The country's first smart cacao budwood nursery and greenhouse has been established and is now operational at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, Cotabato. This was made possible with the funding of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
The smart cacao budwood nursery is designed to improve the production, management, and distribution of quality budwood materials for cacao propagation. The facility integrates smart agriculture technologies, including an off-grid solar power system with battery backup, an automated irrigation network, smart fertigation scheduling, a weather station with field Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and four specialized mobile applications for soil moisture and irrigation scheduling, climate monitoring, remote nursery management, and insect pest and disease data logging. The project was implemented by USM and led by Dr. Edward A. Barlaan.
The nursery currently maintains 623 molecularly-verified, BPI-certified, and NSIC-recommended cacao varieties and promising clones that serve as valuable sources of scions for research and development and for the production of quality planting materials.
Complementing the nursery is the smart cacao greenhouse, which provides a controlled environment for propagating healthy cacao seedlings. The greenhouse features a solar-powered irrigation system with backup water storage facilities, an automated fertigation system, an adjustable shading system for regulating light intensity, an in-house weather station, and a mobile application that enables remote monitoring, control, and automation of greenhouse operations.
Together, the smart cacao nursery and greenhouse demonstrate use of renewable energy and precision agriculture in cacao production. By integrating solar power, automated irrigation and fertigation systems, IoT-enabled environmental monitoring, and digital management tools, the facilities generate real-time data that support more efficient nursery operations and informed crop management decisions.
These accomplishments were presented during the terminal review conducted last July 13-14, 2026 by DOST-PCAARRD, through the Forestry and Environment Research Division (FERD), to assess the project's implementation, validate its reported accomplishments, and visit the established smart facilities. The monitoring and evaluation activity was led by DOST-PCAARRD Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development Juanito T. Batalon and FERD Director Dalisay E. Cabral, with technical staff from FERD serving as evaluators.
Following the completion of the project, USM will continue operating and maintaining the facilities as an accredited nursery operator. The university also plans to institutionalize the smart cacao budwood nursery as a permanent research, extension, and technology demonstration facility. Through these facilities, USM will continue producing quality planting materials for nurseries and cacao growers, monitor the distribution and utilization of project-developed technologies, and conduct capacity-building activities for nursery operators, students, and other stakeholders. To further enhance the integrated smart technologies, USM also expressed its intention to seek external funding for future upgrades.