May 19, 2025

PRiSM has commenced the first day of its two-week sarmap training as part of the PRiSM 2.0 initiative. This specialized program is made possible through collaboration among PRiSM, Agrilever, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and sarmap SA.

Dr. Francesco Holecz, CEO of sarmap SA, is leading the training as the main resource speaker, sharing his expertise with the technical teams of PRiSM and IRRI. The training aims to enhance the country’s rice monitoring tools by improving the accuracy of satellite-based mapping and analysis down to the barangay level.

Participants will explore the enhanced features of MAPscape-RICE®, such as improved barangay-level mapping and the integration of new satellite data from the COSMO-SkyMed (CSG) constellation and the upcoming NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission.

A major highlight of this training is the improvement of yield estimation functionalities. The goal is to develop more advanced models that can estimate rice yields based on various rice varieties, fertilizer applications, locations, and cropping seasons across multiple years.

These models are designed to support more accurate, site-specific yield predictions, helping identify the best combination of practices to maximize yield at the barangay level.