and forest products. It has developed nanosensors and nanostructured materials from agriculture by-products, helping improve agricultural productivity. Moreover, it has developed and commercialized "nanofertilizers" that can be substituted for synthetic fertilizers. Researchers found that these nanofertilizers reduced fertilizer application by up to 50 percent compared with using conventional fertilizers, and are less likely to cause soil toxicity and imbalance. Studies showed that using the nanofertilizers increased the net profit of farmers by 40 percent in rice, 20 percent in corn, and 48 percent in potato. It also increased eggplant yield by 36 percent, cabbage by 5 percent, and cane tonnage by 46 percent. Significant increases in yield were also observed for coffee, cacao, and banana. In 2021, the government launched a program to optimize the manufacturing of these nanofertilizers. Student life In 2008, 2,170 students were housed in the eight dormitories managed by UPLB. In the academic year 2011–2012, fees for all UPLB dormitories increased by at least 25 percent from the previous rate of ₱350 (US$8) a month. As with the previous dormitory fee increase of 221 percent in 1997, making the dormitories "financially self-supporting" was one of the reasons cited by the University Housing Office for the revision. The move was widely criticized by various groups. The University Housing Office projects ₱13,818,000 (US$322,000) in revenue for 2010 with a deficit of ₱586,465.59 (US$13,600). according to official estimates. UPLB is currently building two new dormitories with of floor area. The new dormitories are expected to accommodate 192 persons annually. Student organizations As of May 2020, there are 159 recognized student organizations in UPLB. Of these, 68 are academic, 15 cultural, one international, eight religious, 30 socio-civic, six sports and recreational, 11 varsitarian, 13 fraternities, and 7 sororities. There are also a number of organizations that exist but are not officially recognized by the university. Regional organizations were not recognized by UPLB prior to September 2008, when the University of the Philippines board of regents repealed Chapter 72 Article 444 of the 1984 University of the Philippines Code, which states that "organizations which are provincial, sectional or regional in nature shall not be allowed in the University System." Likewise, Section 3 of the code states that "the University of the Philippines System is a public, secular, non-profit institution of higher learning." Due to this, religious organizations have had some difficulty in getting recognized. Only recognized organizations are allowed to use