MOST HYBRID rice in the market mature in 120 days after transplanting. On the other hand, Quadro Alas, which is distributed by SeedWorks Philippines, matures in just 104 days after transplanting.

LESS RISK – Is there any advantage in planting an early maturing hybrid rice? Of course, there are a number of good reasons. The crop is exposed to a shorter periods to calamities like floods, typhoons, insect infestation and occurrence of disease. 

3 CROPS A YEAR – Another advantage is that it is possible for a farmer to produce three  crops instead of only two crops in one year for as long as there is irrigation water during the summer months. One of the farmers who is excited about this is Rogel Sorel of Maragondon, Cavite. In 2018, he produced a high yield of Quadro Alas.

37% HIGHER YIELD – Two years ago, Sorel was enrolled under the Hybrid Rice Model Farm Program of the Department of Agriculture and planted Quadro Alas on his two-hectare farm in Brgy. San Miguel A, on October 3, 2018, On January 15, 2019, he harvested his Quadro Alas after just 104 days from transplanting, The result? He got a higher yield than what he had experienced growing inbred and hybrid rice that are late maturing. He got 37 percent higher than the usual yield he got from previous crops of the other varieties.

HIGH QUALITY GRAINS – Sorel also got high quality long grains from Quadro Alas. This means that the palay has higher milling recovery. Being early maturing has other advantages. For one, the rice plants are exposed for shorter periods to different abiotic and biotic stresses like lack of water, flooding, natural calamities like typhoons and the like.

TOLERANT TO DISEASES – Regional Executive Director Arnel de Mesa says that Quadro Alas is also highly suitable for planting in the Ilocos, Samar, Leyte, and Negros. It has been observed that Quadro Alas has excellent tolerance to Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and Bacterial Leaf Streak (BLS) which are serious diseases attacking rice plants.