www.irri.

org/irrc

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2 Volume 6, Number 2 May-August 2011

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Irrigated Rice Research Consortium

Rice Research for Intensified Production and Prosperity in Lowland Ecosystems

From farmers fields to national policy: The Sulawesi Project

Story on page 2

Fighting monga, Bangladeshs seasonal hunger Private sector promotes AWD in Bangladesh

IRRC staff reap awards IRRI, partners discuss GAP for rice in Asia Ingredients for success

Rice farmers in Bone, Indonesia, use horses to haul the days harvest back home. Photo by Madonna Casimero

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From farmers fields to national policy: outcomes of the project in Sulawesi

Madonna Casimero Rica Joy Flor

Assessment of adaptive research in South and Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, has documented success in achieving project objectives with outcomes that can benefit areas beyond Sulawesi.

he project, Improving rice productivity in South and Southeast Sulawesi, was a collaborative venture with staff from the Assessment Institutes of Agricultural Technologies (AIATs) of South and Southeast Sulawesi and the district agricultural offices (Dinas Pertanian). It aimed to identify, locally adapt, and evaluate crop management practices that can profitably increase rice production of farmers by at least 10% and develop pathways to support wider uptake of these practices. It ran for 3 years and ended in April 2011. By then, farmer participatory activities within four project villages were completed. Technologies that include alternate wetting and drying (AWD), integrated pest management, the IRRI Super Bag, and direct seeding using a drum seeder were locally adapted and evaluated. Appropriate weed management, ecologically based rodent management, and fertilizer managementboth using a soil test kit (locally known as Pemupukan untuk Tanam Sawah or PuTS) and computer-generated recommendations from responses to 10 basic questions (Pemupukan untuk Padi Sawah or PuPS) were also benchmarked. Farmers tried the technologies and integrated these natural resource management (NRM) practices, obtaining substantial increase in yields ranging from 0.5 t/ha to 2.3 t/ ha. The increase in mean farmer income surpassed 10%, ranging from 22% to 566%. Farmer participation One of the key outcomes of the project is the success of the adaptive research platform as a strategy of engaging farmers and other local stake-

holders and facilitating adoption of technologies. Through this process where learning from the communities is key, the project looked at main rice farming constraints of the farmers up-front. Working with farmers in adaptive management style allowed individual farmers to decide what to test and assess, enabling them to provide feedback on the best ways to adapt NRM technologies that address their constraints. The review and planning meetings conducted with farmers at the end of each cropping season led to better communication and impleMadonna Casimero

problems caused by rodents and insects. Empowered with such knowledge, most farmers began integrating at least two NRM technologies into their rice production practices. Initial analysis from a post-survey completed in November 2010 indicated benefits to farmers in project villages. Farmers in the villages where the project was implemented generated, on average, 1.8 million rupiah per season per ha (US$207) more than those in control villages.

HAPPY COUPLE: Husband and wife help each other during harvest time in Konawe, South Sulawesi.

mentation of community activities such as maintenance and sanitation of irrigation canals and implementation of rodent management strategies. The meetings also led to the revival of Tidung Sipulung (farmer meetings) to achieve synchronous rice planting in major rice districts in South Sulawesi. The call for this scheme improved the scheduling of water for irrigation by the district irrigation office and helped reduce

Specific changes in knowledge and use of technologies The adaptive research has disseminated knowledge not only to farmer cooperators but also to other farmers in the project villages and, to some extent, those in the control villages. Data from pre- and postsurveys in project and non-project sites attest to this.
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continued from page 2

Madonna Casimero

At the community level, 55% of 223 respondents reported better growth of rice seedlings and 33% reported better yields. At the farm level, 32% of the farmers reported higher rice yields, whereas 22% said they became more knowledgeable about their rice farm and the surroundings. The number of farmers adopting direct seeding almost doubled in the project villages in Southeast Sulawesi. From 26% in the 2008 wet season (WS), 48% in the 2010 WS practiced direct seeding. In the dry season (DS), the percentage of farmers adopting direct seeding increased dramatically from 1% to 49%. In comparison, only minimal change was seen in non-project villages. While none of the farmers had heard of PuTS and PuPS in 2008, there were farmers who used these in 2010. In the four treatment villages, 728% of farmers had heard about PuTS, and 518% had used it in 2010. Similarly, 1455% of the farmers in the treatment villages had heard about PuPS and 1020% had used it. At the control village of Kulahi, 18% of the farmers had heard of the tool and 7% had used them. The farmers in the three other control villages had neither heard nor used PuPS. The number of farmers with improved knowledge on key insect pest management principles doubled compared with those in control villages. As to water management, none of the farmers had heard of AWD in 2008. However, in 2010, AWD was adopted by 1980% of farmers within the project villages. Although significantly less, about 25% of farmers in one non-project village said they have heard of and used AWD. Inuencing national policy to reaching more rice farmers beyond Sulawesi Project partners from the AIATs of South and Southeast Sulawesi are now trained in participatory

WOMEN AND RICE: The women in Bone, South Sulawesi, proudly carry the seasons bountiful rice harvest in their village.

adaptive management. The project linked with the roll-out of a national program called the Integrated Crop Management-Farmer Field Schools (ICM-FFS). This approach was modified and then conducted in the four villages. The training materials produced during the project were subsequently used in two provinces. The projects strategy of inviting provincial government leaders during project field days secured their strong support for the new technologies demonstrated. At a national level, learning obtained through

developing a modified ICM-FFS curriculum was shared with those managing the countrywide program. A report summarizing the modified curriculum and our approach to the ICM-FFS was circulated among the directors-general of the Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development (ICFORD) and the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Technology Assessment and Development (ICATAD), following a request from Dr. Hasil Sembiring, director general of ICFORD.

Initial analysis from a post-survey indicated benefits to farmers in the villages where the project was implemented. Farmers in project villages generated, on average, 1.8 million rupiah per season/ha (US$207) more than those in the control villages.
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Fighting monga, Bangladeshs seasonal hunger

Florencia Palis Arelene Julia Malabayabas

angladesh remains a nation where the incidence of rural poverty is high despite continuous domestic and international efforts to improve economic prospects (Wikipedia, 2009). One of the main causes of poverty in Bangladesh is its erratic and extreme climate (IFAD, 2010). The country is geographically prone to annual oods and cyclones, which can severely affect crop production and the livelihood of the people, specially those living in the rural areas. Almost 80% of the population in Bangladesh lives in the rural areas, with 54% employed in agriculture (World Bank, 2009). Many farm workers from northern Bangladesh, specifically those from the greater Rangpur-Dinajpur districts, experience seasonal hunger known as monga. It is a Bengali term that describes a condition where people dependent on agriculture for employment suffer from hunger due to lack of purchasing power as a consequence of lack of employment opportunities. Farm workers suffer from acute hunger during the months of September to November as they wait for the wet (aman) season rice harvest. The occurrence of monga is due largely to widespread cultivation of long-duration rice varieties that are transplanted after the land has been puddled in the rainy season and that are not harvested until November. Thus, to help mitigate this seasonal hunger, the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium collaborated with the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and local nongovernment organizations (NGOs). Farmers were introduced to technology options such as the use of shorter duration rice varieties (BRRI Dhan 33), direct-seeded rice (DSR) with appropriate weed management, and crop diversification. Farmers with access to suitable land types (highland, medium highland, or irrigated areas for boro or early aman rice) were invited to join a group discussion. Training courses on direct seeding of rice, weed management including herbicide use, and the use of the leaf color chart (LCC) were first given to BRRI Rangpur staff before teach-

FACES OF HUNGER: A woman and her child in Rangpur district try to survive the monga season.

ing a group of 2025 farmers. Farmers were also provided technical handouts on direct-seeding options. These technology options were validated in the farmers irrigated rice fields. Farmer participatory action research started with five farmer groups in 2004. The number rose to 96 in 2006 and 132 in 2008. BRRI provided rice seeds (BRRI Dhan 33), drum seeders (for wet direct seeding or lithao for dry direct seeding), and herbicides along with guidance in herbicide application. The farmers supplied the land, labor, and fertilizer. Surveys were conducted in 200708 in Rangpur and Nilphamari to assess the impact of early-maturing varieties and direct seeding on productivity, employment, and income generation. Rangpur and Nilphamari were chosen because on-farm trials on direct seeding started in Rangpur in 2004 and in Nilphamari in 2006. The trials continued and were expanded to other villages in each district. These two districts are among the five monga-affected districts in northwest Bangladesh. Respondents were classified into two groups: DSR on-farm trial farmer participants and transplanted rice (TPR)control farmers in the village experiment, those with TPR plots only. Land level (lowland, medium, or upland) of DSR and TPR

farms was another criterion considered in identifying sample respondent-farmers. A total of 195 farmers were interviewed in this study. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2009. DSR farmers got higher net returns in both aman and boro seasons. In the aman season, yields on DSR farms in Rangpur and Nilphamari were higher by 493 kg/ha and total costs were lower by US$47 per ha than TPR farms. In the boro season, on-time planting of potato, maize, and wheat allowed farmers to sell their produce at higher prices because they were able to harvest (earlier) when supply was still relatively low. On-time planting of boro crops also resulted in better yields for wheat, maize, and potato. The aman-boro net incomes of DSR farmers in Rangpur and Nilphamari were higher by US$441/ha than those of TPR farmers. In follow-up surveys in Rangpur and Nilphamari, farmers who planted DSR and early-maturing varieties incurred lower total cost per hectare in the aman season. Gross returns were also higher than those using TPR and early-maturing varieties (EMV). The DSR and EMV farmers got better net incomes (US$72/ha higher) than TPR and EMV farmers. In the boro season, farmers who had DSR and EMV incurred higher (US$525) total cost per hectare because they were able to plant more crops than those who had TPR and long-duration varieties. With earlier harvest of aman rice crops, 5456 man-days per hectare can be employed in harvesting. Early harvest with EMV and DSR can therefore help mitigate monga by creating employment at the time that many farm workers are unemployed. Early rice harvest in the aman season also increases the chance of growing more crops in the boro season, which means higher income for farmers and more employment for agricultural workers.

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Md. Naim Jaman

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Private sector promotes AWD in Bangladesh

Rubenito Lampayan Emma Quicho Rona Nia Mae Rojas Md. Naimur Rahman Md. Raqul Islam Faruki

lternate wetting and drying (AWD) allows rice farmers to let their fields go without irrigations for 110 days before ooding them again. With the use of perforated water pipes inserted into the ground, farmers are able to determine the right time to reood the rice field. This technology was introduced in Bangladesh in 2004 through collaboration with the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Rural Development Academy. Simultaneously, IRRI played a central role in the validation and promotion of the technology. Since then, various government, nongovernment, and private organizations in Bangladesh have participated in validating and promoting safe AWD in the country (see RIPPLE Sep-Dec 2010). The International Development Enterprises (IDE), a nongovernment organization (NGO) in Bangladesh, partnered with Katalyst in working

providers. IDE and Katalyst help micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises in selected urban and rural sectors become competitive and capable of taking advantage of market opportunities and creating more jobs to increase income. To produce AWD water tubes and ensure the availability of supply, both organizations teamed up with Hatim Company, a manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. They also worked with three seed companies in developing information packages on irrigation, seeds, and other crop inputs. The collaboration was a result of the three companies (Lalteer Seed, Supreme Seed, and ACCL) need to disseminate knowledge on proper application of inputs that affect seed quality. IDE and Katalyst also facilitated the sett ing up of 72 AWD demonstration plots and 22 farmers field days in Bogra District, Bangladesh. A documentary drama

The visitors from Bangladesh were given a briefing on the C4 Rice Center (C4C) project at one of IRRIs greenhouses.

with market actors involved in a business development model that brings agricultural technologies closer to farmers through commercialization of useful research products. Katalyst is a development project funded by the Swisscontact and GIZ International Services and implemented through the Ministry of Commerce in Bangladesh. These organizations started working with the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2009 to facilitate building capacity and linking with smallholder farmers, market actors, and service

video on the benefits of the safe AWD technology was shown to around 2,500 farmers. From research to commercialization The demonstration plots showed that, by implementing safe AWD, rice farmers could reduce irrigation cost by 1820% and increase yield by 3%. Hatim Company, who now calls the water tubes Hatim pipes, sold almost 1,000 pipes in the first season, mostly to DAE. Mr. Rajiv Pradha, IDE country director, believes that commercialization

of research products and technologies through a business development model makes technology dissemination and implementation sustainable. Learning from the initial experience of working in a different market chain, Hatim now plans to make a more timely distribution and promotion strategy by focusing on the beginning of the irrigation season. The IDE and Katalyst will continue to facilitate the promotion of AWD among farmers and widen its coverage area to other districts in Bangladesh. Aside from strengthening the linkage between the NGOs and the private sector, there are also plans to tie up with other government projects in Bangladesh. Safe AWD has been widely promoted in the Philippines (see RIPPLE Jan-Mar 2008, RIPPLE Apr-Jun 2008, RIPPLE July-Sep 2008, RIPPLE MayAug 2009) since 2007. The IRRC WaterSaving Work Group hosted the Philippine visit of representatives from IDE, Swisscontacts-Katalyst, and DAE on 4-6 April. The Bangladeshi visitors interacted with IRRI water scientists to learn more about the Institutes research programs and facilities. Following the trip in IRRI, Laguna, they also visited the system-level demonstration sites of safe AWD in Central Luzon the Tarlac Groundwater Irrigation and Reactivation Project in Tarlac and the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System in Nueva Eca. They met with Philippine partners from the National Irrigation Administration in Tarlac and the Philippine Rice Research Institute to discuss the development and dissemination of the safe AWD technology to rice farmers. The Bangladeshi visitors were Mr Rafiqul Islam Faruki, IDE-Bangladesh business development manager; Mr. Naimur Rahman and Ms. Nasiha Musarrat, Swisscontacts-Katalyst business consultants; and, Mr. Alamgir Hossain Khan, DAE deputy project director.

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IRRC staff reap awards

Buresh recognized for improving rice fertilization in Asia
specific nutrient management practices for rice. Nutrient Manager can be adapted to the conditions of any country or region and requires little data input. Each country- or region-specific tool consists of 10 to 20 questions that can be easily answered with no need for soil or plant analyses. Nutrient Manager for Rice has been tested and implemented successfully in the Philippines and in Indonesia by rice growers using local languages. Through a public-private partnership in the Philippines, involving the Department of Agriculture and two national mobile phone service providers, the mobile phone application of Nutrient Manager for Rice using interactive voice response was developed. With this service, a rice farmer calls a toll-free number, answers questions by a voice prompt by pressing buttons on the phone keypad, and then receives a text message with a fertilizer guideline customized for the farmers field and cultivation practices. Nutrient Manager is expected to be adopted by many more countries. Local versions for Bangladesh, China, India, Vietnam, and West Africa are under development. Dr. Buresh accepted the award at the opening session of the IFA Annual Conference on 24 May in Montreal, Canada. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1978 with a PhD in Marine Sciences. He also received an MSc in Soil Science from North Dakota State University.

Rona Nia Mae Rojas IFA Press Release PMCP Press Release

Roland Buresh, IRRC Productivity and Sustainability Work Group leader, was conferred the 2011 International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) Norman Borlaug Award for excellence in crop nutrition research. Dr. Buresh is known for transforming the scientific principles of site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) to innovative knowledge transfer tools based on decisionsupport software, the Internet, mobile phones, and field practices readily usable by rice growers. These tools are intended to bring precision agriculture techniques to small-scale farmers in developing countries. Dr. Buresh joined IRRI in 2000 and has since been involved in work focusing on sustainable management of intensive irrigated rice, crop residue management, and management of rice-maize cropping systems. Through his involvement with the IRRC, Dr. Buresh initiated the development of innovative knowledge transfer tools targeting specifically small-scale farmers in Asia and potentially in many more regions. These tools include computer-based decision support software available to extension workers, crop advisors, and farmers through the Internet and mobile phones; videos for farmers; and quick guides for fertilizer best management practices. Dr. Bureshs most recent accomplishment is the Nutrient Manager for Rice, a computer-based decisionsupport tool that provides extension workers, farmers, and researchers field6
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layamanan is a rice-based systems concept that involves the old Filipino farming practice of planting other crops besides rice and raising livestock. As an IRRI scientist, she plays a major role in planning and implementing a pathway for adaptive research in extension and natural resource management by smallholder farmers in South and Southeast Sulawesi in Indonesia. During the implementation of the national program in Indonesia, Dr. Casimero worked closely with farmer groups in the field and with extension staff for skills training in adaptive research and management of natural resources. Results of the project indicated significant increases in yields and incomes of participating farmers. (Read more on the project on pages 23.)

IRRI photo

Casimero gets award for extension and community development

Madonna C. Casimero, project scientist at the IRRC, was recognized by the Pest Management Council of the Philippines, Inc. (PMCP) for her outstanding achievements in the field of extension and community development. Her dynamic leadership was vital during the conceptualization and implementation of community-based training and extension projects in rice and rice-based farming systems. Dr. Casimeros Palayamanan project at the Philippine Rice Research Institute contributed significantly to improve the lives and increase the incomes of resource-poor farmers in rainfed areas. Pa-

Through her collaborations with both national and international organizations, she was able to generate numerous outputs in research and extension and hone her skills in community development. With her passion and commitment to work closely with the farming communities, she has touched and helped to improve the lives of thousands of Filipino and Indonesian rice farmers and their families. The award was given during the 42nd PMCP Anniversary and Annual Scientific Conference on 3-6 May at Bacolod City, Philippines. Dr. Casimero completed her masters degree in agronomy (minor in plant pathology) in 1989 and her PhD in agronomy (minor in chemistry) in 2000, both at the University of the Philippines Los Baos.

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IRRI and its partners discuss GAP for Rice in Asia

Rica Joy Flor

Rice GAP. There were also presentations on packaging current best practices and including these in national frameworks. Facilitated by IRRC, the group decided to develop a network for Rice GAP in Southeast Asia and China. The participants also visited a rice community center in Ratchaburi Province and interacted with farmers who have completed the Thailand Rice GAP certification process. IRRC and the Thai Rice Department Thai rice farmers from Ratchaburi Province shared with symposium participants their experialso organized a Participatory Impact ences in successfully applying for certification and implementing GAP for Rice. Pathway Analysis Workshop from 30 March to 1 April in Bangkok for a symposium funded by the IRRC Division. IRRI, with its consortia on joint project using extension models in and co-organized by the Thai irrigated and unfavorable rice environ- Thailand. Rice Department considered in ments and their national partners, has detail the development of good agricul- an important role to play in facilitating tural practices (GAP) for rice in Asia. the delivery of research in a form which The meeting was held in Bangkok, will be readily adopted by farmers and Thailand, on 3-5 April and was attended other end-users. About half of the papers reported by 25 representatives from seven Asian on national developments with best countries and 11 IRRI staff. It was an exciting symposium be- management practices for rice because cause different sectors have now taken these best practices provide an essential on GAP to ensure food safety and to platform for supporting GAP certificahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ strengthen sustainable production for tion for rice, Dr. Bouman added. Irrigated_Rice_Research_Consortium The symposium included presenfruits and vegetables, and more recently for rice, said Bas Bouman, head of the tations on how Thailand and Vietnam IRRI Crop and Environmental Sciences have developed and progressed with

PUBLICATIONS
International journals
Chauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2011. Row spacing and weed control timing aect yield of aerobic rice. Field Crops Res. 121: 226-231. Singh Y, Singh VP, Singh G, Yadav DS, Sinha RKP, Johnson DE, Mortimer AM. 2011. The implications of land preparation, crop establishment method and weed management on rice yield variation in the rice-wheat system in the IndoGangetic plains. Field Crops Res. 121: 64-74. Chauhan BS, Singh VP, Kumar A, Johnson DE. 2011. Relations of rice seeding rates to crop and weed growth in aerobic rice. Field Crop Res. 121: 105-115.

IRRCs newest Course on Rice: Postwork group production to Market The Climate Change Work Group to be held in October focuses on developing approaches
The course introduces the application of the latest technologies in all aspects of postproduction from harvest, through threshing and drying, to milling and marketing. This will be held on 17-28 October 2011 at IRRI, Los Baos, Laguna. For more information, contact Dr. Noel Magor, head, Training Center, IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines. You may also call (63-2) 580-5600 local 2538, mobile (63) 9178639317, or email IRRITraining@ cgiar.org.

Ma. Angeles Quilloy

The Irrigated Rice Research Consortium now has a Wikipedia page

and assisting farmers in mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change and more severe climate extremes.
IRRI photo

Dr. Reiner Wassmann is the Climate Change Work Group leader.

UPCOMING EVENTS

External review of the IRRC on 29 August-12 September IRRC annual review and planning meeting at IRRI, Los Baos, Laguna, on 5-6 October

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PROFILE

Caught by surprise

Kris Vernadette Domo Sarena Grace Quiones

ats are small animalsone rat can probably t inside ones pocket. Their ears and eyes are very helpful for their nocturnal lifestyle. Their teeth and powerful jaw muscles can gnaw almost anything, including hectares upon hectares of rice elds. If not controlled early, rats can cause serious damage at any growth stage of the rice plant, signicantly reduce the preharvest yield, and contaminate food sources. Farmers, greatly aected by rodent proliferation, are working with rodent ecologists and other experts in the eld who have developed strategies for rodent management. For Ms. Nyo Me Htwe, a PhD aliate student at the International Rice Research Institute, her work as a rodent ecologist is easier said than done. Dedicated to her research in rodent management, she goes to the eld at night to set up traps and comes back early in the morning to check them. Her work is not an easy one, not only because of the intensive eld work, but also because she loves rats. One thing I dont like about my job is I dont want to kill rats, says Nyo Me, a student of Dr. Grant Singleton, rodent expert and IRRC coordinator. Whenever I sacrice a rat to conduct a post mortem, I feel sad. Rodents are one of the main pest problems in rice production in her home country, Myanmar, and yet they did not have a rodent scientist until 2003. As a Buddhist country, Myanmars cultural beliefs include that of not killing animals such as rats. Because of this belief, Nyo Me was the only researcher at the Myanma

Nyo Me (bottommost) also likes having fun with her IRRC family.

Nyo Me successfully traps a rat during a trip to Mountain Province, Philippines, where she conducted a rodent management training for the rice farmers in Belwang Village.

Agriculture Service who could work with the farmers in managing rats. Imagine that in this project, I was the only one working with 25 farmers on 100 hectares. That was a big challenge for me during this time, she says. It was a good thing that she was used to this kind of experience because she was an extension specialist before the project. After explaining to the farmers the importance of what she was doing, she successfully convinced them to participate in the project. After becoming involved in this project in 2003, she decided to be a rodent ecologist. She graduated as an entomologist, but because of her countrys needs, she took the path of a rodent ecologist. Her current research in the Philippines focuses on breeding ecology and population dynamics of rodent pests. She is also partly involved in a fertility control project funded by SENESTEC in Flagsta Arizona, US. Nyo Me likes doing the ecological aspects of the project because she can release the rodents after taking measurements and assessing their breeding condition. Ironically though, while Nyo Me does not like killing rats, she enjoys looking at the embryos in dierent stages whenever she dissects female rats for her breeding study.

She also loves doing the population study because she likes to handle live rats, even though there is a risk of being bitten by them. I have experienced being bitten twice by rats, she says. But it is really exciting because when you handle the rats and measure them while they are still alive in your hands, and after that just ear-tag them and release them, they just jump o and the following day they come back to your trap and you can see that you are all friends. When she is not busy working with rats, Nyo Me watches movies and reads novels to enhance her English language prociency. She also takes time to meditate and exercise at the gym. Travelling is one of her pastimes too. During her spare time, she always looks around the map to choose a place to visit, locally and internationally. She loves touring around the Philippines because she enjoys everything she sees: Aside from the pretty places, the beaches and mountains here, I also love seeing some endangered species. Nyo Me appreciates the strong support that she receives from her family. Her parents provide her with her needs as much as they can, since most of her family members did not nish school. Nyo Mes dreams will never be within reach without her father, a retired government employee, and her mother, who owns a small eatery near their home. Her parents have devoted their whole lives for Nyo Mes and her siblings education. That is what drives her to pursue higher studies. Finishing her PhD by 2012 is one of her short-term goals. [After that] I will go back to Myanmar, work for the government, and nd opportunities to do research with farmers not only in Myanmar but also in other countries, she said. Saying that shes the only Myanma scientist whos crazy about rodents, she carries the pride of being the only rodent ecologist in Myanmar. Whatever I am doing, my goal is to help farmers not only in Myanmar. With her passion to make her dreams come true, Nyo Me will soon be a rodent expert not only in Myanmar but also in Asia.

Joel Janiya

Rolf Boller

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PROFILE

A journey of fate/faith
aesar Joventino Tado had always wanted to be a medical doctor. Unfortunately, his scholarship at the Visayas State University (VSU) in Leyte, Philippines, did not cover medical school, and his mother, a widow, could not afford to send him. His other dream was to become an engineer. What type of engineer, he did not know, so when he enrolled at VSU in 1978, he took up agricultural engineering, which was the only engineering major at the time. Fate seemed to be leading him towards this specific path, which proved to be a good thing. He graduated with honors in 1983 and placed second at the Professional Agricultural Engineer Licensure Examination later that year. He earned his masters degree in agricultural machinery and management
Carlito Balingbing

Trina Leah Mendoza

projects and have built a good rapport with them, he says. After receiving his PhD in agricultural science at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, in 2002, Dr. Tado was officer-in-charge at the Midsayap station (July-December 2003), branch manager at the Agusan station (January 2004-June 2007), and research and development coordinator at the Isabela station (July-December 2007). Ive learned many lessons in the branch stations that I would not have learned at the PhilRice central headquarters in Nueva Eca, says Dr. Tado. As branch manager, he worked more closely with farmers, and he was able to see for himself their situation. As a manager, everything is asked of you, he says. Not only was his focus on engineering but he had to learn the science of rice production, which included identifying diseases. One of the biggest rewards is that he learned how to establish linkages with partners, knowledge that benefits him to this day. Building partnerships needs commitment on your part, he says. It is better if it reaches a personal level, not just on official capacity, because you gain their trust. Although he proved to be a good Aside from his role as co-project leader in the manager (the Agusan branch was awardADB-IRRI Postharvest project, Dr. Caesar Tado is actively involved in postharvest activities ed best PhilRice station during his term, conducted by the IRRC Country Outreach Proand he as Most Outstanding Official), gram in the Philippines. the engineer in him was raring to do reat the Asian Institute of Technology, search. In 2008, he was assigned at the Thailand, before entering IRRI as a PhilRice central headquarters, where he research assistant in 1992. Here he met postharvest expert Martin Gummert, his then supervisor and now co-project leader in an IRRI-Asian Development Bank (ADB) postharvest project. The project aims to reduce postharvest losses in Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines using the best postharvest practices and technologies. Activities in the Philippines began in 2009 in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Camarines Sur, and Bohol. As the project leader in the Philippines, Dr. Tado feels that the experience is an extension of his work at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), where he is currently the director of the Rice Engineering and Mechanization Center. Working with partners is made easier because Ive known them from previous

led the project in developing and testing the mini-combine harvester. PhilRice introduced the mini-combine harvester to farmers and distributed one unit for each region to promote mechanized harvesting in the countryside. Soon, manufacturing company Kubota entered the picture and sold 50 units of their own combine harvester. Dr. Tado wants to do the same for the ADB-IRRI projectto become a catalyst and draw the interest of stakeholders on postharvest technologies such as reversible mechanical dryers and hermetic storage. The little free time that Dr. Tado has, he devotes to his other callingthat of being a pastor. He did not plan to be a pastor, but his neighbors in Nueva Eca, after hearing his family pray and sing hymns together on Wednesday nights, wanted to join too. Soon it grew in number and, in 1999, he was advised by the elders of his church to start a group in Nueva Eca. Dr. Tado says his dream did come true. He became a doctor, although not in the field of medicine. He adds another task to his priorities this year, as president of the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers. His plate is full but he takes it all in stride, believing that God gave him more responsibilities coupled with more blessings. These responsibilities add to the exciting and colorful journey of his life. And what a journey it has been so far.
Carlito Balingbing

PhilRice engineers Caesar Tado (2nd from left) and Elmer Bautista (extreme left) test a Philippine-made stripper harvester in a farmers field in Kandal Province, Cambodia. With them are officials from the Postharvest Department, Department of Agricultural Machinery, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

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Learning Alliance Section

Pre- and postharvest technologies to improve health and nutrition
A project collaboration between IRRI and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) titled Addressing the pre- and postharvest challenges in the rice supply chain, was showcased at the International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Conference, Leveraging agriculture for improving health and nutrition, held in the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, India, last 10-12 February. A session, titled Pre- and postharvest technologies: keeping you healthy and rice bowls full, featured the latest pre- and postharvest eorts and technologies on improving health and nutrition. This is part of the advocacy eorts of the project, which is linked to the new phase of the ADB project Strategic research for sustainable health and nutrition in Asia, which commenced last December 2010. Dr. KL Heong and Engr. Martin Gummert, principal investigators of the project, presented the importance of improving rice pre-harvest and postharvest practices and management towards better nutrition and healthier life. The pre-harvest component of the project, spearheaded by Dr. KL Heong, reported on good management practices that maximize ecosystem services to prevent pest incidence growing into epidemic proportions, help reduce pesticide use, and conserve biodiversity. Engr. Martin Gummert, lead investigator of the postharvest component, talked about good postharvest practices and technologies designed to minimize crop losses and increase grain quality. Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, ADB vice president on knowledge management served as the chair and closed the session by lauding the groundwork done on pre- and postharvest. She also said that the technologies and initiatives reported should be made available to more farmers. Dr. Preuss also called for the session participants to advocate agricultural research to the youth. The IFPRI conference was attended by experts from renowned international organizations and advocates of agriculture, nutrition, and health to forge possible collaboration and linkages to enhance human well-being.

Reianne Quilloy Lizbeth Baroa Alfred Schmidley

Vietnam holds 6th Annual Combine Harvesting Contest; promotes cross-country learning
The 6th Annual Combine Contest, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and various private sectors, was held in Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam on 7-12 April to promote the potential of the combine harvester industry to address farmers needs. Combine harvesters were judged according to capacity, stability, shattering losses, paddy purity, fuel consumption, and maneuverability. MARD Vice Minister Bui Ba Bong awarded the prizes. To enhance cross-country learning, 11 private and public sector ocials from Cambodia were funded to attend this event. A round table discussion entitled Opportunities for rice combine harvesters in Cambodia was held. This activity aimed to link the Cambodian project partners with the Vietnamese project partners and combine manufacturers. The team was led by Mr. Alfred Schmidley from IRRI and Dr. Meas Pyseth from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Cambodia who linked the Cambodian collaborators with their Vietnamese counterparts led by Dr. Pham Van Tan. Vietnam is in the forefront of promoting postharvest machinery development and commercialization in Southeast Asia.

Planning meetings on postharvest piloting activities

To continuously address the challenges in the rice production chain, a series of regional coordination meetings in the pilot areas of Vietnam and the Philippines kicked o in the rst quarter of 2011. These meetings were part of the inception activities in the ADB-IRRI project. The Vietnam planning meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City last 14-18 March. Regional leaders of the project came from dierent project sites of Vietnam to identify business models and plans that would arise from new postharvest technologies. In the Philippines, regional coordination meetings were conducted in the project pilot sitesAgusan (18 May), Bohol (25 May) and Camarines Sur (23 June). The meetings, led by the country coordinator, Dr. Caesar Tado of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, were held to formalize the involvement of the project partners in the Philippines for 2011. (Learn more about Dr. Tado on page 9.) Updates on project activities from the inception phase of the project were reported by the current partners. New partners are from the Department of Agricultures regional eld units and the Regional Agricultural and Fisheries Information Division, local government units, and nongovernment organizations. One of the meeting outputs was an enhanced set of piloting activities.

Combine harvesters were evaluated according to capacity, stability, shattering losses, paddy purity, fuel consumption, and maneuverability.

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Ingredients for success

What makes rice farmers adopt certain technologies and refuse others? This is the question that baffles and challenges both social scientists and rice researchers. The IRRC, through a partnership of organizations across 10 Asian rice-growing countries and IRRI, has been striving to ensure that Asian rice farmers benefit from new technologies arising from research. These technologies include best practices in site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), which enables farmers to apply fertilizers effectively as and when they are needed in a specific field. This writer aimed to find out how SSNM has reached farmers as she traveled in sunny Central Luzon, Philippines.
This story revolves around the successful SSNM extension activities in Central Luzon, Philiippines.

Trina Leah Mendoza

Trina Mendoza

PhilRice officer-in-charge Ruben Miranda looks forward to more collaboration and innovative technologies from IRRI.

Dedicated partner institutions The national rice program in 2008 needed customized nutrient management recommendations for each province. In 2009, Babes Pelayo, a senior agriculturist at the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Central Luzon, gathered rice-growing data in the region, which led to the development of fertilizer guidelines. Soon after, facilitated by IRRI researcher Efren Laureles, fertilizer guidelines for each province in the Philippines were developed and institutionalized. SSNM is now being promoted in 13
Trina Mendoza

staff showed them the good results in the field trials, and the cost and return analyses. Now, more farmers in Central Luzon are using SSNM. The DA plans to continue establishing SSNM field trials in more villages in the region. In November 2010, the computerbased version of the Nutrient Manager for Rice was included in the locationspecific technology development (LSTD) strategy of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). The LSTD approach tailor-fits rice-growing recommendations based on the location and pinpointed the needs of each farm. Fresh Babes Pelayo, agriculture graduates are trained intensenior agriculturist sively and sent to provinces nationwide at the Department of Agriculture in to spread these technologies to farmers. Central Luzon, We were looking for different checks a field trial decision-making tools that would be of the Nutrient easily adopted by farmers, such as Manager for Rice. SSNM, says Ruben Miranda, officer-inregions in the Philippines. The DA es- charge of PhilRice. At present, SSNM is tablishes and monitors field trials, and being applied in 521 farmers fields in 55 has included SSNM as part of the farm- provinces. ers field school (FFS) curriculum. Farmers at first did not want to be- A primary focus on farmers Mayor Michael Manuel of La Paz, lieve in the benefits of using SSNM. They were applying fertilizers at the Tarlac, a province in Central Luzon, wrong time, and applying excessive came from a bloodline of farmers. As a amounts too. Some farmers only ap- young kid, he used to bring his father a plied urea on their crop. To convince the breakfast of coffee, rice, and dried fish in farmers of SSNMs advantages, the DA the field.

I knew that farmers were intimidated by the municipal office and its impersonal walls, says Mayor Manuel. I wanted to change their notion that they were only farmers. In their last town fiesta celebration, he set up a farmers market in the town plaza. Popular rock bands were invited to perform in free concerts. It was the first time that farmers attended the town fiesta. I wanted to give them importance and make them feel like heroes, explains Mayor Manuel. In addition to boosting the farmers morale, Mayor Manuel opened all possible avenues for farmers to learn new technologies. SSNM, first introduced in La Paz in 2008, was included in the curriculum of established FFS. Information materials on SSNM were made available

Cornelia Garcia

Trina Mendoza

Mayor Michael Manuel of La Paz, Tarlac, joined the farmers field school to learn about rice production and encourage farmers to adopt new rice-growing technologies. continued on page 12

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for farmers in identified information and technology centers. In the 2010 dryseason harvest, there was a 76% increase in La Pazs rice yields. Mayor Manuel has even bigger plans for the farmers. First, he gave them access to new technologies. The FFS taught them to increase their yields, decrease production costs, and become united, he says. Now, my plan is to teach them how to market themselves, become a cooperative, so that they will have bargaining power in the market. He will continue to work with IRRI and other government agencies to introduce new technologies and plans to expand the FFS to all 21 villages of La Paz, including some villages in other towns. Support and trust to staff Jesusa Noveda, municipal agricultural officer (MAO) of La Paz, Tarlac, admits she is no rice expert. But she is an excellent manager. Ms. Noveda was recognized as an outstanding home economics technician in 1980, and an outstanding MAO in 1990. She is also the current president of the League of Municipal Agricultural Officers, Municipal Agriculturists and City Agriculturists of the Philippines, Inc. (LeCCMAP).

cannot handle well. Like her motto, she urges them to do their best at all times, to work hard and play hard. And she also trains them to be future leaders, like one of our interviewees, Noel Regis. Local champions on the ground Agricultural technician Noel Regis greets each of the farmers we meet by name and asks them how their families are doing. He eats lunch with them, joking and laughing, in a nipa hut that the farmers themselves built. He has earned their trust, and farmers look up to him constantly for knowledge.

Volume 6, Number 2 May-August 2011

This newsletter is produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The IRRC promotes international links among scientists, managers, communicators, and farmers in lowland irrigated rice environments. Materials in this newsletter do not necessarily reect the ofcial views of IRRI, SDC, or collaborating institutions of the IRRC. EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION TEAM IRRC Trina Leah Mendoza, Grant Singleton, Rona Nia Mae Rojas, Jennifer Hernandez CPS Tess Rola, Bill Hardy
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Ruben Lampayan, Flor Palis, Emma Quicho, Donna Casimero, Al Schmidley, Reianne Quilloy, Rica Flor, Arelene Malabayabas, Md. Naimur Rahman, Md. Raqul Islam Faruki, Liz Baroa, Dette Domo, Sarena Quinones

Trina Mendoza

Agricultural technician Noel Regis believes that if farmers share their knowledge on rice-growing with one another, good relationships will be formed and no one will go hungry.

Jesusa Noveda, municipal agricultural ocer of La Paz, Tarlac, gives full support to her sta in all of their projects.

At first she was apprehensive with her appointment as MAO in La Paz. But these days, even with her daunting task as president of LeCCMAP, she does her job with ease. For this, she has her rice specialists to thank. I trust and support my staff 100%, Ms. Noveda says. I give them moral and financial support; I attend their activities whenever I can. Like a protective mother to her children, she does not take on projects that her staff

Mr. Regis was the president of the first batch of rice specialists trained by PhilRice in 2008 to address the national rice self-sufficiency problem. He finds himself fortunate to have Mayor Manuel and Ms. Noveda as superiors because Please direct further correspondence, comments, and contributions to theyve allowed him to focus on rice production. Even with a small salary Trina Leah Mendoza and no added allowance, Mr. Regis is Senior Communication Specialist committed to helping uplift the plight of International Rice Research Institute Filipino farmers. We give importance DAPO Box 7777 to overseas workers and professionals; Metro Manila, Philippines why do we not pay attention to those Email: t.mendoza@cgiar.org who feed us, the farmers? he says. To be Web: www.irri.org/irrc able to visit farmers regularly, he bought a motorbike with his own money. He also has the added task of being a pub- from trusted agricultural technicians lic service employment officer and helps well-acquainted with the technology. The SSNM experience shows that fosterfarmers children obtain jobs. ing allianceswhere trusted and wellinformed persons work closely with The X factor These experiences highlight the fact farmerscan effectively deliver best that farmer uptake of relatively knowl- management practices to small-scale edge-intensive technologies benefits farmers.

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Trina Mendoza