The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Xanadu Agri Products Inc. have entered into a partnership to conduct field trials evaluating fertilizer technologies on rice and vegetable crops in the province.

The collaboration was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed on 28 May at the MMSU Center for Flexible Learning.

Under the agreement, fertilizer product validation trials will be conducted on a 2.5-hectare portion of the university's President's Farm and Minuyongan Farm. The study will compare the performance of Xanadu's foliar fertilizer products with traditional granular fertilizers commonly used by farmers.

The field trials are scheduled to be conducted during the 2026 wet season for rice crops and during the 2027 dry season for selected vegetable crops.

University officials said the project aims to generate data on the effectiveness of the fertilizer technologies under local conditions. The findings may also be shared with farmers through the university's extension programs.

The partnership is also expected to provide hands-on learning opportunities for agriculture students, faculty researchers, and extension workers through actual field experiments and technology demonstrations.

The agreement was signed by MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr. and Xanadu Chairperson Wellington Soong.

Witnessing the signing were MMSU Extension Director Marlowe Aquino and Xanadu Executive Director Hazel Loreto-Murphree.

Also present during the ceremonial signing were Engr. Francis Alpas and Mr. Shungo Senga, representing Xanadu Agri Products Inc.

The fertilizer validation trials are expected to commence during the 2026 wet-season cropping cycle, with results intended to help assess the potential application of the technologies in local agricultural production.