ripple newsletter, september-december 2012

7/30/2019 RIPPLE Newsletter, September-December 2012

1/12September-December 2012RIPPLE

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2

www.irri.org/irrc

Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Rice Research for Intensifed Production and Prosperity in Lowland Ecosyste

Swiss Agency for Developmentand Cooperation

Volume 7, Number 3, 22nd issue September-December

The IRRC-SDC Partnership: 19972012

continued on page 3

T

he Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation

(SDC) recognizes the need forcommitments to long partnershipsfor successful multilateral projectsin development research andextension. The 16-year partnershipwith the International Rice ResearchInstitute (IRRI) on crop and naturalresource management in theirrigated lowland rice environmentshighlights the benets that arisefrom such a commitment.

The Irrigated Rice ResearchConsortium (IRRC) was created

in 1997 when national agriculturalresearch and extension systemsin Asia joined forces withresearchers at IRRI. The IRRCdeveloped practical and aordabletechnologies and practices forsmallholders to sustainablyenhance their rice production.

While the scope of workwidened with time (e.g., theintroduction of the postharvest

work group in 2004, and the crophealth work group in 2009), the

underlying idea to enhance theproductivity of rice productionsystems by a more ecient useof resources (water, labor, etc.),leading to a reduced ecologicalfootprint, remained the same.

IRRC technologies such assite-specic nutrient management,alternate weing and drying, directseeding, improved postharvestpractices, and ecologically basedpest management of insects,weeds, and rodents have been

developed, rened, and promoted.An external review of the IRRCin 2011 concluded that more than500,000 farmers have adopted oneor more of these technologies.

Some institutes and donorsfocus only on the economic benetsof research and developmentprojects. The SDC takes a much

broader view and together withIRRI commissioned a review

of the outcomes and impactsof the IRRC over the past 16years that encompasses theeconomic, social (includinggender), and cultural aspects ofsmallholder rural communities.

Another important dimensionthat will be considered is thecapacity strengthening ofnational partners, includingthe incorporation of scienticoutputs into the curricula oftertiary teaching institutions.

An international team of threeconsultants is undertaking thisreview. An interim report will

be presented at the nal wrap-up meeting of Phase IV of theIRRC in November 2012. The nalreport will be delivered by the endof March 2013. Meanwhile, thisspecial issue of RIPPLE provides

Grant Singleton


2/122 RIPPLSeptember-December 2012

Direct seeding saveslabor and water costs

In the High Barind Tract ofnorthwest Bangladesh, where

there is low, irregular rainfalland limited irrigation, farmersexperience compounded hardships.They oen transplant wet-seasonrice late due to delayed monsoons.And, when drought sets in duringthe booting stage of the rice cropin October, farmers harvest lowyields. As a possible solution to theirproblems, direct seeding of ricein dry or wet soil was introducedto Bangladeshi farmers as analternative to transplanting of rice.

Lower costs and less laborFarmers experiences with

direct-seeded rice (DSR) weresurveyed through formal economicand informal farmer evaluations ofon-farm trials in Rajshaji, Naogaon,and Chapai Nawabganj districtsin 2003 and 2005. Although yieldswere almost alike, net returnsfrom DSR were higher because oflower costs, mainly for seedbed

preparation and crop establishment.DSR reduced the laborrequirement by 30 days per hectarefor farmers who transplanted riceand applied herbicide, and by 50days per hectare for farmers whotransplanted rice without usingherbicide. Herbicide applicationallows beer weed management,and requires less time andlabor for manual weeding.

Farmers said that DSR wasmost benecial because it allowed

earlier planting of winter crops (e.g.,chickpea), and saved labor costs.Earlier rice gets a higher price inthe market and allows me to plantwinter crops earlier, says MujiburRahman from Manikora Village.Direct seeding is useful in areaswhere there is drought or thereis no certainty of rain, adds Md.Salauddin from Choygati Village.

No more hunger gamesAlso in northwest Bangladesh,

Trina Leah Mendoza

rural people experience ahungry period called monga,when agricultural laborers andmarginal farmers wait jobless fromOctober to November to harvest

the main monsoon rice crop.Shorter-duration varieties, DSRand appropriate weed management,and crop diversication wereintroduced to farmers throughpartnerships with government andnongovernment organizations.

Preliminary results showedthat shorter-duration varietiescombined with DSR gave higheryields than the traditionalpractice of transplanting long-duration varieties. However, these

results diered by location.In upper elds with light-textured soils, the best option wasto directly seed in dry soil using alithao, a hardwood implement usedto open furrows. On the other hand,pregerminated wet DSR sown usinga drum seeder was more appropriatefor the medium-high land.

Farmers preferred dryDSR because it reduced costsand allowed them to plant riceaer only a lile rainfall.

The options of direct seedingand shorter-duration varieties forearly harvest were included in anational program of the Bangladeshigovernment for monga mitigation

in northwest Bangladesh with anaction plan from 2008 to 2010.

Proven protableIndias food security relies

mainly on the productivity of therice-wheat cropping system of theIndo-Gangetic Plains. Farmers hereface similar problems as Bangladeshfarmers. They need more water andlabor to establish seedling nurseries,puddle elds, and transplant rice.DSR was introduced to farmers

to reduce reliance on irrigationwater, save water, and increaseproductivity of the wheat crop.

In 2002 and 2003, the costs andbenets of dry DSR were exploredthrough on-farm trials at Pantnagar,Uaranchal. DSR proved protablefor farmers and gave net returns ofabout US$281 per hectare for dry-seeded rice and $244 per hectare for

A farmer from northwest Bangladesh tries out direct seeding of rice in dry or wet soil to solvecropping woes due to low, irregular rainfall and limited irrigaon.

continued on page 3



The IRRI-SDC Partnership...Grant Singleton

wet-seeded rice compared with $218per hectare for transplanted rice.

However, the main challenge forDSR is eective weed management.A 2008 study evaluated variousdirect seeding and weedmanagement options for rice andwheat during a 4-year series of

eld experiments. Yields of wet-seeded rice in clean, weeded plotswere slightly higher (9%) thanthose of transplanted rice, but thepotential yield losses due to weedsin either wet or dry DSR weregreater than in transplanted rice.

A study exploring theimplications of adopting alternativeseeding methods at threegeographically separate sites inIndia conrmed that DSR could

be an alternative to transplantedrice to address growing costsand help the rice-wheat system

become sustainable. Without weedcompetition, average grain yieldswere highest under wet seeding (6.56tons per hectare), similar to yieldsfrom transplanted rice in puddledsoil (6.17 tons per hectare) and dry-seeded rice aer dry soil tillage(6.15 tons per hectare). Moreover,farmers who relied on monsoonscould prepare elds for dry DSR

about 30 days before they couldprepare elds for transplanting orseeding with pregerminated seed.

Direct seeding proved to bean eective option for farmers inBangladesh and India. Combinedwith proper weed management,shorter-duration varieties, and cropdiversication, direct seeding canhelp save labor and water costsand ultimately provide more foodand extra income for hundreds ofthousands of farmers across Asia.

Ph

otobyRonaNiaMaeRojas

An Indonesian farmer from Bendewuta Village, Konawe District, Southeast Sulawesi, uses amodied drum seeder for direct seeding. The modied version uses four drums instead of theoriginal six drums designed by IRRI.

continued from page 2

Direct seeding saves...

a snapshot of some of the mainoutcomes and impacts of ourpartnership over the past 4 years.

RIPPLE as a magazine-cum-newsleer began in December 2005.The main aim was to keep partners,donors, other regional scientic andextension sta, and students up-to-date with activities and outcomes ofour research. This is issue number22 and our current print run is 1,000.The feedback we receive on RIPPLEhas been extremely positive. Overthe past two years, there have been350 downloads and around 3,000reads of RIPPLE on our new IRRC

Web presence, www.irri.org/irrc(not counting those who accessedRIPPLE through Scribd.com). Special

commendation must be given toTrina Mendoza and Rona Rojas,who have provided a consistentlyhigh-quality publication.

The SDC will not continuefunding the IRRC as a platformfor partnership and R&D beyond2012. IRRI, however, will continueits investment in the IRRC underProgram 3, Ecological andsustainable management of rice-

based production systems, of theGlobal Rice Science Partnership

(GRiSP). The SDC will fund a newproject on closing rice yield gapsin Asia (CORIGAP), which will be

managed under the IRRC umbrella.Since 1997, there have been many

drivers of change inuencing therice production systems in Asia.The IRRC, SDC, and IRRI haveevolved to be positioned to help ourpartner countries to take advantageof these changes. The new directionof R&D for the IRRC beyond2012 is another exciting chapterin this change process. We lookforward to strengthening existingpartnerships and developingnew linkages during 2013!




The rapid decline of wateracross the globe hasprompted scientists to

develop rice-growing technologiesthat can withstand this challenge.

One option is aerobic rice, a wayof growing rice that producesacceptable yields using roughlyhalf the amount of water neededfor planting lowland irrigated rice.This system uses rice varietiesthat are drought- and lodging-resistant, input-responsive,and weed-competitive.

Increasing adoption rate in ChinaThe China Agricultural

University (CAU) began developing

aerobic rice in China in the 1980s.Farmers, particularly in northernChina, have been adopting thetechnology, but lile is knownabout their understanding of

aerobic rice, and the impact ithas made on their livelihoods.

A study conducted in threecounties in North Anhui revealedthat the proportion of farmersgrowing aerobic rice was 25%,with a high of 73% in one county.The proportion of aerobic ricewas 7%, with a high of 20% inone county. Farmers harvestedan average of 2.9 tons per hectare,

with one county averaging ashigh as 4.9 tons per hectare.

Compared to other summercrops, aerobic rice can be moreprotable in an environment

where droughts and oodsalternately occur. Farmersperceived aerobic rice as a water-and labor-saving technologythat can be easily managed,although weeds and unstableyields were the main constraints.

Aerobic rice also saves onfertilizer and energy for pumpingirrigation water to the eld. Allthese savings contribute to a20% reduction in productioncost compared with lowland

rice. The lower need for labor isalso benecial in areas that areexperiencing labor shortage.

An impact assessment of theDeveloping a System of Temperate

Trina Leah Mendoza

and Tropical Aerobic Rice (STAR)in Asia project estimated that, by2015, the aerobic rice-growing areain China will increase to over 1million hectares, a big leap from thepresent estimate of 350,000 hectares.

The International Rice ResearchInstitute started working with CAUand national partners in 2001 tostudy the appropriate managementrecommendations for aerobic rice inChina, India, and the Philippines.

Promising results in the PhilippinesA study evaluated the eects

of the amount and timing ofnitrogen fertilizer applicationand row spacing on aerobic rice

yield under rainfed conditionsin Central Luzon, Philippines.With the application of 60 to150 kilograms of nitrogen perhectare, yields achieved were3.14.9 tons per hectare dependingon site and season. Applyingnitrogen beyond 90 kilogramsper hectare increased the risk oflodging, especially during the wetseason. To allow easier weeding

between rows, a row spacing of35 centimeters is suggested. The

suggested row space also enablesmechanized eld operationswhere tire tracks of machines canno longer damage the crops.

Three promising aerobic ricevarieties were tested infarmers elds in Tarlacand Nueva Eca provincesin the Philippines. VarietyApo produced the highestyield (45.5 tons perhectare) among the three

varieties. However, farmersin Bulacan and La Unionprovinces preferred andare adopting a breedingline that yielded 5.26 tonsper hectare in Bulacan.

In some aerobic rice eldtrials in the Philippines,nematodes that can causea yield decline wereidentied as potentialthreats. IRRC Water-SavingWork Group leader Ruben

Lampayan and his teamcaution farmers in theseareas on possible sustainabilityissues in planting aerobic rice.

A survey among 80 farmersin Bulacan, both adopters andnonadopters, echoes the Chinesefarmers view that, althoughaerobic rice yield may be lower

IRRIphoto

Amazing Rice

Farmers inspect an aerobic rice eld inTarlac Province, Philippines.

continued on page 5



Cross-country exchange on Rice GAP

An exchange betweenscientists from Thailand andVietnam on the progress of

their respective countries on GoodAgriculture Practices for Rice (RiceGAP) took place on 21-27 October,facilitated by the Irrigated RiceResearch Consortium (IRRC).

Four Thai scientists, led byLadda Viriyangkura from theThai Rice Department, visited

the Mekong Deltain Vietnam on 21-24October and reportedon the progress of the1 Must Do, 5 Reductionsprogram in An Giang.

The group alsovisited a farmer groupin Can Tho Provincethat is certied under

Viet GAP for rice production and

met with the deputy directorof the Southern HorticultureResearch Institute (SOFRI) in LongDinh to discuss the developmentand management of Viet GAP,Global GAP, and Rice GAP.

The Vietnam team, on the otherhand, traveled to Thailand (24-27October) and was briefed on ThaiRice GAP during a visit to theRice Department in Bangkok and

Rona Nia Mae Rojas

met farmers in Saraburi Provincewho were certied producersunder Thai Rice GAP. The teamof four Vietnamese scientists wasled by Pham Van Du, deputy

director of the Department of CropProduction. The team also visiteda niche company that buys, mills,and trades certied rice produced

by the aforementioned farmers.In Petchaburi Province, the

Vietnamese scientists met witha farmer group that formed acommunity rice center, and,later, visited the Ratchaburi RiceSeed Center to discuss issuesassociated with the productionand distribution of breeder seed.

IRRC coordinator GrantSingleton, who accompanied

both delegations, noted an issuecommon in both countries: theprivate sector is not well-alignedyet with the exciting developmentsunder Rice GAP. Farmers andfarmer clusters certied as meetingGAP standards generally do notreceive a premium for the high-quality rice that they produce.

A positive development,

however, is that best practicesfor rice production, such as the 1Must Do, 5 Reductions program,provide the platform for farmersto become certied. Farmers whohave taken the time and eort toadopt best practices and meet theexacting criteria to be certiedhave reported a yield increase of,on average, 0.4-0.5 ton per hectareand reduced input and labor costsAll of these farmers reportedthat it is these improvements in

productivity and prot that keepthem interested in continuedinvolvement in Rice GAP program

The scientists who joined inthe cross-country exchange werePham Van Du, Nguyen Thi Kieu,Le Thanh Tung, Le Quoc Cuong,Ladda Viriyangkura, NopparatInson, Wannakorn Intatasatit,and Bordinth Jankam.

continued from page 4Amazing Rice

Ladda Viriyangkura (middle,in black), from the RiceDepartment of Thailand,explains aspects of seedquality to Vietnamesecolleagues.

than that of lowland rice, it hascomparable protability.

A group of Filipino farmerscall the technology amazing rice.Their similar experiences with theChinese farmers of saving water,labor, and fertilizer conrm that

Aerobic rice plantsare subjected todierent soil andwater condionsin an experimentaleld in Tarlac,Philippines.

aerobic rice isa good option

for farmersin rainfedand water-scarce areas.

(Note:Watch the

video titledAmazing Rice: AerobicRice Technology on YouTube[hp://youtu.be/4btCXwq7ZRQ],a new video featuring someFilipino farmers managementpractices and testimonials onadopting aerobic rice. )

IRRIphoto



Millions of Asian farmersstruggle with poor-qualitygrain as a result of their

traditional practice of sundrying. To

solve this problem, the mechanicalatbed dryer was developed for thehumid tropical environments in thePhilippines in the 1970s. However,it did not take o in most countries

because of the high operatingcost needed for the kerosene-red

burner. Its 1-ton drying capacityper batch was unsuitabletoo

big for small farmers and toosmall for the commercial sector.

It was only in Vietnam wherethe technology was successfully

adapted, thanks to a modiedversion by Nong Lam University(NLU). By 2005, around 4,000dryers with 48-ton capacity wereinstalled in the Mekong Delta, allusing rice husk as fuel. NeighboringLao PDR, Cambodia, and Myanmarhad no dryers at the t ime.Indonesian dryers mostly installed

by the government were not beingused. And, only a few dryers

based on the Vietnamese designwere used in the Philippines.

IRRI began working with NLU,national partners, and privatestakeholders in 2006 to introducethe atbed dryer in Southeast Asia.

MyanmarDr. Myo Aung Kyaw from the

Pioneer Postharvest DevelopmentGroup (PPHDG) and Mr. Tin Oo,a manufacturer, participated inthe IRRI-organized dryer trainingconducted at NLU in 2006. Aerthe training, they installed therst pilot unit in Myanmar.This started the production andinstallation of dryers at rice millsand with farmers groups. By

2012, over 72 dryers had beeninstalled by the PPHDG, 80 byMr. Tin Oo, and 150 by workshopsthat have copied the design.

The PPHDG conrms that13,700 farmers are benetingfrom the dryers that the grouphas installed, and an estimated35,000 farmers are benetingfrom over 300 dryers in thecountry. (See RIPPLE Sept-Dec2011 issue for more details.)

IndonesiaIn the tidal lands of

South Sumatra, low-qualitydiscolored rice is commondue to delays in handlingand drying. Shortagesin labor and postharvestfacilities caused thesedelays. To address thisproblem, a kerosene-fueledatbed dryer or box dryerwas introduced in SouthSumatra by AGRINDO, amachinery manufacturer in

Java, in 1995. Unfortunately

users abandoned the dryerdue to rising fuel costs.

In 2003, a rice-husk-red dryer with 3.3-toncapacity was developedand introduced in SouthSumatra. IRRI providedassistance by transferringa bigger and more ecient

fan to a local manufacturer inPalembang. By 2010, around 200dryers had been installed in South

Sumatra, mainly by rice millingunits. Four local workshops are nowproducing dryers there, with oneshop in Palembang already makinggood-quality dryers and the othersneeding more technical assistance.

The PhilippinesMost Filipino farmers rely on

the sun to dry their grain, butnow face problems of low quality

because of unpredictable weather.During the last few years, the

Philippine Rice Research Institute(PhilRice) worked with NLU tobring in the second-generationatbed dryer with reversible airowfrom Vietnam to the Philippines.IRRI supported a participatoryverication of the initial units ofthese dryers through the IRRCand an Asian Development Bank(ADB)-funded Postharvest Project.The Philippine Department of

Flatbed dryers spreadacross Southeast Asia

PhotobyTrinaMendoza

Trina Leah Mendoza

continued on page 7

A community-based reversible atbed dryer was installed in Bukidnon, Philippines, through the IRRI-ADBProject, PhilRice, and NGOs Kaanib Foundaon, Inc., and Catholic Relief Services.




Agriculture funded 10 unitsinstalled at PhilRice stations.

These dryers are now beingtransferred to end users throughPhilRice and the PostharvestLearning Alliance (LA). Both serveas platforms where the dryers

can be evaluated in a businessmodel context with end users andsupporting institutions such asnongovernment organizations,local government units, and IRRI.

CambodiaThe need for mechanical dryers

in Cambodia sprang from theproliferation of combine harvestersin the country. Now, with around2,000 combines being used, thereare large amounts of weer grains

than what would normally beharvested manually. Sundryingwas no longer suitable. Thus, theADB-IRRI Project transferred theatbed dryer from Vietnam to alocal manufacturer in Cambodia.

From one demonstrationunit installed with a farmersgroup, there are now hundredsof atbed dryers in Cambodia.The private sector has realizedthe benets of mechanicaldrying and several have invested

in the technology. The localmanufacturer has now designeda recirculating batch dryer, thenext level of the technology.

Some lessons learnedPrevious aempts to introduce

mechanicaldryers for ricehave failed

because ofunsuitabletechnologies,high fuelcosts, andmarkets thataccepted sun-dried paddywithout aprice penalty.

Increasedharvestvolumes,weerproducecoming fromcombineharvesting,and markets

becomingmore quality-consciousdrove the

need for mechanical dryers inSoutheast Asia over the last decade.

The availability of a dryer

design adapted to users needsand using rice husk as fuel inVietnam and the facilitation oftechnology transfer and supportto local manufacturers allowedadoption in neighboring countrieswithin a few years. Each countryhad local champions who drovethe technologies even beyondproject horizons. Multistakeholderplatforms such as the LAhelped in linking actors acrosssectors, capturing the learning,

and making it available.The IRRC provided the platform

for cross-country technologytransfer and learning. Thepresence of business models forthe use of machinery can help theadoption and be instrumental inestablishing linkages to nancinginstitutions. And, in cases wherethe dryers were provided for free orheavily subsidized, sustainabilitywas usually not achieved.

Flatbed dryers spread...

Farmers are trained on the use of the atbed dryers in Baambang, Cambodia.

Photo

byMartinGummert

Myanma farmers reap the benets of having access to atbed dryers.



F

ertilizers, though importantinputs to achieve high yieldand prot in rice farming,

are oen managed ineciently byrice farmers. Much like humans,rice crops need the right kindof nutrients at the right amountand at the right time. The timingof application during a ricecrops growth stage is crucialin ensuring good yield.

The inecient use of nitrogen(N) fertilizer, for example,especially for high yield andcropping intensity, can lead tocrop lodging and increased pest

and disease infestation, whichultimately reduces the cropyield and income of farmers.

To tackle these pressingissues, the IRRC Productivity andSustainability Work Group (PSWG)developed and promoted practicesand tools for more ecient fertilizermanagement in rice and other crops.

LCC reduces fertilizer applicationBangladesh, a country with

decreasing arable land, must

produce 28 million tons of milledrice by 2020 to feed a fast-growingpopulation. An increased rice yield

and higher cropping intensityare needed to meet the risingdemand for food while copingwith diminishing agriculturalland. This also means that cropshave a greater need for nutrients.

A tool, the leaf color chart(LCC), was developed to help ensurethat rice crops get the appropriateamount of N fertilizer at the propertime. The LCC is a simple andinexpensive tool that can be usedto monitor leaf greenness (and

nitrogen content) and guide farmerson how much nitrogen fertilizeris needed to achieve high yield.

Since 2006, IRRI, with theBangladesh Rice Research Institute,Department of AgriculturalExtension, and other local partners,has disseminated 612,000 ofthe 4-panel LCCs and trained224,916 farmers on its use. In2011, interviews with farmersrevealed that those who used the

LCC reduced their amount of

urea application by as much as50% compared to their amount ofapplication before they used the

LCC. Farmers revealed that therewere changes in their fertilizermanagement practices and thatthe LCC helped them cope withthe rising prices of urea fertilizer.

Knowledge made simpleand accessible

Site-specic nutrientmanagement (SSNM) principlesare best management practicesfor applying nutrients (N,phosphorus [P], and potassium

[K]) in rice and other crops as andwhen needed. This eld-specicapproach allows farmers to adjustfertilizer use depending on thenutrient needs of a crop and thenutrient supply from naturalsources such as crop residues, soil,manure, and irrigation water.

One of the challenges intailoring nutrient managementfor specic eld conditions andfor its widespread uptake is its

knowledge intensityfactorsincluding crop yield, crop residuemanagement, historical fertilizeruse, use of organic materials,and nutrient inputs in irrigationwater have to be considered.

Rona Nia Mae RojasProper nutrient managementleads to higher yield and income

continued on page 9

From le to right: TheNutrient Manager for Ricemobile applicaon, the leafcolor chart, and the NutrientManagercomputer-basedsoware. These are the toolsused to properly managenutrient applicaon forspecic eld types.



The SSNM principles weredeveloped into a tool calledNutrient Manager for Rice. It is acomputer-based decision soware

that can quickly give farmers andextension workers a comprehensivefertilizer guideline tailored tospecic conditions in rice elds.The Nutrient Manager consists ofabout 15 questions easily answered

by an extension worker or farmerwith no need for soil or plantanalyses. Rowena Castillo, a PSWGsoil scientist and developer ofthe soware, says, Based on theresponses from the questions, theuser will receive a guideline on

the amount of fertilizer per cropgrowth stage for a specic eld.

In the Philippines andIndonesia, the Nutrient Manager

for Rice decision soware canbe used with computers and isalso available as mobile phoneapplications. Bangladesh and WestAfrica are set to follow soon.

Cross-country gainsThe environmental impact and

economic benets of SSNM were

evaluated for two cropping seasonsin southern India, the Philippines,and southern Vietnam. On-farmresearch comparing SSNM to thefarmers fertilizer practice showedthat SSNM increased rice yieldin the three locations even with

reduced N fertilizer application.

The increase in yields with lessN fertilizer was due to improvedfertilizer use eciency. Improvingfertilizer use also reduces theemission of nitrous oxide (N

2O), a

greenhouse gas that traps heat inthe atmosphere. SSNM practice in

India showed potential to obtaingreater yields with increasedN fertilizer while maintaininglow N

2O emissions.

The study revealedthat SSNM did not increaseemissions of N

2O per unit

of grain yield. For locationswhere higher yield is possiblethrough less N fertilizer, SSNMcould reduce N

2O emissions

per unit of grain yield.Farmers who practiced

SSNM reported an increasein income, whether from lessfertilizer input, less pesticideuse, or increased yield. Theadded income from SSNM wasUS$34/ha in Vietnam, $106 in thePhilippines, and $168 in India.

SSNM proves that propermanagement of nutrients could

bring about environmentaland economic benetsfor Asian farmers.


Proper nutrient management...

PhotobyMadonnaCasimero

PhotobyMadonnaCasimero

Men and women farmers reap a bounful harvest in Konawe, South Sulawesi. Thisarea adopted site-specic nutrient management principles with other IRRC naturalresource management technologies.

The women in Bone, South Sulawesi, proudly carry the seasons harvest in their village, whereSSNM principles were also tried with other IRRC natural resource management technologies.



Understanding ecology is key Grant SingletonRona Nia Mae Rojas

The black rat (Raus raus, le) and the rice eld rat (Raus argenventer, right) are the mainpests of rice in Southeast Asia.

Rodent pests have long beenconsidered a nuisance tohumans. These pests wreak

havoc in rice elds and competein acquiring and storing food.

They are a major constraint in riceproduction, during both preharvestand postharvest stages of cultivation.

Globally, over the past 50 years,the economic and social impactsof rodent pest populations are stillsignicant despite advances inecological theory and methods.

In countries such as Indonesia,rodent pests are economicallythe most important preharvestpest, causing annual losses to riceproduction of more than 10%.There are chronic rodent problemsin other developing countries inAsia and Africa, as well. Pre- andpostharvest yield losses combinedin Asia due to rats are estimated at1015%. A 6% loss in rice productionin Asia translates to approximately36 million tons of rice, whichcould feed 220 million people.

The common farmer practicesof rodent control through chemicaland physical methods are reactive

(applied aer rodent numbers arehigh). Generally, these actions arenot economical, and the heavyuse of rodenticides can lead tohealth and environmental risks. Toeectively manage rodents in rice-based farming systems requires anunderstanding of the ecology of thepest species. This alternate approach

is called ecologically based rodentmanagement (EBRM), which entailsconducting community actions at keytimes of the year in specic habitatswhere rodents are most vulnerable.

IRRI, through the IRRC, hasworked with its partner Asiancountries in implementing EBRM atselected project sites in Southeast Asia.

Knowing the enemyIt is rst necessary to understand

that not all rodents are pests. Rodentsmay have caused tremendouseconomic hardship to people on aglobal scale, but, usually, less than10% of the species cause substantialimpacts. In the Philippines, six of

more than 65 species of rodents areconsidered agricultural or urbanpests. Indeed, most are species onlyfound in the Philippines. None ofthe native species are pests of rice,and some eat introduced pests suchas golden apple snails and the giantworms in the rice terraces. Theytherefore need to be distinguished

from the pestspecies whendevelopingmanagement

techniques. Thiscould be doneby specicallytailoring yourcontrol methodto the speciesthat need to be

managed, thereby not harming thepotentially benecial native species.

A combined eortEBRM aims to maintain

populations at tolerable levels toreduce crop losses. EBRM combinesboth cultural and physical rodentmanagement practices such assynchronous planting, conductingcommunity campaigns at key periodsin key habitats, reducing the widthof irrigation banks in elds (less than30 cm) to prevent nesting by rats, andimproving general hygiene aroundvillages. If losses are expected to behigher than 10% during a speciccropping season, then community

trap-barrier system (CTBS) is animportant management tool.A CTBS comprises a plastic

fence surrounding a small rice cropplanted 23 weeks earlier than thesurrounding crops, with traps setinto the plastic enclosure. Rats have ahighly developed sense of smell andare aracted to the earlier maturingcrop from distances of over 200meters. Once near the fence, theyfollow the line of the plastic until theyreach a hole leading into a multiple-

capture trap into which they enterin their endeavor to reach the rice.

In Indonesia and Vietnam, ricefarmers who used EBRM and CTBSreport a positive impact and nancialbenets. The benets are derivedfrom a yield increase from reducedlosses caused by rats, reduced useof toxic rodenticides, decreaseduse of plastic fences to protect thewhole area, and decreased labor

continued on page 11

Community rodentcontrol campaigns usinglocal methods should bedone within 30 days ofplanng the crop.



Water, a resource soimportant in riceproduction, is fast

becoming increasingly scarce inmany Asian countries. The various

competing demands for watersuchas for household and industrialusesand rapid population growthhave led to insucient irrigationwater in our rice elds. Inadequatesupply during crop establishmentand the vegetative and reproductivestages of the crop would mean asignicant reduction in rice yield.

With about 75% of global riceproduced in irrigated conditions,managing our water resources inorder to meet the global demandfor food is a top priority.

Water-saving technologies weredeveloped to require less waterand increase rice productivity.Through eld trials and adaptiveresearch, these technologies werefound to eectively save waterwithout a signicant yield penalty.They were developed by the IRRCthrough IRRI and its nationalagricultural research and extensionpartners in the Philippines.

The alternate weing and drying(AWD) technology or controlledirrigation is one such technology.

Safe AWDThis specic form of AWD,

called Safe AWD, could reducewater use by as much as 30%,while maintaining yield at thelevel of that of ooded rice.

This practice allows rice farmersto let their elds go without waterintermiently during the ricegrowing stage. This is dierent from

the traditional irrigation practiceof continuous ooding, whichnever lets the rice eld go dry.

Managing our liquid resources Rona Nia Mae Rojas

The period when the eld isnot ooded before being irrigatedcan vary from 1 day to more than10 days. This follows the premisethat the roots of the rice plant are

still adequately supplied withwater for some period due tothe initial ooding even if wateris not visible on the topsoil.

This technique employs a simpletool, called water tubes, that couldcome in either wood or plastic.These water tubes are puncturedor perforated with holes aroundthem and are then embeddedinto the soil to help monitorthe water level and determinewhen farmers have to irrigate.

Less water, more savingsIn the Philippines, where

approximately 61% of the 3.4million ha of rice production isunder irrigation, the safe AWDirrigation technique was introducedto farmers in pump irrigationsystems in Central Luzon.

In a study on the impact ofAWD as a water-saving technique,this technology was found to

reduce the hours of irrigation useby about 38%, without a signicant

continued on page 12

Water-saving technologies, such as AWD,help counteract the rising cost of irrigaonand water scarcity.

for conducting rodent control.Although EBRM has been

reported to be economicallyprotable, this method requirescommunity participation for it tobe successful. Other physical and

traditional methods of controllingthe rat population are usually costlyand laborious when done alone.

Favorable changesThe provinces of Ha Nam and

An Giang in Vietnam reportedreduced rodenticide use of 52% and37%, respectively. The damaged areacaused by rats decreased, therebyincreasing yield. A study conductedin 2009 showed a lower yield lossof 37% compared with 515% in

2005. Farmers aributed this to thebeer rodent management practicesthey learned from intensive trainingcourses and management guidelines.

Reduced yield loss and additionalsavings from the avoided cost of

rodenticides increased the incomeof farmers. Farmers from Ha NamProvince increased their incomefrom US$409 in 2005 to $490 in 2009.

The decrease in rat populationalso potentially reduces thecontamination of grain andwater with rat urine, whichcauses leptospirosis and otherdiseases that aect humans.

The project that ended in 2009reported a signicant diusion ofEBRM into neighboring villages,

districts, and provinces in Vietnam.The ndings led to an importantpolicy initiative. The Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Developmentof Vietnam issued an order toplan rat control for each periodduring the crop season, through

cooperation of local governmentagencies and local communities..

EBRM is simple enough toapply once the ecology of the pestspecies is understood in the areascropping system and managementactions are developed for specicsocio-cultural contexts. It alsoproves that, when farmers acttogether as a community, successis not far behind. (Visit our rodentmanagement site at hps://sites.google.com/site/rodentmanagement/home)

Understanding ecology... continued from page 10


12/12

Volume 7, Number 3

September-December 2012

This newsletter is producedby the Irrigated Rice ResearchConsortium (IRRC) with supportfrom the Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation(SDC). The IRRC promotesinternational links among scientists,managers, communicators, andfarmers in lowland irrigated riceenvironments.

Materials in this newsletter do notnecessarily reect the ofcial views

of IRRI, SDC, or collaboratinginstitutions of the IRRC.

Editorial andproduction tEam

Grant SingletonTrina Leah MendozaRona Nia Mae Rojas

copY EditorSTess RolaBill Hardy

laYout

Rona Nia Mae Rojas

circulationJennifer Hernandez

Please direct furthercorrespondence, comments, and

contributions to

t leh mezSenior Communication Specialist

International Rice ResearchInstitute

DAPO Box 7777

Metro Manila, PhilippinesEmail: [email protected]:www..g/

Rona Nia Mae Rojas

loss in yield and prot. Reducedirrigation time meant that farmerswere able to save in irrigation waterand in fuel energy required topump water throughout the eld.

Safe AWD is also widelypromoted in Vietnam andIndonesia. It has also been tested

in irrigation-based systems inSenegal, Africa. Results led to 40%savings in irrigation water, whileyield was still 95% of that of thecontinuous ooding method.

From research to disseminationSince the AWD technology was

introduced in Bangladesh in 2004,various government, nongovernment,and private organization in thecountry have participated invalidating and promoting safe AWD.

The partnership among thevarious organizations resultedin an enterprise that facilitatescapacity building and establisheslinkages. They produced AWDwater tubes (called Hatim pipes)and ensured their availability tofarmers. Information packages onirrigation, seeds, and other cropswere distributed and around 70demonstration plots were set up.

The demonstration plotsshowed that safe AWD could reduce

irrigation costby 1820%and increase

yield by 3%.Water-

savingtechnologieshave alsoreached thenational

policy level in the Philippines.Administrative Order No. 25,titled Guidelines for the adoptionof water-saving technologies(WST) in irrigated rice productionsystems in the Philippines,

was signed on November 2009.AO 25 mandates the applicationof water-saving technologies,particularly AWD, in irrigated ricesystems throughout the country.

In the 2009 performanceevaluation of IRRI by the CGIAR,AWD received a perfect score of 10.The CGIAR says of the technology:This is a clear and mature casewith good underlying research andcollaborative validation, and results

moving in dierent countries withsubsequent research being done formore local recommendations.

The United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change justrecently approved a methodology onthe Clean Development Mechanism(CDM) in rice production,particularly in the category ofMethane emission reductionby adjusted water managementpractice in rice cultivation. TheCDM methodology includes

AWD and gives reference to theIRRI Knowledge Bank. Althoughthe previous version of themethodology required obligatoryeld measurements of CH

4uxes,

the new version allows using defaultfactors for reduced emissions (1.8kg/ha/d in the case of AWD).

Subsequently, this means thatCertied Emission Reductions cannow be claimed for water-savingtechniques in rice production withoutany measurement of emission

IRRIphotos

Managing our liquid resourcescontinued from page 11

The water level in the rice eld is measured

with the use of water tubes embedded intothe soil. The amount of water tells farmerswhen is the right me to irrigate.

savings. Information on the CDMmethodology can be found at hp://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies.

Through policy support and thecontinuous validation of AWD indierent parts of the world, our ricefarmers are able to not only increasetheir savings but also contribute toenvironmental sustainability.

ripple newsletter, september-december 2012

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