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Vol. 3 No. 1 April 2013CoNsortium for uNfAVorAble riCe eNViroNmeNts

CURE M a t t e r s

The true value of a technology is seen when farmers continue to use it in the fields where it is needed most. And, when there is great interest from different sectors in the sources, processes,

models, and key players that help develop, validate, test, further improve, and eventually disseminate such a technology, then there must be something significant emanating from the efforts. This is the case of rice research and development in the unfavorable rice environments, where investments in resources are slowly but definitely paying off. Many skeptics had given up hope in raising the productivity in difficult rice environments, but not CURE. After all, the name of the consortium itself spells possible solutions to longstanding concerns in areas most affected by changes in climate, be they salinity-prone, submergence-prone, drought-prone, or complex, risky, and diverse upland rice-based systems. CURE is not leaving any stone unturned when it comes to bringing science solutions to these stress-prone rice areas. Why? It is because these are areas where we reach out to millions of resource-poor farmers living in deep poverty and where chances of improving their livelihoods are realistically much more complex and difficult. Even small increases in productivity can mean households being able to feed more mouths, sending their children to school, making small home improvements, having more variety and larger amounts of food on the table, and general improvements in well-being. On agricultural lands, more areas are now being used that were once left barren and idle during occurrences of stress in rice fields. More importantly, more people are seeing evidence of benefits from research that once were so elusive. This issue showcases various efforts of CURE members and partners in contributing to rural transformations through improved germplasm that can withstand the brunt of climatic fluctuations. As new varieties are developed and released through the formal release system in different countries, scientists are busy developing, testing, and disseminating management options that are appropriate in stress-prone environments. Scientific efforts are guided by feedback from farmers and the results of careful assessment of the realities at the target sites and in the target communities. Approaches are being adapted to ensure that well-targeted varieties and management practices reach the intended users. As CURE continuously works with farmers, its guiding principle of gender consciousness comes into play. National agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) adapt in their programs the learning, approaches, and models derived from results of CURE activities as well as those learned from other country cases. Extending innovation and technologies through various out- and up-scaling efforts is now given stronger emphasis. Indeed, cross-country learning and sharing of knowledge are highly evident in CURE activities. Building local capacity and enhancing the knowledge of partner science workers are always central to the partnerships fostered between and among countries. It is no doubt that CURE is on track in identifying effective communication and impact pathways for science-based solutions to the many challenges in fragile rice environments.

Words from the fieldFarmers in Indonesia cope with recurring

drought .....................................................................2The “women of substance” in unfavorable rice

environments .........................................................4TDK1-Sub1 helps Lao farmers cope with

flooding ....................................................................6

TIS Corner: reaching out and learning-by-doing

‘Tis a match made in the mountains: the CURE and CHARMP2 partnership ...............................7

Cordillera farmers attend technoclinics ..............8RARS Diphu focuses on seed production in the

Hill Zone of Assam in India ................................9CURE hosts IFAD country review at IRRI ........... 11Meeting the demand for seeds in Indonesia . 12

Technology Generation and Validation

Two years of battling against submergence and salinity stresses in South Asia ........................ 14

Turning adversity into opportunity ................... 16

Building capacity for innovationA participatory way of documenting

activities ................................................................ 17Telling their stories through video: the medium

disseminates the message ............................. 17Young Thai researchers trained on data

management and analysis for socioeconomic studies .................................................................... 18

Weed ecology and management training held in Cambodia ............................................................. 19

In the rice communitiesIFAD project leaders visit NOMAFSI project sites

20The Bhrikuti Seed Producers Group sets an

example in Gorkha ............................................ 21

TIDBITS .................................................... 22

Profiles: CURE moversThe “seasoned” scientist ......................................... 23Making her mark in rice research ....................... 23The scientist wears three hats.............................. 24Childhood inspiration ............................................. 24

Project profileAddressing climate change in the Mekong Delta

through CLUES .................................................... 25CURE gives attention to heirloom rice .............. 26

Knowledge-sharing resourcesA salty prescription in a poster: 7 steps to higher

rice yields .............................................................. 27Sowing the seeds of knowledge, a training

manual for seed banks ..................................... 28

Contents IN BRIEF

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Words from the field

Farmers in Indonesia cope with recurring drought Suhartini,1 Yudhistira Nugraha,1 Indrastuti A. Rumanti,1 Leo Angelo Ocampo2

1 Indonesian Center for Rice Research, ICRR.2 International Rice Research Institute, IRRI.

A farmer in Jakenan (Central Java) has brought water to the field from the house well, or embung.

Waiting for the rain to come in Jakenan, Pati.

In Indonesia, rice is not only a staple food; its cultivation is considered a major economic activity as it provides employment and a source of income for the rural population. Indonesia’s second-

largest source of rice is its rainfed lowlands, which span about 2 million hectares. Its three major rainfed sites are Indramayu (West Java), Pati (Central Java), and Lombok Tengah (NTB). The unpredictable changes in the weather, however, have been adversely affecting rice farmers in the country, especially those in rainfed lowlands. Despite the vulnerability of these areas to drought, farmers in these rainfed areas have managed to cope with adverse weather conditions in various ways.

Coping with drought effectsAmong the most common coping mechanisms that farmers practice is the establishment of a well or pond near their rice field, from where water is pumped with the help of a machine running on gasoline or diesel. The pond, commonly called an embung, is used to collect water during the wet season for use in the dry season. Farmers plant other crops that do not require too much water, such as legumes (soybean, mungbean), tubers (cassava, sweet potato), vegetables, spices, or herbs. Mixing rice varieties is also another adaptation strategy, mainly driven by changes in climatic conditions, especially during the dry season. Varieties intolerant of dry conditions are usually planted near water sources. Farmers also prefer short-duration varieties with high yield. Short-duration varieties allow flexibility in responding to

weather uncertainties. For instance, farmers can plant other crops after rice or adjust their cropping calendar. However, farmers are reluctant to plant other varieties aside from Ciherang because it is the most common variety and is preferred by consumers. Another coping strategy is to diversify income sources during extreme drought events. Some resort to trading or marketing other off-farm and nonfarm products such as processed food and

handicrafts, among others, and engaging in nonfarm employment. In Indramayu (West Java), farmers make bricks and sell them in nearby towns, districts, or cities. Some resort to temporary migration of household members to seek work in bigger cities, such as Jakarta, about a 4-hour drive from Indramayu, or Bandung, the capital city of West Java, about a 3-hour drive, to work on construction projects and in factories. However, in Pati (Central Java), jobs outside the field or village are difficult to find. To augment their household income, some farmers rely on livestock raising, such as cattle, goats, and chickens, to make both ends meet for the family. Others move near the sea to become fishermen during the season break. In Lombok Tengah (West Nusa Tenggara), the tourism industry provides an added source of livelihood, such as women weaving traditional cloth and men selling goods.

A reason for researchThis array of coping mechanisms has helped farmers augment their income and ensure food for their family.

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Goats provide an alternative source of income for farmers in Lombok Tengah.

Cattle raising is an alternative source of income for farmers in Jakenan, Pati.

Most of them manage to eat rice three times a day without selling their property, but with a limited amount and variety of food. Farmers cannot identify specific government interventions or planned adaptation strategies, however, that could help them further cope with drought spells. They mentioned that cash transfer programs could be one such solution; however, this is not specifically aimed at alleviating the negative impacts of drought alone but is more targeted toward alleviating poverty in general. Cognizant of the conditions of rice farmers, the CURE research team identified integrated activities based on the problem diagnosis, through a baseline survey, to help reduce the impact of drought spells on livelihoods at the target sites. The objectives of the baseline study included the assessment of impacts of drought on rice production, assessment of risk/vulnerability, and determining adaptation strategies and coping mechanisms of rice farming households for better planned adaptation strategies. Some 276 farmers were interviewed from three sites mostly affected by drought: Indramayu (West Java), Pati (Central Java), and Lombok Tengah (West Nusa Tenggara). The results of the study showed that the farmers indeed suffered heavy losses in production and income. There is a 98% probability that the interviewed respondents will fall into expected poverty. However, the study also revealed that there is a great likelihood that households are receptive and will accept new drought-tolerant varieties because of their prior

positive experience with new varieties. In response, the ongoing activities to meet the farmers’ technological needs under the program “Improving Livelihoods and Overcoming Poverty in the Drought-Prone Lowlands in Southeast Asia,” as implemented in Indonesia, include the development, testing, and validation in farmers’ fields of drought-tolerant rice varieties. ICRR and IRRI have partnered for the breeding program on drought-tolerant lines.

Demonstration trials for drought-tolerant lines and varieties were also carried out in farmers’ fields. The performance in trials under rainfed conditions of the lines IR87705-14-11-B, IR87705-83-12-B, and SMD9-131D-MR-4 showed promising results. These lines are also well accepted by farmers based on their yield, number of panicles, and grain shape. The lines have also been assessed for performance in multilocation yield trials across the islands of Indonesia before their release as new drought-tolerant varieties. Also, proper nutrient management is included as an activity to overcome farmers’ lack of knowledge of the appropriate dosage and timing of fertilizer application. Farmers have poor information on site-specific fertilizer application recommendations. The nutrient and weed management trials aim to show farmers the proper application of fertilizer and herbicide. Farmers can now access specific recommendations by easily dialing a toll-free number (123) on their mobile phone. The recommended dosage for their specific land is explained through a text message.

Researchers from ICRR interview farmers in Jakenan, Pati.

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Women’s empowerment and gender equality are core principles of the

Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE). Armed with a strong commitment to giving fair attention to women and how they can contribute to enhancing productivity and livelihoods in the fragile rice ecosystems, CURE has been working with women’s self-help groups and community organizations with potentially strong involvement of women to draw up lessons that can

be shared with partners in Asia. “Woman of substance,” in the

context of CURE, means having the willpower to lead, influence, and make a difference in the lives of other women and men in the rice farming community. It also means that women have a voice to express given sentiments, needs, and aspirations that will help them rise above their life challenges. They can motivate other women to take action so that benefits will ripple to more women and men in many villages. They are hungry for information, and are willing to share their knowledge and skills with others. These women are dedicated to taking on unselfishly responsibility to help others in their community as they become farmer-managers, farmer-leaders, community information brokers, housewives, farmers, and public servants, among other roles, with often multiple roles and tasks rolled into one. This short article shares a glimpse of stories and experiences the authors have gathered from their work as they travel in difficult environments where women in the farming communities play key productive roles, on top of their reproductive, community, and political functions. The information was gathered from oral testimonies obtained in Lamjung District through the assistance of the IRRI representative in Nepal and the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS). In the Philippines, the partners from the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2) and the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) provided leadership in working with the women farmers.

Conquering the challenges In the mid-hills of Nepal“What men can do, women can do better,” once uttered Laxima Adhikari, president of the Harrabot Ladies Seed Producers Group in Lamjung District, Nepal, when interviewed on how their organization came into being. They wanted to prove that women are capable of producing quality seeds that can generate higher production and additional income. Nineteen women in their group are producing

The “women of substance” in unfavorable rice environments Digna Manzanilla and Annette Tobias

rice seeds and vegetable planting materials for other women in their village. “When I saw the men forming their group, accessing information and producing quality seeds, I thought that we could replicate their experience and gain benefits as well,” she enthuses. The Harrabot Ladies Seed Producers Group was formed by 34 women in 2010. In that year, the government of Nepal declared that women’s cooperatives should be supported and that female farmers should be given priority assistance such as tax exemptions and access to credit and training. When asked how their husbands and other family members are taking their role in the seed producers group, the Harrabot group members said that most families are happy with the extra income the women generate from their added economic activities, and that they are not neglecting their routine roles and time with the family. CURE partners from the IAAS initiated the formation of seed producers groups in Lamjung, Tanahun, and Gorkha districts, thus paving the way for Laxima to act with dispatch so that women could also benefit from the new learning and opportunities that the CURE project has been providing. IAAS is now monitoring and providing technical assistance to seven seed producers groups and two cooperatives. For the other SPGs, women members account for 18–48% of the membership. Another women’s group, Mahjuwa Ladies Seed Producers Group, with 21 members, has been producing seeds of upland and lowland varieties, as well as engaging in vegetable production, beekeeping, and livestock raising. These women are also members of a vegetable cooperative, which was established in 2005 with 28 women. “Being a part of the Mahjuwa Ladies SPG makes me feel good about myself; I feel I can now contribute more and be of importance to society,” says Sarwati Sapkota. Usha Sapkota, president of the Mahjuwa SPG, likewise said, “I have been happy and contented for the past two years now. I now have quality seeds available on hand, and am no longer worried about what to grow in the coming season. I did not know before that there are new varieties that can improve our rice production.” “Before, my husband would decide on all matters pertaining to rice farming; now, I can also decide about rice production,” says Santa Sapkota of this SPG. “I can confidently discuss which variety to plant, what fertilizer to buy, and how much rice and vegetables to sell.” This is what she achieved from her participation in the community-based seed production (CBSP) training coordinated by IAAS—additional technical know-how, and trust gained in learning by doing the techniques in farming. And, more importantly, an equal chance to attend training, thus gaining

Laxima Adhikari, president of the Harrabot Ladies Seed Producers Group

Usha Sapkota

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knowledge and recognition in the family and in the community. The women of the two SPGs were also taught pest management and fertilizer management. Thus, they were able to increase their income by an average of US$115 from their additional harvests. The extra income is alloted to vegetable production, making home improvements, and sending their children to school.

From north to south: women in the Cordillera Region and Arakan Valley, PhilippinesOla Salingkod, fondly called “kapitana” (captain), a female village leader of Lunas, Barlig, Mt. Province, in the Cordillera Region, is an active farmer-leader who dreams of her heirloom rice, chorchor-os, making it big in the local and international markets. “We also aspire to learn how to produce Philippine rice wine or ‘tapuy’ so our farmers can have additional income,” said Ola, who leads the Lunas Tribal Women, a self-help group registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with 35 women members. “Our exposure visit to IRRI has widened our perspective in finding a better market for our premium heirloom rice.” Working with research institutions can help improve the value of their rice products, they can learn about technologies that will reduce their risks, and they

can learn strategies to enhance activities and partnerships along the rice value chain to increase productivity and income. “Rice is our major source of livelihood, but men are moving to the cities in search of better income, so women are left to tend to our small piece of land,” shares Anna Dappog of Bagtangan, Pasil, Kalinga. “I participate actively in training to

Thelma Mallorca

The Mahjuwa Seed Ladies Producer group is one of the two seed producer groups in Lamjung District in Nepal, exclusive to female members. Now, it has 17 members and was founded in 2010.

learn more and be able to share knowledge with other women in our village.” Anna is one of the women farmers of the Cordilleras producing heirloom rice variety Unoy, sold in the local and international market. For the local market, the Upland Pasil Terraces Association (UPTA) acts as the coordinator/consolidator of Unoy in the market. Unoy is one of the exotic heirloom rice varieties sold to the Revitalized Indigenous Cordilleran Enterprise (RICE, Incorporated) that is now linking the farmers to the U.S. market under fair trade. CURE is partnering with the

Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Under this partnership, CURE and partners are developing an expanded work plan for the provision of technical assistance to five women’s SHGs, including Lunas Tribal Women (35 members) and Macalana Ammiyan Organization (28 members) in Barlig, Mt. Province; RIC Golden Grains (30 members) and RIC in Galdang (30 members) in Pasil, Kalinga; and Bangbang Farmers’ Organization (30 members) in Hungduan, Ifugao. “Before joining the community seed bank (CSB), we did not know what to do with our fields,” says Thelma Mallorca, member of the Arakan Community Seed Bank Organization (ACSBO). “With the training we attended, our lives improved, including our practices in harvesting and storing rice seeds.” ACSBO is a community seed bank formed in the Arakan Valley complex of North Cotabato, in the southern part of the Philippines, with help from the University of Southern Mindanao (USM). It has a membership of 50, of which at least 30% are women. Women are mostly involved in variety selection, seed health management, planting, harvesting, and storing seeds. Ola, Anna, and Thelma represent the many stories and realities out in the highlands that chronicle the impact that life-changing opportunities can have on women and their contribution to rice productivity. CURE underscores local capacity building to empower women through training on seed production, training of trainers on various technologies, exposure visits of farmers and extension workers, seed fairs, the provision of foundation seeds, and tools and farm equipment to facilitate the early formation and operation of the SPGs. CURE engages in ways and activities that recognize the roles, constraints, access to and control of resources, and bringing equal opportunities to men and women in rice so that technologies can bring more food and better livelihoods to the households in rice communities.

Ola Salingkod

Anna Dappog

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Focus group discussions to get feedback from farmers on the performance of the

submergence-tolerant rice variety TDK1-Sub1 were conducted in Savannakhet and Khammouane provinces in February 2012. Rice fields in Khammouane Province were flooded in August 2011 after nonstop rains caused the Xebangfai River to overflow, affecting around 400 villages. This situation happens almost every monsoon season in many parts of central and southern Laos. In the fields of Vernsanan and Kengken villages, floods occurred when rice seedlings were newly transplanted and they lasted for 25 days. Most of the families in the village grow rice mainly for household consumption, and the floodwaters prevented them from getting good harvests. “The only way for us to feed our families was to sell our animals and look for wood in the forest to sell,” said Mr. Bounlay of Kengken Village. Others go to Thailand to work at construction sites and factories, or try their luck as household helpers. According to farmers, without the floods, their food supply usually lasts from January to July and hunger periods often occur from August to October. They plant corn to augment their food supply. The food shortages are aggravated by flooding that severely affects their crops. “During flooding, I eat cassava and turnip and let my family have the rice,” said Mr. Kamphou of Vernsanan Village. In response to this situation, the Nam Theun 2 Power Company (NTPC, Limited) Downstream Program (DSP) on Livelihood and the RCCRC research team did demonstration trials for TDK1-Sub1 in flood-prone areas of the Xebangfai flood plain in 2009-11. NTPC, known to the villages as “the company,” was formed by the Lao government and the private shareholders of the Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project. In wet season 2009 and 2010, with seeds from RCCRC, they observed that TDK1-Sub1 was more tolerant of flooding than the modern and traditional rice varieties popularly grown by Lao farmers. For instance, under submergence of about 17 days, TDK1-Sub1 can still grow with a 60% to 80% survival rate. This is higher than the survival rate of modern and traditional varieties, which is only 0–30% as observed by the farmers. Even under submergence flooding, the variety can still give an average grain yield of 1.5–2.5 tons/ha, higher than modern and traditional varieties by 110–300%. Starting with TDK1-Sub1 seeds that were provided by the RCCRC in 2009, the estimated total amount of TDK1-Sub1 seeds distributed reached 116,128 kg and covered six districts: Khammouane,

Savannakhet, Bolikhamxay, Salvane, Champpasak, and Vientiane. In Mahaxay Village, a farmer named Mr. Phoma received TDK1-Sub1 seeds in 2009. From these, he was able to harvest 70 kilograms of seeds, which he kept for the next planting season. During the next season, he then harvested 1,820 kilograms of seeds, which he sold to NTPC in 2010. This is just one of the many cases that convinced NTPC that TDK1-Sub1 can really overcome

the plight of the poor farmers at their downstream sites. Since then, NTPC has been engaging farmers to multiply the seeds, which in turn paved the way for more farmers to benefit from the program. In 2010, NTPC’s seed multiplication of TDK1-Sub1 started with the selection of 36 farmers from 18 villages of 5 districts to participate in breeder seed production. Farmers who were involved in this activity were very pleased with the results. The seed production activity contributed not only new knowledge on producing seeds of a new tolerant variety, but also provided additional income of about US$1,771 to the farmers who produced the seeds for the dry season of 2010-11. Farmers had income increases of up to $1,668 per production area of 0.7 hectare producing an average of 3,860 kg of seeds. In May 2011, the NTPC and the District Agricultural Forestry Officers (DAFO) distributed TDK1-Sub1 seeds to the farmers in the districts of Xaibouli in Savannakhet Province and Xebangfai, Nongbok, and Mahaxay districts in Khammouane Province. NTPC distributed 42 tons of TDK1-Sub1 seed to farmers in 86 flood-prone villages. In the wet season of 2011, the rice seed production group formed by NTPC produced a total of 76 tons of seed, which was sold to different organizations, with a total cost of $625/ton. Of this, about 63 tons were sold to NTPC DSP, 10 tons sold to RMU/PAFO of Khammouane, 1 ton sold to Tehun Hin Boun (THB), and 2 tons sold to the local seed market. The total amount of seed was distributed to more than 5,000 households in 80 villages of 7 districts in the 2 provinces. This has provided additional income to farmers and has widened the span of distribution of TDK1-Sub1. With support from the government research centers and institutes such as the RCCRC, NAFRI, and DAFO, seed multiplication and distribution to widely disseminate the seeds of TDK1-Sub1 are moving ahead. Private entities such as the NTPC and World Vision, have also picked up the pace and incorporated this into their own program for poor rice farmers. Despite the increasing threats of flooding, farmers hope that more tolerant varieties can give them a better future in rice farming.

TDK1-Sub1 helps Lao farmers cope with flooding Phetmaniseng Xangsayasane,1 Oudong Keomipeth,2 Annette Tobias,3 Digna Manzanilla3

Farmers’ local variety TDK1-Sub1

1 Rice and Cash Crop Research Center (RCCRC).2 Research Management Division (RMD), National Agriculture

and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI).3 International Rice Research Institute.

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Elenor de Leon

tis Corner: reaChing out and learning-by-doing

As part of its effort to help overcome poverty and food insecurity in unfavorable rice areas, the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) forged a partnership with the

IFAD-funded Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2) for the provision of technical innovation services (TIS). “This is part of an innovative strategy to link IFAD investment projects to established CURE activities to develop pilot activities to support development in stress-prone rice areas,” Casiana Vera Cruz, senior plant pathologist and CURE work group leader on upland farming areas, said. “This strategy will make CURE products, options, and knowledge more widely available among various stakeholders.” In the meeting that was held in Baguio City, representatives from IRRI-CURE, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), CHARMP2, and the DA-CAR regional office acknowledged the importance of traditional rice varieties to the different indigenous groups that cultivate these in the region. “The collaboration is also helping preserve the traditional varieties and, at the same time, help improve the standard of living of the communities that cultivate rice in the uplands,” Vera Cruz said.

Listening to the farmers To understand the current situation of farmers and their heirloom rice production, Vera Cruz and Digna Manzanilla (IRRI social scientist and associate CURE coordinator), along with Nenita Desamero (PhilRice chief science research specialist and focal person for unfavorable rice environments and CURE collaborator in the Philippines) and Elenor de Leon (CURE communication and extension specialist), visited CHARMP2 areas immediately after the meeting in Baguio City.“We want to hear what the farmers want to say, and we want to see what they want outsiders to see,” Vera Cruz said. Bagtayan was the first village that the team visited, an interior village in Pasil, Kalinga, that is about 1,250 meters above sea level. Vehicles cannot go past the village of Guinaangan, and beyond lies about a two hours’ hike for locals (and about five for visitors!). Often, because of the extreme ruggedness of the terrain, visitors opt to hire local porters to carry them through the steep and slippery path along dangerous ravines. Traditional rice varieties in the area are classified into two groups—unoy for the dry season and uyak for the wet season. The glutinous types comprise alig, lachok, and yonga, whereas the nonglutinous group consists of chong-ak, chumalling, ifuwan, finuga, chiplog, and ginonnaw. Unoy rice has been identified as Pasil’s One Town, One Product (OTOP), a priority program of the Philippine government that aims to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. Unoy is well adapted to the place, thriving in areas that are 1,000-2,000 meters above sea

level. It is very aromatic, tasty, and said to be high in iron content.Lunas was the second village visited by the team. Unlike Bagtayan, Lunas is accessible by vehicle, although it is about 40 kilometers away from the town of Bontoc, the capital of Mountain Province. The road going to the village, however, is rugged and steep and runs through deep forest. It is divided into three ethno-linguistic groups, one of which is the Kadaclan domain, to which the village of Lunas belongs. The Kadaclan domain has identified Ominio as their commodity focus, a traditional variety that has an average yield of 2.5 tons/ha. Farmers say that most traditional varieties can grow in 6 months, allowing them to have two cropping seasons. Those farms at higher elevation (900-1,200 m) grow varieties of up to 8 months’ duration. Last among the villages that the team visited was Bangbang in Hungduan, Ifugao. It is also inaccessible to vehicles but, unlike Bagtayan, Bangbang requires only a 45-minute hike on well-maintained paths amid rice fields. “Our discussions with farmers and extension workers have provided valuable insights into rice farming as a source of livelihood and as a cultural heritage for the people in the Cordillera Region,” Manzanilla said. “This helped us better identify entry points for collaboration between CURE and CHARMP2 to try to relieve farmers’ constraints and improve their livelihood opportunities.”

Areas for collaborationThe initial meeting and series of consultations with farmers led to a partnership between CURE and CHARMP2.1 The following possible areas for collaboration were identified: (1) profiling/varietal characterization of farmer-preferred traditional varieties; (2) enhancement of the community seed system (capacity building on production of good-quality seeds that includes pest and disease management, postharvest technologies, nutrient management, and community rodent control); (3) adaptive research for the control of rice blast and participatory adaptive trials for preferred varieties (traditional and new tolerant varieties); and (4) knowledge management and sharing through the production of farmer-produced videos and participatory process documentation of best management practices and modification of crop management guidelines (Rice Check) to suit the rice-growing conditions in the Cordillera Region. Among the agreed-upon activities are those that encourage the participation of farmers in documenting their heirloom rice production and project implementation. “We want our interventions to emanate from the farmers,” Manzanilla said. “We not only want their invaluable inputs for designing this partnership; we also need their meaningful participation in its implementation.”

1 On 7 March 2011, the collaboration among IRRI-CURE, PhilRice, DA-CAR, and CHARMP2 was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed by Robert S. Zeigler (IRRI director general) and Marilyn V. Sta. Catalina (DA-CAR regional executive director and CHARMP2 project director) in the presence of around 40 farmers and extension workers from the three pilot sites.

‘Tis a match made in the mountains: the CURE and CHARMP2 partnership

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More than a hundred rice farmers attended the two simultaneous

technoclinics in Pasil, Kalinga, and Hungduan, Ifugao. In these remote areas, farmers and scientists do not often get the chance to interact and exchange ideas. PhilRice and IRRI scientists held the clinics on 23-24 October 2012. Among the problems that were cited by the 20 farmers who participated in the Hungduan technoclinic were earthworms, rat infestation, yellowing of rice crop leaves (zinc deficiency), blast, rice bugs, and stem borers. Discussions were held, for example, on pest control methods that farmers had tried or were considering. Alternative methods were suggested to address these problems, such as the use of simultaneous rice planting to limit the damage caused by stem borers. Farmers were considering the use of poison to stop rats from damaging their crops, but the scientists’ recommendation was for farmers to adopt a community trap barrier system (CTBS). Large earthworms were also a problem as they damage terraces and farmers were proposing the use of straw to control them. Decomposed rice straw attracts earthworms. Farmers can use the straw to attract the earthworms and collect them to be fed to the chickens or fish. Sunflowers, which farmers use as fertilizer, can also be applied to repel the earthworms. In Pasil, Kalinga, close to a hundred farmers from five villages (Galdang, Bagtayan, Masilay, Guina-ang, and Dangtales) came to participate in the technoclinic, bringing with them samples of disease- and insect-damaged rice plants. Common problems that they described were yellowing of rice crop leaves (zinc deficiency), rat infestation, birds, stem borers, rice bugs, golden apple snails, and diseases such as blast and brown spot. They also mentioned stunted growth and yellowing of rice plants. Community action was suggested to control rodents, which includes synchronous rice planting and the use of a CTBS. Farmers had been using DDT or arsenic to control rat infestations but this is known to be ineffective and dangerous to human health. The Pasil farmers’ practice of allowing rice ratoon to proliferate during the fallow period has worsened the problem of stem borers; field sanitation was suggested to solve it. To overcome zinc deficiency, tolerant rice varieties will be tested in the area. Two teams facilitated and documented the technoclinics in

Hungduan and Pasil: Renato Reaño (IRRI senior associate scientist), Evelyn Gergon (PhilRice plant pathologist), and Elenor de Leon (CURE communication specialist) for Hungduan and Joel Janiya (IRRI senior associate scientist), Isabelita Oña (IRRI associate scientist), Jessieca Narciso (IRRI videographer), and Heihke Panwitt (IRRI intern on plant pathology) for Pasil. On 13 November 2012, another technoclinic was held by IRRI and PhilRice scientists with more than 30 rice farmers from Barlig, Mt. Province. Isabelita Oña, Joel Janiya (IRRI) and Evelyn Gergon (PhilRice) entertained questions from farmers on blast disease, rice bugs, worms, golden apple snails, leaffolder, birds, and rat infestation. Samples of rice leaves that are afflicted with different diseases were also passed around to help the farmers become familiar with them and identify the different symptoms of rice diseases. Farmers sometimes eat the golden apple snails from their rice fields, a practice that helps reduce their number. Gergon also told them that they can gather dead snails in a net and use them to attract rice bugs. Among the challenges that were cited by farmers in the technoclinic were the unpredictable weather and the lack of organic fertilizers. Like most farmers in the Cordillera Region, farmers in Barlig practice organic farming but lack adequate sources of organic manure to fertilize their fields. Participants in the Barlig technoclinic came from the villages of Lunas and Macalana, where the lowest point is at 750 m and the highest is in Mt. Amuyao at 2,862 m.

Cordillera farmers attend technoclinicsElenor de Leon and Joel Janiya

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RARS Diphu focuses on seed production in the Hill Zone of Assam in India

The use of superior crop varieties is one of the most important factors that help increase agricultural productivity. The benefits of growing a superior variety can be realized only by using

genetically pure seeds. Over the last six years, upland autumn rice varieties Inglongkiri, Rongkhong, Dehangi, and Maizu Biron have gained popularity among the hill farmers of Assam, a northeastern state of India. The demand for these varieties from India’s other northeastern states has also been increasing. The lack of availability of good-quality seeds, however, poses a major problem in making these varieties widely spread. Based on the demand for and the potential of these upland autumn rice varieties, an on-station seed production program was implemented at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Diphu, Assam. The station produced a total of 2.25 tons of truthfully labeled (TL) seeds, composed of 0.95 ton of Inglongkiri, 0.52 ton of Rongkhang, 0.42 ton of Dehangi, and 0.35 ton of Maizu Biron.Under the outscaling activities of CURE in the Hill Zone of Assam, farmer-cooperators produced 15.40 tons of TL rice seeds from an area of 8 hectares comprising 9.52 tons of Inglongkiri, 1.86 tons of Rongkhang, 2.08 tons of Dehangi, and 1.93 tons of Maizu Biron. The initial seeds and other inputs were supplied from RARS Diphu

and the entire program was conducted under the supervision and technical guidance of scientists from the station.

A new varietyHaccha is a newly developed autumn rice variety at RARS Diphu. It can be grown both as direct-seeded autumn rice in upland and medium-land conditions and as transplanted autumn rice in medium-lowland conditions. During on-farm testing, farmers showed high preference for this variety because of its high yield, good cooking quality, and nonlodging and nonshattering characteristics. The variety is resistant to gall midge and moderately resistant to leaffolder, planthopper, and bacterial leaf blight (BLB).  There is also demand for Haccha seeds from the Department of Agriculture in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts and from the different Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) from other parts of northeast India. KVKs are district-level organizations of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that were set up to facilitate the transfer of technologies to farming communities. An on-farm seed production program for Haccha was conducted at RARS Diphu in autumn of 2012 in an effort to meet the expected demand. The station produced 0.45 ton of foundation seeds of Haccha, 60 kg of which were tested by two upland farmers, Jacob Taro and Denial Teron; 40 kg by KVK, Dhemaji;

Ramen Sarma1

Training on seed production in Assam

1 Regional Agricultural Research Station, Assam Agricultural University (RARS, AAU), Assam, India.

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and another 150 kg by the State Department of Agriculture in Karbi Anglong.

Pulse crops after riceBlack gram and green gram are two important pulse crops that can be grown after harvesting upland autumn rice. Farmers can earn sufficient cash income by producing black gram and green gram because of the high demand for these two pulses and the high price they command in the market. The cultivation of pulse crops after harvesting rice also helps in maintaining soil fertility along upland slopes. The availability of good-quality seeds of these high-valued pulse crops at the right time and in the right quantity prompted RARS Diphu to initiate a seed production program on black gram (variety PU 31) and green gram (variety Pratap) in 2012. This effort has produced 0.22 ton of black gram and 0.15 ton of green gram foundation seeds.Under CURE’s outscaling activities in the Hill Zone of Assam in 2012, farmer-cooperators produced 0.72 ton of black gram and 0.56 ton of green gram TL seeds from an area of 1.0 ha each.

Seed production techniquesOne day of training on seed production techniques in farmers’ fields was organized in Assam to demonstrate the various steps in seed production and storage. A total of 32 farmers (20 males and 12 females) from five villages took part in the training. The farmers learned to keep at least 50% of their produce for the next planting season. Farmers were also advised to exchange their rice seeds for other local varieties of rice if they needed them for household consumption.

Inglongkiri

Rongkhang

Dehangi

Maizu Biron

Seed production of Haccha at RARS Diphu

Seed production of black gram at RARS Diphu

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The Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE), the International Potato Center (CIP), and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) hosted and co-organized with the International

Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Philippines this year’s Annual Country Portfolio Review (ACPoR). In its fifth year, ACPoR was held at IRRI headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, on 28-29 November 2012 with the theme “Managing information and knowledge in delivering impact across the project cycle.” Dr. V. Bruce J. Tolentino, IRRI’s deputy director general for communications and partnerships, welcomed the participants from the different IFAD investment programs and projects in the Philippines to the two-day meeting. ACPoR is an annual meeting that provides an avenue to review implementation experiences, share good practices, and address common problems to improve IFAD program and project performance. “We’re glad that IRRI is part of this process in which a lot of learning can be derived,” Tolentino said. The first day of the meeting introduced the new partner entrants, provided updates on ongoing projects, and identified action points for replication of best practices and solutions for recurrent and anticipated issues. On the second day, participants were treated to a tour of IRRI, including the International Rice Genebank, before engaging in a review of project details vis-à-vis the overarching country strategic opportunities program (COSOP) for 2010-14.Participants in this year’s meeting were representatives from IFAD loans, namely, Rural Micro-Enterprise Promotion Programme (RuMEPP) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2) and the Rapid Food Production Enhancement Programme (RaFPEP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the latter with two subprojects, Rapid Seed Supply Financing Project (RaSSFiP) and Irrigated Rice Production Enhancement Project (IRPEP); the IFAD Medium-Term Cooperation Programme (MTCP)-Philippine Farmers’ Forum (PhilFaFo); and IFAD grants, namely, Rewards for, Use of, and Shared Investment in Pro-poor Environmental Services Schemes (RUPES) of ICRAF, Food Security Through Asian Root and

Tuber Crops (FoodSTART) of CIP, and CURE of IRRI. Other participants were from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), COSOP Reviewers, and the new projects, Integrated Natural Resource and Environmental Management Project (INREMP) of DENR and Convergence on Value Chain-Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (CONVERGE) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

A blended ACPoR and KLMThe fifth ACPoR was held back-to-back with the 6th Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM6), an annual event organized by IFAD-Philippines to provide a venue for knowledge sharing among policymakers, IFAD projects, implementing government agencies, and partners, on 27 November. This year’s KLM carried the theme “A boost to rural productivity” and had guests from two key government agencies—Joel Rudinas, DA undersecretary for operations, and Jerry Pacturan, DAR undersecretary of support services and project implementation. The two cabinet members took part in a “talk show” tackling the experiences of the two departments in linking producers to appropriate markets. They highlighted the importance of farm mechanization, access to credit, expanding the capacities of rural producers, partnerships with the private sector, establishing market linkages, and understanding the value chain in increasing agricultural productivity. IFAD-funded projects were also given the opportunity to present their achievements under the following topics: (1) linking smallholders to the value chain, (2) micro-financing for small-medium enterprise development, (3) connecting rural producers with the market, and (4) building knowledge to action. David Johnson (IRRI senior scientist, CURE coordinator, and head of IRRI’s Crop and Environmental Sciences Division) and Digna Manzanilla (IRRI social scientist and CURE associate coordinator) presented CURE’s work on community seed banking in Arakan Valley, Cotabato, southern Philippines, as a successful case of translating knowledge from scientific endeavors into action for rural transformation.

CURE hosts IFAD country review at IRRIElenor de Leon

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The needs of upland rice environments in Indonesia were the focus of the series of meetings held on 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 at the Indonesian Center for Agricultural

Technology Assessment and Development (ICATAD) in Bogor. These meetings served as venues for experts from IRRI and Indonesia to discuss the country’s plan to develop its upland rice areas, including the establishment of community-based seed systems (CBSS). Both meetings were facilitated by the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) in collaboration with the IRRI-Indonesia Office, and were attended by representatives from IRRI, ICATAD, the Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development (ICFORD), and Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR). The Indonesian government is determined to further improve its rice production programs in its bid for rice self-sufficiency. Among the joint activities that are being considered toward achieving this goal are the development of upland rice areas and the establishment of CBSS.

Good-quality seedsThe establishment of CBSS in Indonesia is expected to support the country’s goal of increasing its production of good-quality seeds and of enhancing farmers’ access to preferred new rice varieties. The availability of high-quality seeds is deemed a significant factor in increasing production. There used to be a socialized support system that provided seeds to farmers for free under the farmer field school (FFS). This, however, has been amended. Starting in 2013, farmers under the integrated crop management field school (ICM-FS) will have to pay a third of the price of rice seeds. The government is also re-orienting its policy on seed production and is looking into empowering communities to serve as hubs for seed production.Data from the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) show that the government can provide 330,000 metric tons of seeds at a 25 kg/ha seeding rate. This, however, falls short of the 1.0-million-ton demand. For rice, the total area planted is 13.2 million hectares. Out of the current seed production, noncertified seeds are at 180,000 tons (54.5%), whereas certified seeds are at

150,000 tons (45.5%). For the noncertified seeds, 156,000 tons are improved varieties, while 24,000 tons are traditional ones.

Upland opportunitiesAccording to Kasdi Subagyono, secretary of IAARD and former director of ICATAD, the development of upland rice is one of the major thrusts of their organization under the IAARD program on FFS-ICM for increased national rice production. The adequate supply of seeds is the goal of the Seed Management Unit (UPBS) under the Assessment Institutes for Agricultural Technology (AIATs), including the procurement of superior varieties. The total seed stock produced by UPBS increased from 810 tons in 2011 to 1,630 tons in 2012 but remains short of the target. Seeds that were produced included Inpara 13 (on top of the list in terms of foundation seeds), Ciherang, Inpara 10, Cigeulis, Inpara 1, Mekongga, and Inpara 6. Major seed production in 2012 was 92.2% for irrigated rice (wet field rice), 5.0% for swampy rice, 2.8% for upland rice, and 0.003% for sticky rice. Indonesia’s upland rice ecosystem has a total area of 1.16 million ha, contributing about 2.4 metric tons to the country’s total rice production. The government is looking at developing an additional 5 million hectares in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua for upland rice cultivation. The potential area for intercropping with young forest and estate crops is estimated at 2 million hectares.

Farmers are clamoringFor their seeds to be of good quality, farmers need to improve their crop management practices. They have indicated a request for technical support for intensive seed production in the uplands as well as in the intensive irrigated rice system for areas above 700 meters. For improved varieties, farmers in these areas prefer traits such as blast resistance; tolerance of aluminum toxicity, phosphorus deficiency, and cold temperature, even at the seedling stage; and shade tolerance, especially when varieties are planted in between trees. They also want varieties that are appropriate for different elevations.

Meeting the demand for seeds in Indonesia

Dr. Digna Manzanilla and Dr. Casiana Vera Cruz (IRRI-CURE) meeting with Dr. Kasdi Subagyono, secretary of IAARD, Dr. Suwarno of ICRR, Dr. Zulkifli Zaini of IRRI-Indonesia office, with the staff of ICATAD and ICRR to discuss the establishment of community-based seed systems in Indonesia.

Elenor de Leon, Zulkifli Zaini, Digna Manzanilla, and Casiana Vera Cruz

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Farmers practice crop diversification, where rice is considered important together with some other economically viable crops under a conservation agriculture approach. On the highly fertile island of Java, there are many places where innovation in rice production is a real challenge, and the government is looking into germplasm development.

Initial discussionThe meeting in November aimed to review the research and development activities in rice-based systems in the uplands under the CURE mechanism, with emphasis on community seed banking. It also facilitated the identification of opportunities to exploit the comparative advantage of traditional varieties grown by upland communities, in relation to CBSS activities, and explored further collaboration with CURE-Indonesia in an ongoing program of CURE on CBSS implementation.  Present during the meeting were Hasil Sembiring (ICFORD director), Made Jana Mejaya (ICRR director), Kasdi Subagyono (former ICATAD director, and now secretary of IAARD), and other representatives from these institutions.  From IRRI came Zulkifli Zaini (IRRI-Indonesia liaison scientist), Joel Janiya (IRRI senior associate scientist), and Casiana Vera Cruz (IRRI senior scientist and CURE working group leader for upland environments). Vera Cruz and Mejaya presented CURE activities in Indonesia under drought- and submergence-prone and upland environments, with emphasis on activities in the uplands, whereas Subagyono presented technology assessment regarding seed production and dissemination. There was also an in-depth discussion on activities and implementation plans collectively developed by ICFORD, ICATAD, ICRR, and IRRI for CBSS, as well as the role of each institution and their progress, including problems encountered in the establishment and development of community seed banks (CSB). A case of CSB implementation was presented by Andy Saryoko, an extension specialist from Banten, Java, where they are implementing informal and formal rice seed multiplication systems. The AIAT Banten Province, or BPTP Banten, is actively pursuing activities in the collection and evaluation of upland rice landraces. A system for drying, seed storage, and seed exchange among farmers has been integrated for the informal system, whereas, for the formal system of seed production of modern varieties (from breeders’ seeds, foundation seeds, stock seeds), a formal multiplication system for the production of certified seeds whose quality is monitored and certified by the BPSB (Quality Control Monitoring and Certification Office) has been developed. The meeting ended with the participants agreeing to collaborate toward raising productivity in the uplands from elite lines and improved upland varieties and on building the capacity of the new generation of Indonesian scientists. For the collaboration between IRRI and ICFORD, both parties agreed to work on the following: • Improvevarietiesfortheuplandenvironment(flatandlow

elevation), especially in high-elevation uplands, in Indonesia (must-have traits are cold tolerance, blast resistance, aluminum toxicity tolerance, high grain quality, etc.)

• Integratedcropmanagement(ICM)foruplandsusingdrydirect-seeding technologies

• Mechanizationforflatuplandsorestateplantationcropstoincrease efficiency in rice production

• Seedhealthandpostharvesttechnologiesfortheproductionofgood-quality seeds to raise rice productivity

• ImpactassessmentofCBSSandtheirimplementation• Value-chainanalysisofimprovedvarietiesunderCBSS• Businessplan/entrepreneurshipfordifferentmodelsofseed

systems (formal and informal seed systems) in upland farming communities

• Otherrelevantprojectstoraiseproductivityinuplands Zulkifli added that the DG of IAARD, in an effort to raise the impact of these collaborations, is now encouraging senior researchers under IAARD as well as international partners to co-publish research results in international journals together with young researchers. IAARD has provided increased allocation for seeds, particularly in seed production and dissemination in Indonesia, as a response to concerns about increasing rice production up to 10 million tons of milled rice surplus in 2014 to secure domestic demand while attempting to overcome the impacts of climate change.

A follow-upTo further discuss plans on Indonesia’s upland rice development, a subsequent meeting at the beginning of 2013 was held again in Bogor, and was attended by representatives from ICRR, ICATAD, and IRRI. Subagyono presented the system for upland rice seed production to support the development of an integrated crop management field school (ICM-FS) and Suwarno of ICRR talked about seed systems and sources of seed for upland rice in Indonesia. Digna Manzanilla, IRRI social scientist and CURE associate coordinator, shared the models on community-based seed systems, while Vera Cruz discussed the plans of the CURE working group for developing the marginal uplands. Ten to fifteen representatives from AIAT, ICRR, and ICATAD will be trained at IRRI for the establishment of CBSS. They will be expected to set up/facilitate the formation of self-help groups and provide technical support to the SHGs that will serve as the CBSS (seed producers/seed growers). The topics that will be covered in this training will be both theoretical and practical. These include the social and institutional dimensions of a CBSS (setting up the organization/SHGs), seed physiology, seed health management, seed-to-seed production technologies, seed entrepreneurship and business plan preparation, and postharvest processing of seeds, storage, and maintenance, among others. Each participant will be required to develop an action plan to produce rice seeds not only for the villages and communities in the upland areas but also for other areas and ecosystems. Although the intention is to have them producing for the upland communities, how the CBSS can support the state-owned seed producers should also be one objective. For two years, they will have to establish the system and be provided with adequate government support per province. This will be under the ICM-FS and UPBS seed production. A copy of the CBSS manual developed by IRRI will be provided to Indonesia for revision according to the Indonesian context. The manual will be in Bahasa Indonesia and will later on be uploaded to the Indonesia Rice Knowledge Bank (RKB).

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teChnology generation and Validation

Fifty percent of the rice area in South Asia is rainfed, and it is prone to flooding, salinity, and drought. Farming in these environments is mainly subsistence, with average farm

households lacking the capacity to buy food, even at low prices. Farmers tend to depend on low-yielding traditional varieties, and they have limited access to quality inputs such as good seeds and fertilizer. In response to these productivity constraints, IRRI began a project in 2011 titled “Improved Rice Crop Management for Raising Productivity in Submergence-prone and Salt-affected Rainfed Lowlands in South Asia.” The project aims to improve and stabilize household food security and reduce the poverty of poor farmers in salt-affected soils and submergence-prone lowlands in inland and coastal areas of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal through the adoption of combinations of stress-tolerant rice varieties and appropriate improved management technologies. Sixteen experimental sites were identified across India, Bangladesh, and Nepal to develop and validate improved crop management technologies (component 1) and site-specific nutrient management technologies (component 2) for salt-affected and submergence-prone rice-based cropping systems. Eleven partners, consisting mainly of NGOs, have been identified in the three countries to conduct activities under component 3—development and establishment of farmer-centered seed multiplication and delivery systems, and component 4—improved access to technology through adequate business models for technology dissemination. For component 5 on enhanced NARES capacity and establishing a critical mass of scientists for generating future innovations for sodic/saline soils and submergence-prone lowlands, several farmers’ training activities, meetings, and visits on various crop and natural

Two years of battling against submergence and salinity stresses in South Asia

resource management technologies were organized, with senior technical experts from the NARES at the helm. For the kharif/aman season this year, project partners have planned on-site experiments on crop establishment, nursery management, bio-compost application, nitrogen management for quick recovery after submergence, and different crop establishment options (including dry-seeded rice and puddled and unpuddled transplanted rice) and cropping systems to harness the potentials of stress-tolerant varieties (photo). On-

farm demonstrations and trials on proven options, such as nursery management, postflood management, and different crop establishment options in farmers’ fields, were given emphasis in the activity plans. These farmers’ participatory programs help assess crop performance with the use of different treatments as tested in farmers’ fields, simultaneously with on-station trials. Some centers are

organizing rabi (boro)-season experiments, too. The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Canning Town in West Bengal, and the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India, are replicating the experiments from the previous year as well as conducting new experiments. In collaboration with IRRI, the CSSRI Regional Research Station (RRS) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has developed short-duration, salt-tolerant, high-yielding variety CSR43 (with 120 days’ maturity) under the STRASA project. Another experiment is in progress during this year’s rabi (dry) season to find an economically viable rice-based cropping system using CSR43 for salt-affected soils. In Bangladesh, two experiments for the boro season are being conducted in Putualkali. The first experiment is related to nutrient management practices and the use of soil amendments, while the other one is on crop establishment. In addition, a new experiment on “remediation of salt-affected saline soil through added application

Sudhanshu Singh,1 J.P. Singh,2 Sanjay Tiwari,2 and U.S. Singh1

1 International Rice Research Institute, New Delhi, India2 Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India

Dr. Stephan Haefele and Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, along with Dr. J.P. Singh and Dr. Sanjay Tiwari, visit the nursery nutrient management experiment for salt-affected soils at Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India.

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of gypsum and potassium to increase rice productivity” has begun. The objectives of this experiment are to minimize soil salinity by the additional application of gypsum and potassium and to raise the productivity of coastal saline soil for rice. The Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Research (BINA) started experiments during the boro season of 2012-13 in salt-affected areas of Sathkhira to evaluate stress-tolerant rice varieties and identify suitable soil and water management practices for the promotion of sustainable production and improving rice yield in salt-affected areas. In Nepal, partners set up multilocation experiments at the Tarhara and Hardinath centers to find out the suitable time and variety for boro rice in the lowlands of Nepal’s eastern Terai region. Under component 3 of the project, three experiments were conducted at each partner site, from 2011 to 2012, to determine the most effective farmer-centered and area-specific strategies for rapid seed multiplication and farmer-to-farmer dissemination of stress-tolerant varieties and technologies. The impact of providing information folders, training, and inputs on the adoption rate of the package of practices, yield of seeds in the mini- kits, and farmer-to-farmer seed diffusion was evaluated. As part of component 4, the project is developing a seed business model called “SEEDNET” in Nepal, taking into consideration the experience in the breeder seed multiplication system in Bangladesh (SEEDNET) and India. Preliminary work on the seed business model is being done by reviewing seed policies and meeting and interacting with key seed specialists and government officials in Kathmandu. Visiting fields for interviewing different seed actors along the value chain (private companies, public research groups, community groups/cooperatives, and other seed actors) has been completed. Based on this field information and review, further work on documenting and synthesizing the preliminary findings with the active support of various partners in Nepal will be undertaken in 2014. In India, collaboration with Grameen Development Services (GDS), a leading NGO partner of eastern Uttar Pradesh working in Mahrajganj, is already underway for strengthening the capacity of seed production and certification of Lehra Agro Producer Company Ltd. (LAPCL), Pharenda, Maharajganj. LAPCL is a federation of farmers’ clubs and self-help groups (SHGs) in the region consisting of 700 small and marginal farmers. It has also undertaken seed production of stress-tolerant rice varieties in a big way for the last three years.

Under component 5, various activities for broad-based capacity building through exchange visits, informal and formal training, workshops, collaborative activities, and “mutual learning” among the various stakeholders were conducted with partners. Several farmers’ training activities were organized with senior technical experts from the NARES as trainers on various crop management aspects. The development and testing of training and information materials for “good management practices” for submergence-prone and saline environments in each participating country are also being undertaken. Mature options on nursery management and postflood management of stress-tolerant varieties have already been incorporated in the technical bulletins and booklets developed in Hindi and English in India under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) project funded by the government of India; and in English and Bengali in Bangladesh under the seed project funded by the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID). Knowledge gained from this project is already fast feeding into other projects, thus increasing the access of NARES and local communities to the relevant information. To enhance the participation of women in the project, a workshop on “Enhancing Women’s Livelihoods in Rice-Based Farming Systems” was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, providing opportunities for women engaged in research, development, and extension to acquire and use their technical knowledge

in rice production, postharvest, seed management, and seed health to enhance the livelihoods of poor women farmers in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Twenty participants from Nepal (8), Bangladesh (6), and India (6) representing different research institutions and NGOs took part in this event (Fig. 2). They shared their experiences in working with women farmers through participatory varietal selection for stress-tolerant rice varieties, community seed banks, small-scale seed business, and other training activities for women’s groups. At many project sites, a considerable number of farmers visited project activities and jointly discussed crop management options for stress-prone environments. Field days and field visits were organized at trial sites across partner centers. News and feature articles written by various NARES partners in local languages on the stress-tolerant rice varieties were published in newspapers and scientific journals as well as announced on community radio and TV stations. These efforts have helped in gaining wider publicity for stress-tolerant varieties and appropriate management practices.

Participants in the workshop on “Enhancing Women’s Livelihoods in Rice-Based Farming Systems” in Kathmandu, Nepal, pose with Dr. D.B. Gurung (NARC executive director), Dr. U.S. Singh (coordinator, STRASA, IRRI), Dr. Thelma Paris (IRRI senior scientist and Social Sciences Division deputy division head), and Mr. Julian Lapitan (IRRI National Programs Relations manager).

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Salinity is the most common and widespread soil problem in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The situation has become more serious in recent years and now more than a million hectares of

land are affected by salinity. Areas prone to salinity are increasing due to the intrusion of brackish water and nonadherence to zoning laws on aquaculture such as shrimp culture. The changing climate is also causing sea levels to rise, leading to new stresses such as submergence and water stagnation. Among the many reasons seen for water stagnation is the development of ponds for shrimp culture. In Bangladesh, salinity has already increased in domestic ponds in the groundwater supply, and on agricultural lands. Soil salinity increases from 1.4 deci Siemens per meter after the harvest of rainy-season rice in August to 12.9 dS/m

in February (dS/m is a measure of the severity of salt concentration in soils; the higher the value, the more hazardous it is to crops). In addition, the salinity of the river water used for irrigation increases from 1.9 dS/m in August to 16.5 dS/m in February. The presence of a saline groundwater table throughout the year within 1.0-m depth is another factor affecting crop production in the saline belt. Water stagnation because of inadequate drainage and faulty operation of sluice-gate facilities restricts the potential land use of the lowlands within polder areas. Scarcity of quality irrigation water during the dry season limits the cultivation of boro (dry) rice and rabi (winter) crops, and aus cultivation during the kharif-1 (March-July) season. Salinity can be managed in this area with several approaches. Among these is the construction of a protective embankment, which can help protect the land from inundation of saline water. There should be a provision for sluice gates in the embankment system to remove excess water and prevent the ingress of saline water during high tide. Land needs to be properly leveled to prevent the accumulation of water in low-lying patches with shallow groundwater tables and to facilitate the uniform drainage of excess water. It will help to apply irrigation water uniformly in the field in the rabi season and facilitate the uniform germination of seeds and better growth of crops. Storing of excess rainwater for irrigation may also be a good option. A part of the excess water stored in the pond after meeting the requirements of the kharif season can be used during the dry period for rabi crops. Now, farmers can also choose from a good selection of salinity-tolerant rice varieties. BRRI dhan47, BRRI dhan61, BINA dhan8, and BINA dhan10 are salinity-tolerant rice varieties recommended for the boro season. These can tolerate salinity of about 12 dS/m and can produce around 4.0 t/ha under saline conditions. These varieties need to be spread as fast as possible to help farmers improve livelihoods in these difficult environments. Groundwater is saline and present at a shallow depth (about 1.0 m), and land is best kept under crops in winter and summer months. Keeping lands fallow leads to high salinity in soil due to the evaporation of excessive soil moisture. It is therefore recommended to avoid leaving the lands fallow during the rabi season. Salt-tolerant crops should be grown, which can help lower the soil’s salinity profile. Since soils in general have low

Turning adversity into opportunityM. Akhlasur Rahman,1 M. Ruhul Amin Sarker,2 Nirmal Sharma,2 M. Rafiqul Islam,1 Glenn B. Gregorio,3 Elizabeth Humphreys3

organic matter content, it is necessary to apply appropriate fertilizers to boost crop production. Potash fertilizer has an added advantage under soil salinity. It lowers the nitrogen (N) uptake by plants and increases potassium (K) uptake. Thus, K fertilization protects crops from the harmful effects of Na. The development of appropriate water management practices for the reclamation of these coastal saline soils is important to ensure year-round crop productivity for improved food security and livelihood of the people. The government of Bangladesh has identified priority investments that include (1) a reduction in water losses in existing schemes through improved water management (capacity building of water management cooperatives) and the development of water-saving techniques or rehabilitation of existing schemes; (2) the development of small-scale surface irrigation in the southern part of the country requiring new infrastructure and capacity building, possibly building on the ADB- and IFAD-supported projects implemented by the Ministry of Local Governments; (3) rehabilitation of dikes and embankments particularly affected by previous cyclones to protect vulnerable households and the production base against sea intrusion in the extreme south; (4) improvement of drainage, saline intrusion control, and flood management; (5) an increase in river water flow toward the south, in particular involving a major river-dredging effort on the Gorai River; and (6) the development and dissemination of salinity-tolerant rice varieties for the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh.

BRRI dhan47 survived well where BRRI dhan28 failed completely because of salinity in a farmer’s field in Batighata upazila, Khulna, during boro season 2012.

Salinity and submergence are the problems in this area.

1BRRI and IRRI, 2BRRI, 3IRRI

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building CapaCity for innoVation

A total of 24 farmers and extension workers took part in

a workshop on participatory process documentation of project activities held in Banaue, Ifugao Province, in northern Philippines. The workshop was held from 18 to 20 September 2012, and aimed to help partners understand the importance of drawing lessons from the activities at the grass-roots level and sharing these with others partners. Organized by CURE and CHARMP2, the activity aimed to provide the participants with tools for organizing, analyzing, and documenting field-based information. The participants were taught how to write documentation reports and package these into formats that are tailor-made for the needs and characteristics of specific audiences. 

A participatory way of documenting activities “The documentation of project activities should not end with reports,” Digna Manzanilla, IRRI social scientist and CURE associate coordinator, said. “Success stories, good practices, and lessons learned from project implementation need to be captured to help push forward ideas for successful development interventions.” By the end of the workshop, participants were able to come up with their specific topics for documentation. They also identified their target audience and the specific

formats that they will be using in sharing their documentation results. The three-day workshop was facilitated by Manzanilla together with Elenor de Leon (CURE communication specialist).

A group of 25 farmers, municipal agriculturists, and local government representatives held a workshop on participatory video documentation of farmers’ best

practices on heirloom rice production in Tabuk, Kalinga. This was part of joint activities with CURE and CHARMP2. The activity aimed to develop the participants’ skills, especially for farmers, in using the audiovisual medium to document their best practices in heirloom rice production. Heirloom, or traditional, rice represents varieties that their ancestors have cultivated for hundreds of years and that have been handed down from generation to generation. “The idea was derived from Digital Green, an India-based group that works to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers across the developing world,” David Johnson, CURE coordinator, explained. “The approach has helped to engage communities in development

Telling their stories through video: the medium disseminates the message

activities by using videos to document and disseminate good practices in farming.” The two-day training familiarized the participants with the audiovisual medium and the necessary equipment that they will be using in documenting their farming practices. It also included a practical, for which the participants were asked to come up with their storyboard and accompanying footage. “We had lots of fun in this training,” said Annie Dapog, a farmer from Pasil, Kalinga. “We got to act in front of the camera and, at the same time, learn many things.” The activity was facilitated by Elenor de Leon, CURE communication and extension specialist.

Elenor de Leon

Elenor de Leon

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A training-workshop on concepts and tools in data management and analysis for socioeconomic studies was conducted by the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) on 11 to

13 July 2012 at the Nakhon Ratchasima Rice Research Institute (NRRC) in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. The activity aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of CURE’s NARES partners in the conduct of socioeconomic surveys, data management, and the use of systematic data entry. Participants were 11 researchers and assistant researchers from NRRC, eight of whom were women. “The workshop was aligned with the study on farmers’ vulnerability and coping mechanisms in drought-prone rice areas, being conducted under the IFAD-supported project titled “Improving Livelihoods in the Drought-Prone Lowlands of Southeast Asia (IFAD TAG 1227),” explained Digna Manzanilla, IRRI social scientist and associate CURE coordinator. The participants were trained on the methodological design, the use of the survey questionnaire, and other data collection methods such as key informant interviews and oral testimonies. They were also taught good practices in conducting interviews, such as the correct behavior, attitude, and skills.when asking questions. The importance of introducing themselves to the farmers and informing them about the objectives of the activity was emphasized to the participants to

Young Thai researchers trained on data management and analysis for socioeconomic studies

establish good rapport and credentials for the survey. “Most of the participants had the experience of conducting household surveys,” said Leo Ocampo, CURE assistant scientist. “To ensure the collection of good-quality data, we encouraged them to always meet at the end of each day to discuss their experiences and resolve problems encountered during the interviews.” After an exercise of a mock interview with three farmers, two of the participants were selected and trained on data management and the use of a data-entry program in CSPro. CSPro, short for the Census and Survey Processing System, is a public-domain statistical package that can be used for entering, editing, tabulating, mapping, and disseminating census and survey data. The training-workshop also started surveys in the two villages of Srapatoom and Nongbuan in Nakhon Ratchasima in northeastern Thailand. Traditionally an agricultural province, a majority of its population is engaged in farming crops such as rice, sugarcane, tapioca, and corn (maize), among others. Varapong Chamarerk (senior scientist and CURE keysite coordinator in Thailand), the Ubon Ratchathani Rice Research Center (URRC), and Sommai Lertna (agricultural scientist, NRRC) helped organize the surveys in the two villages. The training-workshop was also graced by Dr. Duangjai Suriya-Arunroj, senior scientist of NRRC, who represented the center director.

Young researchers from NRRC receive their certificate after completing a training-workshop on methodologies and data management for socioeconomic studies.

Leo Angelo Ocampo

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Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) shared their knowledge and expertise on weeds with Cambodian researchers and students in a training activity held

from 29 to 31 May 2012 at the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh. “The training is designed to acquaint the participants with the biology and ecology of weeds and help them identify the factors that affect shifts in weed populations,” said Joel Janiya, IRRI senior associate scientist. “It also aims to teach them how to design weed management experiments and assess weed control treatments.” A total of 29 participants attended the training, including representatives from the Royal University of Agriculture (12), Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (5), General Directorate of Agriculture (3), and the provincial departments of Kampong Thom, Kampot, and Takeo (three from each). The training consisted of lectures and field exercises, including activities that required the participants to sort weeds according to morphology and species. The weeds with identified species were prepared for preservation in a herbarium. “Herbicide calculation is challenging for the participants since they usually follow what is written on the label without trying to calculate the recommended amount of active

Weed ecology and management training held in Cambodia Joel Janiya

ingredient and needed volume of water,” Janiya said. The participants also found the discussion on statistical designs used for weed control experiments challenging. “Most of the participants followed the protocol already given to them without really knowing why such an experimental design was used,” Janiya explained. “They were also made aware that randomization and blocking can reduce variability and increase the accuracy of the experiment.” Janiya also noted that the development and writing of an experiment protocol was new to many, particularly the field technicians. The participants were grouped according to their institution. The protocols that they wrote were reported back to the group for discussion and possible improvements. “The exercise allowed the participants to experience writing down their ideas and applying the principles they learned from the discussions,” Janiya added. “It helped them better understand problems

encountered in the field, and plan, formulate treatments, and gather data to address the identified concerns.” In organizing the training, Janiya and Teodoro Migo (IRRI assistant scientist) collaborated with Dr. Choung Sophal and staff members involved in the project on improving rice establishment and productivity, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR CSE/2009/037).

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in the riCe Communities

IFAD project leaders visit NOMAFSI project sites

Site visits in Vietnam’s northern mountainous region were made from 23 to 25 May 2012 to share experiences and strengthen cooperation among groups that work in the area.

The group included leaders from different projects in Vietnam’s northern mountainous region, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and by directors of provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). Professor Le Quoc Doanh, director general of the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), received the visitors. The sites visited were the Dai Phac community-based rice seed group in Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province; the fodder grass production in Muong Khuong District in Lao Cai Province; and the NOMAFSI campus in Phu Tho Province.

Seed groupIn Yen Bai Province, the farmers related the formation of their group as well as the support that they received from NOMAFSI, Yen Bai DARD, Yen Bai Seed Center, and the local (district and commune) authorities. They also showed the visitors their rice production fields (5 ha in total) as they conveyed their hopes for high yield of 6–7 tons/ha. “We are expecting to get good seeds, especially certified ones,” farmer Tran Thi Dien said. The meetings with the members of the seed group defined the roles of the stakeholders for sustaining the existence and viability of the group and for further developing the community-based rice seed system in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. In addition to seed security, the diversity of rice varieties (genetic resources), and especially that of the locally developed ones,

was recognized as important for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Huong Chiem, for instance, is a local variety from Yen Bai Province that was recovered with support from NOMAFSI and DARD. It

passed through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and is now included in the list of rice varieties for large-scale production nationwide.

Fodder grassThe group visited the fodder grass production site in Muong Khuong District in Lao Cai Province. Different grass species are being grown in the area to help reduce high cattle mortality and food shortages in the region. “We are very happy with the results so we have decided to allot additional areas for growing grass,” farmer Sung Chin Pao said. “The project supports only 1 ha for demonstration.” The local government, at both the district and provincial levels, also acknowledges the benefits of grass production and intensive cattle raising in increasing household income, reducing the incidence of cattle grazing on crops and in the forest, and preventing soil erosion.

The NOMAFSI campus in Phu Tho Province was last on the list of sites to be visited. Visitors were shown the different research-for-development activities on rice, tea, fruits, legumes, and vegetables. They were also shown the upland and aerobic rice lines/varieties and other upland crop varieties that are being evaluated for suitability to different conditions and farming systems on the campus. Trials also took place for the development/adaptation of different sustainable cultivation practices that the visitors witnessed, such as the construction of mini terraces, mulching, and minimum or no tillage for different crops.

Pham Thi Sen1

NOMAFSI Director General Le Quoc Doanh introduces visitors to the Dai Phac farmers’ rice seed group.

Visitors inspect a fodder grass production site in Muong Khuong District, Lao Cai Province.

Campus tour

1 Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI).

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The Bhrikuti Seed Producers Group sets an example in Gorkha Bishnu Adhikari1

The importance of good-quality seeds in ensuring crop productivity in the mid-hills of Nepal cannot be overemphasized. In the district of Gorkha, a community-based group has been

making its contribution in ensuring that quality seeds are available and accessible to farmers. The group used to call themselves the Palungtar Seed Producers Group (PSPG), but in 2011 formally registered as the Bhrikuti Seed Producers Group (BSPG) with the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO). Bhrikuti, a name significant to the farmer-members, was the daughter of the ancient king Ansubarma (kingship 605-621 A.D.), who married Srong Tsang Gampo, the Tibetan prince who in turn played a crucial role in the spread of Buddhism from Nepal to Tibet. The PSPG was formed in 2010, three years after the rice research and technology dissemination program started in Palungtar under IFAD TAG 706. It had twenty-eight members (21% are women) and focused on the production of upland and lowland rice and off-season vegetables. The group’s systematic seed production program began in 2010 and has since been conducted annually. The CURE project has provided support to the seed farmers with a 25% subsidy for their foundation seed requirement and technical support for seed quality control, regular training, and visits to seed farmers and extension workers. Since the inception of the project and the seed production initiatives by the local community, the newly verified upland rice varieties Ghaiya-1, IR55435-5, Pakhejhinuwa, and Ratothanter, and lowland rice varieties Sukha Dhan 2, Radha-4, Loktantra, Makwanpur-1, Sunaulo Sugandha, and Sabitri have gained popularity among farmers in Gorkha.

Government supportIn 2012, the seed group was not able to collect its total seed produced due to budget constraints and a lack of proper storage facilities. In response, the Department of Agriculture (DOA) arranged for funding support from the World Bank to be coursed through the Irrigation Water Management Program (IWMP). The Palungtar SPG received a total of Rs. 2,984,957 (equivalent to US$35,000) for the construction of a modern seed storehouse and Rs. 550,000 (equivalent to $6,500) for the purchase of machinery and equipment (Fig. 1). Within 6 months, the group was able to construct two storehouses and purchase machines for seed processing, grading, and seed treatment, and a moisture meter. The local government, through the Palungtar Village Development Committee, has granted the BSPG one-fourth hectare of land free of cost for the storage house and the threshing yard. According to the group’s president, Mr. Babu Ram Shrestha, the farmers were happy and felt encouraged by the support from the central and village-level government offices. “The BSPG has stored 5.1 tons of upland rice seeds of three varieties and 33.7 tons of lowland rice seeds of eight different varieties

The newly constructed seed storehouses of BSPG in Palungtar.

Farmers involved in village-level seed producers’ training at the Agricultural Service Center in Palungtar Village.

A gathering of women farmers for seed production.

for this year,” Mr. Shrestha said. For now, the group is producing truthfully labeled seeds only since they are still trying to get their seeds certified. The villagers are hopeful that, with the expansion of seed production activities by the group, quality seeds will be made widely available and that their seed security problems will be addressed.

1 Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS).

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TIDBITSSelected published worksBanayo NPM, Sta. Cruz PC, Aguilar EA, Badayos RB, Haefele SM. 2012.

Evaluation of biofertilizers in irrigated rice: effects on grain yield at different fertilizer rates. Agriculture 2:73-86.

Haefele SM, Ismail AM, Johnson DE, Vera Cruz CM, Samson B. 2012. Crop and natural resource management for climate-ready rice in unfavorable environments: coping with the adverse and creating opportunities. In: Johnson DE, Haefele SM, Hardy B, editors. Responding to changing climate in unfavorable rice environments. Proceedings of a mini-symposium of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments, 4 May 2012, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Limited Proceedings No. 17. Los Baños (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. p 19-31.

Ismail AM, Johnson DE, Ella ES, Vergara GV, Baltazar AM. 2012. Adaptation to flooding during emergence and seedling growth in rice and weeds, and implications for crop establishment. AoB PLANTS 2012: pls019; doi:10.1093/aobpla/pls019.

Jagadish SVK, Septiningsih EM, Kohli A, Thomson MJ, Ye C, Redoña E, Kumar A, Gregorio GB, Wassmann R, Ismail AM, Singh RK. 2012. Genetic advances in adapting rice to a rapidly changing climate. J. Agron. Crop Sci. 198:360-373.

Kumar A, Verulkar SB, Mandal NP, Variar M, Shukla VD, Dwivedi JL, Singh BN, Singh ON, Swain P, Mall AK, Robin S, Chandrababu R, Jain A, Haefele SM, Piephoi HP, Raman A. 2012. High-yielding, drought-tolerant, stable rice genotypes for the shallow rainfed lowland drought-prone ecosystem. Field Crops Res. 133:37-47.

Lang NT, Buu BC, Ismail AM. 2012. Breeding salt-tolerant rice varieties in Vietnam. In: Humphreys E, et al, editors. Fighting poverty through sustainable water use. Volume II. Proceedings of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, 2nd International Forum on Water and Food, 10-14 November 2008, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Colombo (Sri Lanka): The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food. p 167-169.

Mackill DJ, Ismail AM, Kumar A, Gregorio GB. 2012. The role of stress-tolerant rice varieties for adapting to climate change. In: Johnson DE, Haefele SM, Hardy B, editors. Proceedings of the mini-symposium of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments on responding to changing climate in unfavorable rice environments. 4 May 2010, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Limited Proceedings No. 17. Los Baños (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. p. 15-18.

Mackill DJ, Ismail AM, Singh US, Labios RV, Paris TR. 2012. Development and rapid adoption of submergence-tolerant (Sub1) rice varieties. Adv. Agron. 115:299-352.

Sumfleth K, Haefele SM. 2012. Climate change and unfavorable rice environments: overview of approaches to assess trends and future projections. In: Johnson DE, Haefele SM, Hardy B, editors. Responding to changing climate in unfavorable rice environments. Proceedings of a mini-symposium of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments, 4 May 2012, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Limited Proceedings No. 17. Los Baños (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. p 5-10.

Conference presentationsBanayo NPM, Mabesa RC, Chamarerk V, Wongboon W, Haefele SM. 2012.

Nutrient manager for site-specific fertilizer recommendations in rainfed lowland rice: important processes and examples. Presented at the International Seminar on “Rice Innovation for Increasing Production and Conserving Environment under Global Climate Change,” 11-12 July 2012, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Ismail AM. 2012. Phenotyping strategies to mine genetic resources. Paper presented at the Plant and Animal Genome XX: The International Conference on the Status of Plant and Animal Genome Research, 14-18 January 2012, San Diego, California.

Ismail AM, Platten JD, Thomson M, Kato Y, Singh RK, Gregorio GB, Mackill DJ. 2012. Tolerance to abiotic stresses for rice in coastal saline areas. Paper presented at the 10th International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology, 21-26 October 2012, ICC, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

Johnson DE, Lang NT, Pham TS, Collard B, Manzanilla D, Haefele SM, Gregorio GB, Vera Cruz CM, Ismail AM. 2012. Adapting production systems in the unfavorable rice environments to changing climates in Vietnam. Paper presented at the symposium “Trends in Rice Research in Vietnam to Overcome Stresses in a Changing Climate,” 6 September 2012, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Manzanilla D, Hondrade RF, Hondrade E, Vera Cruz C, Garrett K, Mundt CC, Tobias A, Ocampo LA, Johnson D. 2012. Community seed system as a mechanism for CA delivery in the marginal uplands of Arakan Valley, Cotabato, in the Philippines. Presentation at the 3rd International Conference on Conservation Agriculture in Southeast Asia, Hanoi, Vietnam, 10-15 December 2012.

Singh UP, Singh S, Singh Y, Ravi Kumar HS, Sutaliya JM, Singh US, Haefele SM. 2012. Improved nursery management options for submergence tolerant (Sub1) rice genotypes in flood-prone environments. Presented at the 3rd International Agronomy Congress, 26-30 November 2012, New Delhi, India.

Yadaw RB, Haefele SM, Kumar A, Sah SN, Sharma P, Yadav S, Tripathi BP. 2012. Participatory varietal selection (PVS): an approach to identify superior variety and disseminate quality seed for increased productivity in rainfed lowlands of Nepal. Paper presented at the fourth SAS-convention of the Society of Agricultural Scientists, Nepal (SAS-N), 4-6 April 2012, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal.

EventsTraining on Integrating Value Chain Approach in Rural Development Programs1-5 April 2013: Integrating value chain perspective in program planning and design 8-12 July 2013: Value chain assessment and targeting 7-11 October 2013: Facilitating innovation and action learning for value chain developmentManila, Philippines

Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project Annual Review and Planning Meeting, 9-11 April 2013, New Delhi, India

4th IFAD-Philippines Gender Network Assembly“Gender and Climate Change Mitigation”12-15 February 2013Tacloban City, Philippines

Establishment of Community-Based Seed Systems in Indonesia Meeting to Discuss IRRI-Indonesia Partnership for Upland Development and Support for Seed Systems 21 January 2013 and 12 November 2012, Bogor, Indonesia

IFAD-Philippines Fifth Annual Country Programme Review (ACPoR) 28-29 November 2012, IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

6th Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM5): “A boost to rural productivity” 27 November 2012, Pasig City, Philippines

Technoclinics with farmersCURE-CHARMP2 Partnership for the Cordillera Administrative RegionPasil, Kalinga: 23-24 October 2012Hungduan, Ifugao: 23-24 October 2012Barlig, Mt. Province: 13 November 2012

IFAD-Philippines Gender-Based Effectiveness Skills Training (G-BEST)3-8 September 2012, Tagaytay City, Cavite Province, Philippines

Participatory Process Documentation/Systematization WorkshopCURE-CHARMP2 Partnership for the Cordillera Region18-20 September 2012, Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines

Training-workshop on methodologies and data management for socioeconomic studies11-13 July 2012, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand

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Profiles: CURE movers

His contribution to research on salinity tolerance in rice is now considered significant. As a principal scientist at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Dr. Mohammad

Rafiqul Islam pioneered the use of participatory plant breeding methods to develop salt-tolerant rice varieties. He was also instrumental in the release of salt-tolerant rice varieties BRRI dhan47, BRRI dhan53, BRRI dhan54, BRRI dhan55, and BRRI dhan61 in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. On top of tinkering with rice varieties for rainfed lowlands and irrigated ecosystems, Dr. Islam has tried his

hand at developing rice varieties for tolerance of arsenic and tidal submergence. Amidst all these accomplishments, Dr. Islam has kept his feet firmly on the ground. Call him anytime or send him a question on rice and Bangladesh and he will gladly provide answers, no matter how much of his time it takes. “Walang problema,” he would often say, which is Filipino for “no problem.” Dr. Islam hails from the southwestern part of Bangladesh. He finished his BS in agriculture from the Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh in 1996 and obtained his MS in genetics and plant breeding from the same university the following year. In 2003, he received a scholarship under the Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance (PETRRA) project to continue his studies on molecular plant breeding at the same school. He conducted his PhD dissertation on the genetics of salinity tolerance in rice in the Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology Division (PBGB) of IRRI under the supervision of Dr. Glenn Gregorio (PBGB deputy division head and CURE Working Group leader on salt-affected rice environments). Dr. Islam is now a postdoctoral fellow (plant breeding) in PBGB at IRRI. He is continuously working on salinity stress tolerance of rice and problem soil groups, specializing in rice breeding and genetic aspects. He served as a member of the CURE Working Group for salt-affected environments prior to his current research fellowship.

Almost three decades after making her mark in the often male-dominated world of

rice breeding, Udompan Promnart continues to use her knowledge and skills in increasing productivity in the rainfed lowlands of Thailand. Even before she finished her BS degree in agricultural extension from Sukhothai Thammathirat University in 1997, Udompan had already been involved in rice research and development (R&D) at the Prachinburi Rice Research Center (PRRC), where she worked on rice varietal improvement for the rainfed lowlands of northeastern Thailand. Being a wife and a mother to two daughters did not hamper Udompan from making her mark in the world of rice research. Nai, as she is fondly called by friends and colleagues, serves as the national project coordinator for rice varietal improvement. She has previously served as the site coordinator for the Thai-IRRI collaborative project on germplasm exchange for flood-prone rice varietal improvement in South and Southeast Asia (1992-97) and on the validation and delivery of new technologies for increasing the

productivity of flood-prone rice areas in South and Southeast Asia (2000-03). She is currently the site coordinator for the CURE Working Group on submergence-prone lowlands and she has been an agricultural researcher at PRRC since her first involvement in 1992. Her work focuses on rice varieties that are suitable to both flood-prone and irrigated areas of central, eastern, and western Thailand. For her rice breeding work, Nai has been involved in conventional methods in introducing breeding materials, screening for biotic and abiotic stresses, and yield assessment and varietal release. She has also been

involved in hybrid rice breeding and in the collection, evaluation, and conservation of rice genetic stocks for use under both ex situ and in situ conditions, including wild rice in in situ conservation. She was also instrumental in the release of rice varieties Prachinburi1, Prachinburi2, Ayutthaya1, RD45, KBN432, Bahng Tean, and RDH1. She has also worked on the development of rice varieties with tolerance of tidal submergence.

Making her mark in rice research

Udompan presents KBN432, a new floating rice variety, to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony for the Royal Chitralada Project at Chitralada Palace, Bangkok, Thailand, on May 9, 2012.

The “seasoned” scientistDr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam (3rd from left).

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CURE site coordinator, professor, and scholar. These are the numerous roles that Bishnu plays as he helps develop farming communities in Nepal. Bishnu is a member of the CURE Working

Group for drought-prone rice areas. As the coordinator for IRRI-led projects in Nepal, Bishnu Bilas Adhikari has been shuttling from one far-flung village to the next as he oversees the conduct of on-farm activities on upland and rainfed lowland rice varieties in the western mid-hills of Nepal. Bishnu is also involved in technology dissemination programs for the poor and marginalized farmers in the remote district of Bajhang under the CURE-Technical Innovation Service (TIS) collaborative work with the IFAD investment Western Upland Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP). He has validated and recommended more than 20 varieties of rice for mid-hill areas and has helped establish more than 15 seed producers’ groups in 10 villages in the districts of Lamjung, Tanahun, Gorkha, and Bajhang. Bishnu also teaches at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) at Tribhuvan University, where he finished his BS degree in agricultural science and his MS in agriculture. He handles classes on crop management, weed management, commercial crops, grain legume crops, and seeds. On top of these activities, Bishnu is an IRRI scholar at the Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences (SHIATS) in Allahabad, India. He did his thesis on the contribution of germplasm and management options to system productivity of rainfed rice in the western mid-hills of Nepal under the Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia project and selected three drought-tolerant rice varieties for rainfed lowlands. These varieties were released as Sukha dhan1, Sukha dhan2, and Sukha dhan3 in 2011. Sukha dhan2 is now very popular among mid-hill farmers for direct-seeded rice and in rainfed lowlands for transplanted rice.

The scientist wears three hats A serving of coffee and traditional Indonesian food is enough to

make this man of science feel happy and rewarded. “Farmers are simply too happy with the good harvest

that they get from new rice varieties, and it makes me happy, too,” Suwarno explains. Suwarno is a scientist at the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR), where he works on upland rice breeding for blast resistance, aluminum toxicity tolerance, and adaptability to high-elevation areas.Coming from a farm household himself, Suwarno is no stranger to the risks and difficulties that Indonesian farmers face. Farmers would work hard but earn very little; they would even have to sell their harvested rice to buy gaplek (dried cassava) or corn (maize) for consumption. This experience inspired Suwarno to take up a career in agriculture. He studied agronomy at the Institute Pertanian Bogor, or Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), and got a Supersemar fellowship in his second year in the program. For his master’s degree, he took up plant breeding and was awarded an IPB fellowship.. “I did my research at the Central Research Institute for Food Crops, which provided facilities and funding support for my research,” Suwarno says. “I enjoyed what I was doing, so I eventually joined the Institute.” In 1985, he took up his Ph.D. in plant breeding, also at IPB.In 2000, he was recognized as a Distinguished Scientist by the Ministry of Agriculture for the technologies that he developed, which significantly contributed to Indonesia’s agricultural development.In 2011, he was again recognized for his work by the Indonesian Ministry of Science and Technology, which awarded him the Distinguished Intellectual Property Award. Dr. Suwarno and his research team developed 32 rice varieties, including hybrid rice varieties Maro and Rokan; irrigated lowland varieties Angke and Conde; swampy-land varieties Seilalan, Lambur, and Impara; and upland rice varieties Jatiluhur and Batutugi. Suwarno is currently the program leader for upland rice research at ICRR and a member of the Assessor Team for Varietal Release under the Indonesian National Seed Board, the Plant Variety Protection Committee, and the Technical Team of the Indonesian Biosafety Committee for GMOs. He is a member of the CURE Working Group for upland rice-based systems.

Childhood inspiration

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proJeCt profile

The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s main rice-producing area as it accounts for half of the country’s annual rice production. Over the last 30 years, Vietnamese farmers have been adapting to the

changing environmental conditions in the delta by modifying and diversifying their production and water management systems. Recent and projected agro-hydrological changes, however, threaten both the viability of these farming and social systems and, subsequently, food security in Southeast Asia. Significant constraints that limit the ability of farmers to adapt to the new hydrological regime include the lack of suitable cultivars and soil nutrient management options, lack of knowledge of the potential threats from acid sulfate soil inundation, and lack of planning tools. To increase the adaptive capacity of rice production systems in the Mekong Delta Region (MDR), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) initiated the project titled “Climate Change Affecting Land Use in the Mekong Delta: Adaptation of Rice-based Cropping Systems (CLUES).” Funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the project builds on the core work that has been undertaken by IRRI and its Vietnamese and Australian research partners on improved resilience in rice production and numerous nutrient-cycling projects in the region. CLUES was launched in March 2011 and will run until February 2014. The project is being implemented in An Giang, Hau Giang, and Bac Lieu provinces, and Can Tho City to address the environmental challenges in each of the agro-hydrological zones within the Mekong Delta. Other partner institutions are the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), New South Wales Industry and Investment (NSWII), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Can Tho University (CTU), An Giang University (AGU), Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI), Institute for Agricultural Sciences in South Vietnam (IASSV), Southern Institute for Water Resource Planning (SIWRP), and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. IRRI and CTU serve as the lead institutions. The CLUES project aims to provide technologies and information to farmers and management agencies that will improve food security

Addressing climate change in the Mekong Delta through CLUES Reiner Wassmann and Romeo Labios

Participants in the First Project Review and Planning Meeting, Can Tho University, Vietnam, 18-19 October 2011.

in the Mekong Delta. It will also work for the improvement of resilience to salinity and submergence of locally adapted rice varieties and elite lines; build capacity for quantification of soil nutrient cycling, including emissions of greenhouse gases from rice fields; develop integrated soil, crop, nutrient, and water management options; identify biophysical, social, and economic factors determining the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change; and conduct an in-depth analysis for land-use planning in coastal areas.

Themes and activitiesThe project has six themes. The first is on location-specific impact and vulnerability assessment. This geo-spatial component will analyze flooding and salinity risks under different sea-level scenarios and implications for different land-use options backed up by considerations

of direct climate impacts. Activities include a literature review and meta-analysis of available data and documents on climate change projections for the MDR; assessment of the hydrological impacts of different sea-level-rise scenarios in the MDR (hydraulic modeling); GIS mapping of flooding depth and salinity levels within the MDR as a function of sea-level rise and envisaged upstream development projects for different land-use options; comparative assessment of climate change impacts on rice production in the four target areas (An Giang, Can Tho, Hoa An, and Bac Lieu); and mapping (delta-wide) of vulnerability and potential “hot-spots” of flooding and salinity damage, among many other activities. Theme 2 is on improving the resilience to salinity and submergence of locally adapted rice varieties and elite lines. This plant breeding component will work to improve the tolerance of rice germplasm of a variety of direct and indirect impacts of climate change, namely: (1) complete submergence through transfer of the SUB1 gene into locally developed lines; (2) partial stagnant flood through further identification and development of germplasm tolerant of these conditions, and investigation of the physiological mechanism conferring adaptation; (3) flooding during germination through the transfer of stage-specific tolerance of anaerobic

26

conditions; and (4) salinity through transfer of the Saltol gene into varieties of suitable maturity and adaptation, separately and in combination with SUB1 for coastal areas experiencing both stresses. Theme 3 deals with managing resources for resilient rice-based systems coping with rapidly changing environments. This crop and NRM component aims at developing and refining management options for different agroecological zones and new decision support tools for a climate change–resilient rice-based system through improved understanding of element cycling and soil-plant and cropping system responses to altered hydrology. The fourth theme deals with the analysis of farming systems and socioeconomic settings in rice farming households. This socioeconomic research component of the project aims to identify the biophysical, social, and economic factors determining the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change, understand the role of key institutions in influencing farmers’ decisions and capacity to adapt, and evaluate the benefits of the new rice varieties in terms of the extent of adaptive capacity they are likely to confer under projected future climate and socioeconomic conditions. Theme 5 deals with the integrated adaptation assessment of Bac Lieu Province and the development of an adaptation master plan. This component deals mainly with the conduct of an in-depth study on the coastal area and will explore possible adaptation through land-use planning through one case study (Bac Lieu Province). Based on detailed inventories of soils, hydrological features, and land use, the yields and financial returns of different options will be compared using crop models coupled with GIS. This information will be used to optimize land use at the provincial scale derived from a multiple-goal linear programming approach. The project’s sixth theme is on capacity building for assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The GHG component will provide training and scientific infrastructure facilitating initial GHG emission measurements in rice systems and to record baseline emissions from conventional management and adaptation technologies. Activities include establishing a laboratory for gas analysis and training of researchers at CLRRI; conducting training of researchers and students in flux sampling; conducting flux measurements; assessing gaseous C and N emissions for a comprehensive analysis of element cycling and budgets; and deriving emission factors and spreadsheet tools from field data for quantifying GHG emissions in rice systems of the MDR. Derived from the area-specific settings, the project deploys a flexible approach in terms of field experiments. However, a set of uniform field experiments performed in all target areas ensures the compatibility of results obtained in the different zones. A target area comprises an experimental farm plus the surrounding villages that will be used for socioeconomic studies as well as in participatory research. These site-specific investigations will also serve as “entry points” to engage and build capacity with local provincial officials and farmers for future uptake of technologies in other locations of the respective zone. The CLUES project has its office on the Can Tho University campus, headed by Dr. Le Quang Tri, national project director and vice-rector of CTU. For more information about the project, please visit http://irri.org/our-science/climate-change/climate-research/clues-project.

In a clear statement of support for preserving heirloom rice varieties, the Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has signed a memorandum of understanding with IRRI for

the continuation of CURE’s work on the development of heirloom rice varieties in the Philippines. The project, titled “Raising productivity and enriching the legacy of heirloom/traditional rice through empowering communities in unfavorable rice-based ecosystems (Heirloom Rice),” will focus on the conservation of heirloom rice varieties through “bringing back to production, restoration, and promotion.” Heirloom, or traditional, rice varieties are rice cultivars that have been handed down for generations and are normally grown on small family-owned farms. These varieties can be found among indigenous communities and they are cherished for their cultural value, with traits that can withstand adverse conditions and qualities that are favored in niche markets. These communities, however, comprise mostly subsistence farmers who are resource poor and often socially and economically marginalized. “We will focus on building the capacity of farmers’ self-help groups in establishing and operating smallholder enterprises that can help raise the productivity of their heirloom rice harvests as well as their incomes,” said Digna Manzanilla, IRRI social scientist, CURE associate coordinator, and one of the project’s proponents. Activities to be undertaken under this project include (1) varietal development through characterization of existing heirloom/traditional landraces and modern, climate-resilient varieties; (2) enhancing local capacity and enterprise building in farming communities; (3) identification of opportunities for value addition and market linkages for heirloom/traditional rice using value chain analysis; and (4) documentation of models, knowledge management, and participatory monitoring and evaluation of project activities.Among the benefits anticipated from this project are the clear ownership of communities of their heirloom rice varieties and the inclusion of these in the Official Seed Catalogue of the Philippines’ Heirloom Rice Varieties. “The Catalogue includes photos of the registered variety, its agronomic and morphological characteristics, and genotypic profile,” Casiana Vera Cruz, project proponent, added. The project’s conservation effort will be complemented by the identification, validation, and dissemination of improved rice-based technologies that are suited to the specific contexts of the target sites. “The project also aims to contribute to the protection and preservation of rice genetic resources,” Vera Cruz added, “and, ultimately, to our farmers’ economic independence and stability.”The Heirloom Rice Project is scheduled to be implemented in collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute, DA-Rice Program, Agricultural Training Institute, University of Southern Mindanao, Bureau of Plant Industry, DA regional field units, and local government units. Target sites are the provinces of Ifugao, Mt. Province, and Kalinga in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Arakan Valley Complex in Cotabato, southern Philippines.

CURE gives attention to heirloom rice Elenor de Leon

27

KnoWledge-sharing resourCes

One persistent question from national scientist Gelia Castillo kept circling around in Glenn Gregorio’s mind: What about its management? “In almost every seminar, in almost every

meeting, Dr. Castillo would always ask that question,” Gregorio said. He said that many scientists talk about varieties that are being released but say little about their management. Gregorio said that this is simply because only a few scientists are working on these aspects and project activities have started only in the past couple of years. Then he saw the poster that was developed for rainfed lowland rice in Cambodia, otherwise known as SROV PHAL. “I was inspired to do a similar one but, this time, on good agricultural practices for growing rice in coastal saline areas,” Gregorio shared. And that is how the poster on 7 steps to higher rice yields came into being. Gregorio led a team of scientists composed of Andres Godwin Sajise (IRRI associate scientist), Joel Janiya (IRRI senior associate scientist), and M. Rafiqul Islam (IRRI plant breeder) in developing the technical contents. “It is designed mostly for extension workers,” Gregorio said. “Here, we not only talk about recommended rice varieties for saline-prone areas but appropriate cultural management practices as well.”

Unwanted saltThe Bible has references to salt both as a necessity and as a weapon. We all know how it is used as a seasoning, preservative, disinfectant, and, during olden times, as a ceremonial offering or a unit of exchange. Salt is also used as a metaphor for desolate land where no human dwells. It is also spread on the soil of conquered cities to prevent their repopulation. “Soldiers pour salt on the land of their enemy to make the soil not favorable for planting crops,” Gregorio said. This shows that salt can be of benefit or can be destructive of human social and economic activities.

Audience feedback7 steps to higher rice yields has already been shown to researchers and extension workers in Myanmar and the feedback has been very encouraging. “They were very pleased that we did a poster on saline-prone areas that includes cultural management,” Gregorio said. The steps

A salty prescription in a poster: 7 steps to higher rice yields

7 Steps to higher rice yields

Step by Step to higher rice yields

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for growing rice in coastal saline areas

STEP 1

Variety: choose the most suitable variety for each season/ecosystem

• Use early varieties for upper fields, medium varieties for middle fields, and late varieties for flood-prone fields.

• Improved varieties enable higher yields in most fields.

• But, traditional varieties can be the better choice in stagnant-water or regularly flooded fields.

STEP 2

Seed quality: good seed gives healthy and strong seedlings and a uniform crop

• The seed should be pure (only one variety), clean (contain no weed seed, soil, or stones), and healthy (full filled grains, same color, no cracks).

• Buy certified seed or produce your own good seed.

• Store your seed in a dry, aerated, and shady place.

STEP 3

Seedbed: a well- managed seedbed gives the crop a better start

• Good seed together with a well-prepared seedbed give the crop a better start.

• After transplanting, the seedlings will grow faster, and cope better with poor soils, weeds, insects, and diseases.

STEP 4

Field preparation: a leveled field has less weeds and less damage from drought or flooding

• A well-prepared field gives the rice crop good conditions for growing.

• Level the field well, repair bunds, and apply organic fertilizer.

• Careful field preparation helps to make best use of available water and nutrients and reduces weed infestation, and organic fertilizer maintains soil quality.

STEP 5

Water management: Water management is very important for highly salt-affected fields in coastal areas

• The irrigation water for a highly salt-affected field (EC >8 dS/m) should be fresh (EC <3 dS/m)

• Every week, the water containing higher salinity should be removed from the field, followed by irrigation with fresh water.

• In a highly salinity-affected field, try to use more surface fresh water (pond, canal, river) than underground water.

STEP 6

Fertilizer management: fertilizer increases yield and keeps the soil healthy

• Plants, like animals, need nutrients to grow.

• Most soils provide only small nutrient amounts, causing limited crop growth and low yield.

• Fertilizers provide additional nutrients to the crop and increase yield. Fertilizers can also improve soil health. The dose of fertilizers can be changed according to the fertility of the land.

STEP 7

Harvest: timely harvest reduces grain losses and improves grain quality

• Harvest too early: many grains will be immature, slender, and chalky—this causes large amounts of bran and broken grains during milling.

• Harvest too late: many grains will be lost because of shattering and the grains become too dry—this causes cracking during threshing and cracked grains will break during milling.

Wet-season varieties Dry-season varieties Early: PSB Rc84, PSB Rc86, NSIC Rc182, NSIC Rc188, BRRI dhan53, BINA dhan8 (IR66946-3R-1-1),CR dhan 405 (IR72046-B-R-3-3-3-1)

Medium: PSB Rc50, PSB Rc88, NSIC Rc106, NSIC Rc184, NSIC Rc296 “Salinas 9” (IR71896-3R-8-3-1),NSIC Rc190, BRRI dhan54

Late: PSB Rc48, PSB Rc90, BR23, BRRI dhan40, BRRI dhan41, Sumati,Bhutnath, CSRC(S)7-1-4

Early: PSB Rc84, PSB Rc86, NSIC Rc182 (BRRI dhan47), NSIC Rc186, NSIC Rc188, BRRI dhan53, BINA dhan8, BRRI dhan61

Medium: PSB Rc50, PSB Rc88, NSIC Rc106, NSIC Rc184, NSIC Rc190, BINA Dhan10 (IR64197-3B-14-2),

Late: PSB Rc48, PSB Rc90, NSIC Rc108, Sumati, Bhutnath,CSRC(S)7-1-4

Tall traditional varieties can be

better on problem soils

or in flood-prone fields.

Improved varieties can give higher

yields in most other fields.

5 and 6. Thresh and dry quickly after harvest. Clean the seed thoroughly by repeated winnowing. Label the seed and store it in a cool, dry, and clean area.

How to produce your own good seed: 1. Choose a good field: fertile soil with low flooding or drought risk.

2. Manage the crop well (see STEPS 3, 4, 5, and 6).

3. The crop should look uniform. Remove all plants that differ in height, plant color, flowering time, panicle type, or grain shape. Also remove diseased and insect-infested plants.

4. Harvest at maturity when 80–85% of the grains are straw colored (see STEP 7).

Much too Too Correct Tooearly early time late

How to prepare and manage the seedbed well:1. Choose land with good soil and water availability, open so that

it gets enough sunlight and air flow, and safe from farm animals.2. Plow sufficiently, level well, and keep the seedbed weed free.3. Use good seed (see STEP 2).4. Use 40 kg seed for a 1-hectare rice field. For 40 kg seed, the

seedbed size is 11 × 40 meters, including walking rows.

5. Apply some organic manure and also inorganic fertilizers. 6. Transplanting age: Transplant short-duration varieties best

between 15 and 20 days after seeding. Transplant medium-and long-duration varieties best between 20 and 40 days after seeding.

7. Avoid transplanting seedlings older than 50 days.

Important components of good field preparation: • Apply organic fertilizer whenever possible.

• Harrow at least twice after plowing: this helps to incorporate crop residues and weeds, and makes the soil soft.

• Repair the bunds and destroy rat burrows.

• Level the field well to ensure even crop growth and reduced weed growth.

Well-leveled field: Rice grows well and evenly in the whole field, and weed problems are minimal. The crop will ripen at the same time in the whole field and yield will be higher.

How to reduce the effects of salinity: • Use a salt-tolerant cultivar according to land type, salinity

amount, duration, season, etc.• After the land is leveled properly (STEP 4), water can stand at

the same level all over the field.

• Try to use more surface water (pond, canal, river, harvested rainwater) for irrigation that is fresh (EC <3 dS/m); this can reduce the salinity in highly salt-affected fields and also reduce the use of underground water. Do not use any source of water for irrigation that has EC >3 dS/m.

• The saline water (EC >8 dS/m) should be removed following irrigation with fresh water every week. This helps to reduce salinity in the main field and the crop will grow well even in high salinity (14–16 dS/m).

A general fertilizer recommendation: 1. Use organic fertilizer (manure, compost, straw, husk, tree

leaves) whenever possible, preferably on upper sandy soils.2. Use inorganic fertilizer to further increase yield (rates below are

in kg per hectare).

3. The inorganic fertilizer rate above is a general recommendation. Apply only half this rate for traditional varieties or for very early varieties (less than 110 days).

4. Apply little/no inorganic fertilizer if the drought/flooding risk is high.

5. Do not use inorganic fertilizer if you need much more than 2.5 kg paddy to pay for 1 kg fertilizer.

How to ensure high grain quality:• Use pure seed containing only one variety (STEP 2).• Good field leveling is essential for homogeneous crop ripening.• Harvest when 80–85% of the grains are straw colored.

Much too Too Correct Tooearly early time late

4. Minimize the time the harvest remains in the field and avoid field drying. Make sure that the panicles stay dry.

5. Thresh and dry quickly after harvest. Sun drying is best on a mat or plastic sheet; keep the thickness of the grain layer at 3–5cm.

6. Clean the dried rice by repeated winnowing. Store the rice in a cool, dry, and clean area, preferably in a sealed container.

200 kg manure or compost

for a 11 x 40-m area

40

811 x 40-

40m

urea, 16-20-0

Use organic fertilizer

whenever possible

Apply 120-40-40kg/ha of N-P-K in dry season and 100-40-40 in wet season. Apply all P & K at land preparation

Apply N in 3 equal splits at 10, 25, and 45 days after transplanting (medium and late varieties) or at 7, 20, and 35

days (early varieties).

16-20-0

or

46-0-0 46-0-0

40 kg N 40 kg N40 kg N

Second plowing First plowing + 10–20 days later + One harrowing

Properly leveled plot

Glenn b. Gregorio g.gregorio@irri.orgAndres Godwin sajise a.sajise@irri.orgJoel Janiya j.janya@irri.orgm. rafiqul islam mr.islam@irri.org

are easy to follow and can be adjusted according to farmers’ resources and specific conditions. According to Gregorio, researchers and extension workers in Myanmar are already planning to have the material translated into the local language to be disseminated to farmers. Gregorio is also thinking of using other formats to make the steps more popular. “One possible format is a calendar that incorporates the recommendations into farmers’ cropping schedule,” Gregorio muses. “A calendar would have a wider reach plus additional use for our target audience.”

Elenor de Leon

28

“Seed security means food security,” said Rose Fe Hondrade of the University of Southern

Mindanao (USM). USM has been one of the partners of CURE in the southern part of the Philippines. “We facilitated the formation of a community seed bank in Arakan Valley in response to the farmers’ clamor for seeds of good quality,” she further explained. Good seed is the foundation of more sustainable rice production and livelihoods, especially in complex, diverse, and risky areas. The use of good quality seeds can increase yield by 5–20%. In many countries in Asia, at least 70% of the farmers rely on own-farm saved seeds that are oftentimes of poor quality. “To ensure that farmers have access to good-quality seeds, they need training on how to produce their own seeds and develop a system where they can share knowledge, experiences, and quality seeds with fellow farmers through organized farmers’ groups and farmer-to-farmer linkages,” David Johnson, CURE coordinator, suggested. Thus, the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) seeks to facilitate the formation of community-based seed systems (CBSS) in rainfed rice areas as a delivery mechanism for technologies. These can become entry points for capacity enhancement on seed health management, crop management options, crop diversification, and other demand-driven interventions. The aim is to make quality seeds of farmer-preferred varieties accessible to farmers each season to increase productivity and enhance livelihoods. After a series of programs on “trainers’ training,” CURE has

Sowing the seeds of knowledge, a training manual for seed banks Joel D. Janiya and Digna O. Manzanilla

published a training manual on establishing community-based seed systems that describes the potential role of the seed banks in rice production systems. This also comprises approaches for delivering appropriate seed technologies and management practices to ensure seed and food security, and enhance agricultural biodiversity. The approaches are more than just seed banking, but having an entry point for newly released and farmer-preferred stress-tolerant varieties for fragile environments not normally reached by commercial seed growers and government seed programs. This handbook is a product of learning and feedback from participants of the series of training programs on CBSS conducted in the Philippines, Laos, and Indonesia. Topics in the manual include (1) Introduction to Concepts and Types of Community-based Seed System, (2) Common Components and General Steps in Establishing a CBSS, (3) Support Systems, Strategies, and Socioeconomic Considerations in CBSS

Development, (4) In-situ Conservation of Traditional Rice Varieties, (5) Seed Health Improvement for Crop and Pest Management, (6) Rainfed Rice Varieties and Technologies, (7) Production of Quality Seeds, (8) Disease and Pest Management, (9) Upland Rice Weeds and Their Management, (10) Proper Harvesting and Seed Postharvest Management, (11) Rice Field Rat Management, (12) Proper Seed Postharvest Management, (13) Controlling Pests and Diseases in Storage, and (14) Crop Diversification. The manual will soon be downloadable from the IRRI portal.

CURE Matters, Volume 3, Number 1, April 2013This newsletter is produced by the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). CURE is a regional platform for partnerships among institutions from South and Southeast Asia. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), as the host institution, provides the coordination function. Scientists from IRRI and the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) of partner countries work together to help raise productivity and contribute to improved livelihoods in unfavorable rice ecosystems.

Materials in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official views of IRRI, IFAD, or collaborating institutions of CURE.

www.irri.org/cureEDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION TEAM

CUREDavid Johnson, Digna Manzanilla, Elenor de Leon

CPSBill Hardy (Editor)Grant Leceta and Elybeth Lim (Layout)

Contributing authorsElenor de Leon, Digna Manzanilla, Joel Janiya, Annette Tobias, Leo Angelo Ocampo, Casiana Vera Cruz, Glenn Gregorio, Elizabeth Humphreys, Reiner Wassmann, Romeo Labios, Suhartini, Yudhistira Nugraha, Indrastuti Rumanti, Phetmaniseng Xangsayasane, Oudong Keomipeth, Ramen Sarma, Zulkifli Zaini, Sudhanshu Singh, J.P. Singh, Sanjay Tiwari, U.S. Singh, M. Akhlasur Rahman, M. Ruhul Amin Sarker, Nirmal Sharma, M. Rafiqul Islam, Pham Thi Sen, and Bishnu AdhikariPlease direct further correspondence, comments, and contributions to:Digna Manzanilla, Scientist (Social Sciences) and Associate CURE Coordinator, email: d.manzanilla@irri.orgDavid Johnson, Senior Scientist and CURE Coordinator, email: d.johnson@irri.org