A TEAM from the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (Aciar) visited the soil research project at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Ilocos Norte, solidifying the intentions of both entities to contribute to the preservation of the country’s soil resources for agriculture.
The visit on Mar. 19, 2026 allowed Aciar representatives to monitor and assess the progress of a soil research project they funded at MMSU.
The project, titled “Project SLaM 2023/146: Developing soil knowledge, information, and capacity to improve the productivity and sustainability of key cropping systems in the Philippines,” aims to strengthen soil knowledge systems and enhance the technical capacity of farmers on soil health.
Led by Aciar and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resource Research and Development (PCAARRD), the project brings together experts from Griffith University, including professors Chengrong Chen and Evan Thomas, and local partners from MMSU and the Ilocos Norte provincial government.
The Aciar project, in collaboration with MMSU, also aims to boost productivity and resilience in Philippine cropping systems. This initiative is expected to have a significant impact on local farming communities, enabling them to adopt more sustainable and efficient farming practices.
Aciar’s role in promoting sustainable agriculture in the Philippines involves providing funding and expertise to support research and development projects. The MMSU project is one of them.
A key benefit of Aciar’s project is the improvement of crop yields with the aid of soil data. For example, soil-data-based fertilization strategies have increased rice yields from 4 to 6.16 tons per hectare in Agusan del Sur.
Other benefits include enhanced farmer capacity where training and resources are provided to farmers, empowering them to adopt sustainable practices; and environmental sustainability promoting organic farming and conservation agriculture techniques, which reduces use of chemical inputs.
Aciar’s approach focuses on collaborative research and development, engaging with local stakeholders to ensure that solutions are tailored to the specific needs of Philippine farmers.
MMSU President Virgilio Julius Manzano Jr., an agricultural engineer, expressed his full support for the project, offering MMSU as a hub for Project SLaM 2023/146 in Luzon.
“We are planning to integrate our Information Technology Center into our soil laboratory so that all information gathered for Project SLaM in Luzon can be easily uploaded and accessed not only by researchers but more importantly, our farmers,” Manzano said.
Manzano added that the innovative approach to soil management has the potential to transform Philippine agriculture, making it more resilient and productive.
The project’s objectives align with Aciar’s broader goals of improving soil health and promoting sustainable agriculture practices in the Philippines.
For his part, Chen said Aciar will support the Philippine Project team in gathering data and may provide soil laboratory instruments to facilitate accurate and efficient analysis.
“We are looking at the possibility of providing needed soil laboratory instruments for our researchers and farmers for Project SLaM 2023/146, for them to analyze their samples accurately and quickly,” Chen said.