA's labs at par with world standards,” Azcona added.
He also said this new machine is the only one in Negros Island Region and can be utilized in many uses, not just by the sugar industry but by other industries as well.
Other services, such as sugarcane maturity testing and rendement also assist farmers in making informed decisions on harvesting time and milling profitability. The 100-peso maturity testing service extracts juices from sugarcane samples for Brix, polarization status, and potential sugar yield, with results available after three working days.
The LGAREC Soils Laboratory also conducts research studies and provides research support focused on improving soil fertility for sugar crops, assisting scientists and researchers in advancing sustainable agricultural practices.
