Rice field trials on the use of a carrageenan plant growth regulator (CPGR) in Brgy. Balatong have increased crop harvest by more than 65 percent. The trial was conducted by a team led by Dr. Gil Magsino of the National Crop Protection Center-University of the Philippines-Los Banos and the results showed that on grain weight, application of three and six bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare, combined with 200 parts per million (ppm) of CPGR yielded higher grain weight (450 and 455 grams per 10 hills) than the farmers’ practice of applying nine bags that only yielded 275 grams per 10 hills. Productive tillers and panicle length were also significantly higher in the test crops compared to those in the farmers’ fields. Productive tillers are the rice stems that bear the panicles with fertilized grains, while longer rice panicle is associated with producing more rice grains.

Lazaro, R. E. (2015, November 22). Carrageenan as fertilizer? Test yield positive results. The Philippine Star, p. B4.