CLSU, DA Inaugurate Center for Precision and Digital Agriculture

The Central Luzon State University (CLSU), through the leadership of President Edgar A. Orden and Dr. Armando N. Espino Jr, Vice President for Research and Extension, inaugurated today the Precision and Digital Agriculture Center (PreDiCt).   The Center, funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), was established to harness the different smart-farming technologies developed by the CLSU researchers. President Orden, in his welcome remarks, recognized the support of the DA in the establishment of PreDiCt which provides CLSU another avenue to further its leadership in the field of agricultural technology. “CLSU has been put in the forefront in contributing to a better and more sustainable future under the Sustainable Development Goals 2, Zero Hunger as our goal is towards food sufficiency. I am proud to say that our university stays true to its commitment of generating new technologies to help the lives of the community,” said President Orden. Dr. William D. Dar, DA Secretary along with other DA officials from the different attached agencies/ bureaus graced the event.  In his keynote speech, Secretary Dar thanked and congratulated the leadership of CLSU for accepting, responding, and delivering the PreDiCt project to its current state today. “I am happy because whenever CLSU is given with responsibility to implement programs like this, they always deliver,” said Secretary Dar. In addition, Dr. Dar challenged CLSU as a leader in the Science City Community, to facilitate the synergies between and among the R&D agencies in agriculture, and for CLSU to make use of its resources such as utilizing PreDiCt as the central repository of all the technologies being generated that are related to smart agriculture. “We are partnering with higher education institutions like CLSU not only to achieve excellence but also to stay relevant and provide impact in the community with innovations and technologies, and eventually raise the agriculture productivity of the whole country,” Secretary Dar added. During the program, Dr. Espino also presented the different DA-funded programs and projects implemented at CLSU from 2018-present with a total grant amounting to 436 million pesos. As project proponent of PreDiCt, Dr. Espino emphasized the role of the Center in addressing the problem of the growing population, and limited land and water supply through precision and digital agriculture which promises more productive and more efficient use of time and resources.  The event was culminated with a field demonstration and facility tour at the PreDiCt greenhouse featuring the vertical tower garden and Dutch bucket hydroponics system with automated irrigation.