OTPR Concepte note issue 1

CONCEPT NOTE

An agricultural extension project attempting

to double the rice yield of paddy rice

Gordon Hirst

September 2016

One Ton Per Rai Author: Gordon Hirst September 2016: Issue 1

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One ton per rai

Concept note

Contents: 1. Synopsys

2. Program targets

3. Data: Farm statistics

4. Methodology

5. Experiment programs

6. Timeline

7. Greenhouse gas mitigation

8. Project participants

References

Pictures

1. Synopsis: According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations) recent reports, rice demand in Asia is

currently outstripping supply and it is forecast for this trend to continue 1,2. This problem is acerbated by static and

even falling productivity of rice per unit area in some parts of South East Asia. This inversion is due to numerous

and often interrelated reasons, the outcome of this is rural farmers are taken to increasing use of synthetic

fertilizers to sustain annual rice yield expectations.

Over half of the world’s population relying on rice as their primary source of nutrition and with paddy (flooded

field) rice accounting for 95% of total rice cultivation 3. Understandably there are numerous agricultural initiatives

and extension programs addressing the issue of paddy rice yields. As with all development programs the theory and

the science is usually the easy part, getting it to work in the real world is often more difficult for even the most self-

evident applications.

Project: “One Ton Per Rai” (OTPR) is an infield experiment being undertaking on a working paddy rice farm in

central Thailand. A number of agricultural extension programs will be evaluated, working in concert and measured

against a known baseline.

Its goal is to demonstrate that rice yields can be increased significantly which will a. in the short term increase the

cash flow of local rural economies and b. in the long term mitigate the impending dilemma of food shortages. In

addition, it will be determined if this can be achieved within an economically and ecologically sustainable system

and also mitigate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.


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2. Program targets: Thailand’s national paddy rice production rate is currently 3.01 ton/ha (2014) 4 (approximately ½ ton/rai Ɨ.) The

project proposes that using the agricultural extensions programs detailed herein, it is feasible to double rice yield to

6 ton/Ha (approximately 1 ton/Ria Ɨ). The project is a “proof in principle” undertaking, where the best practices for

increasing rice yield will be the primary consideration, with economic viability of the project secondary. This being

said, data gathered on the ‘real world,’ issues such as logistics and input costs can be assessed during the program

and cost benefit analysis will be calculated in a real world model.

Ɨ A Rai is a unit of area measurement used in Thailand and is equivalent to 40,000 m² or 6.25 Rai = 1 Hectare (ha)

It is expected that the project will require five years to achieve its targets

All results and procedures will be published open source

3. Data: Farm statistics: Rice grown:

Typically the farm grown is Jasmine rice known as Mali rice or known in Thailand as Khao hom mali a variety of

Oriza indica.

The farm usually produces around 5 tons of rice averaging 500 Kg/Rai, in line with the national average.

There is a single rice harvest per season, seeded in July and harvested at the end of November. The seed is sown by

Broadcasting 5. There is no winter crop.

The farm has been in the family for approximately 40 years and has been a one season crop of rice for every season

and has been consistent in rice production of between 400 Kg and 500 Kg per Rai.

Location:

Working name: Nong’s Farm

Located 10 Km West of Huai Thalaeng, a hamlet half way between Nakhon Ratchasima and Buri Ram in Nakhon

Ratchasima province, central Thailand

GPS: 15°0’31”N 102°33’12E

The farm consists Consist of nine paddies of varying sizes from 857 m² to 2882 m² (see picture 1 & 2) the rice farm

is 10.4 Rai in total (1.66 ha). A contour of 0.005% (1:200) gradient rising from NW to SE

Soil samples have been taken awaiting soils sample data results. Only one sample was taken the assumption being

that the soil is fairly homogenous across the farm.

Cross contamination of experiments is recognized as a potential issue of experimental procedure however, in this

regard we are singularly fortunate that the farm already possess substantial dike structures (bunds) running

throughout the farm. also it is well confined from other neighboring farms either by large bunds, roads or pathways

and hence limiting possible cross contamination.


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4. Methodology: For the OTPR experiment the farm will be split into four sections, one for each for three experiments and a control.

Because of the uneven size of the paddies and various other aspects relating to the land contours etc., the

experimental plan has been laid out thus.

Experimental plot Experiment Size (mean 4133)

A Control 4033 m² 97.5% of mean

B Biochar and NPK 4100 m² 99.2 % of mean

C SRI, Biochar & NPK 3727 m² 90% of mean

D AWD, SRI, Biochar &

NPK

4672 m² 113 % of mean

Scientific and economic validity (what One Ton Rer Rai isn’t):

It is accepted that at the time of program design, it will be difficult to apportion exact scientific validity to the

experiment.

Nong’s farm is a working farm and the resultant crop an integral part of the families income. Their priority, in

conjunction with the project aims, is to produce as much rice as possible. The project will ultimately incur an

additional direct overhead such as logistics, infrastructure improvements and direct increased labor costs.


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Our approach can be qualified as being ‘nonscientific’, as it is the nature a working farm that rigorous control over

the many variables is virtually impossible. Therefore the project allows for a pragmatic, results driven approach.

With this in mind, the use relatively large experimental plots (average over 4000 m²), long experimental time

period (five years) it is proposed that the possible extraneous effect of external variables will be been reduced. This

will lend a validity to the results which are more than purely anecdotal.

In addition, the economics of the extensions and the input costs (both capex and opex) can be measured and

evaluated. Also close examination of the physical logistics of the extension methodology can be assessed during the

course of the program, this will highlight the non-technical issues with program.

There are no plans to adopt organic rice growing techniques.

5. Experimental programs Experiment A: Control:

The control represents the ‘business as usual’ activities of the farm which have been practiced for at least the last

ten seasons and has produced a rice total consistent with the national and local mean.

Seeding methodology will be broadcasting 5 as previous seasons.

NPK (15–15–15) Ɨ will be added at a rate of mixed 25 Kg /rai just before reproductive phase (panicle initiation) 6

approximately 40 days after sowing.

Ɨ NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, 15-15-15 expressed as a total percentage of element of the overall

synthetic fertilizer mixture.

Experiment B: Biochar & NPK

Biochar is produced by the conversion of organic matter (usually waste biomass) into charcoal by a process of

pyrolysis (the burning in the matter with restricted oxygen). The resultant granular charcoal is an excellent soil

amendment, possessing a number of properties when prepared and used correctly is conducive to improved soil

conditions and higher crop yields. Although the practice of biochar has been around for millennia, it has only been

in recent decades has its full potential as an integral part of agrarian procedural practices been promoted

principally with the formation of the International Biochar Initiative IBI 7,8 . Commonly described as ‘the oldest new

technology you have never heard of’.

The use of successful use of biochar as a soil amendment requires a minimum of the rudimentary understanding of

soil mechanics, as there are qualifying issues both in the upstream (making effective biochar) and (downstream)

effective use of biochar.

The raw biochar produced from pyrolysis is not in a suitable condition to use immediately, its high adsorption

capacity will mean that it will adsorb all the nutrients within the soil, specifically Nitrogen (N), which will be

diverted away from the plant, this in commonly known as ‘nitrogen shock’8. To ‘charge’ the biochar it is necessary

to combine the raw char with other ingredients and allowed to ‘charge’ which will present a product in which the

soil nutrients have already been converted into plant available form.

The additions will consist of manure (pig or cow) and local soil and a spray of EM (Effective Microorganisms). For

convenience EM is used instead of IMO (Indigenous Micro Organisms). The mix ratio will be 33-33-33. And will be

‘charged’ for three months prior to application in the field at a rate of 1 kg/ m² which will occur approximately one

month before seeding, dependent on rainfall.


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The fertilizer regime will include additional of NPK in this case will be mixed with the biochar mixture at 80:20

charged biochar: NPK (15-15-15), at a rate 25 Kg /rai of NPK

i.e.: total application rate of 125 Kg/rai mixture, this will be added shortly before seeding

A Nitrogen (40-0-0) boost prior to the reproductive phase 6 will be included and again will be mixed In addition an

80:20 charged biochar: N at rate of 25 Kg /rai of N

Experiment C: SRI (System of Rice Intensification) plus Experiment B:

Initially developed in Madagascar in 1980’s 9 and has since developed into a global agricultural extension project

centered from Cornell University college of Agriculture and life sciences 10.The main premise behind SRI is to

develop agricultural systems which can increase rice yields using existing resources. Although theoretical

application of SRI reduces the methodology to a formulaic approach, in reality it relies heavily on the rice farmer’s

art. Therefore presenting the farmer with a matrix of solutions which can be a pick ‘n mix using; the farmers

experience of local conditions; a better understanding of soil conditions and new introduced planting/seeding

techniques. Chief amongst the new techniques is the use of placing a single seedling at a set distance apart usually

between 20 cm & 30 cm. There are numerous other methodological alterations but the single seed spacing is the

most visual.

Experiment D: Alternate Wet and Dry (AWD) Plus Experiment C:

Alternate Wet and Dry (known as AWD)11 is a paddy rice farming practice whereby the water control in the paddy is

regulated such that the rice plant receives sufficient water for growth rather than being flooded. Maintaining an

aerobic substrate in the paddy will greatly reduce the release of methane (CH4), a potent GHG (Greenhouse gas),

into the atmosphere, therefore AWD is primarily promoted as a GHG mitigation procedure. However, AWD

principles maximizes the efficiency of the farmers’ use of water, thus reducing the crops water requirement.

Current research has also indicated that AWD can increase rice yields as nutrient uptake decreases dramatically

when the flooded paddy is anaerobic. Also, with improved water control and usage it maybe become feasible to

increase, what has traditionally been a single crop per season farm, to two crop per season farm.

AWD does require additional input into the normally open loop growing cycle including the use of pumps

(additional costs and time) and will necessitate the construction of a 10,000 litre reservoir in the Plot D (see

Methodology) which also will decrease the effective growth area by approx. 100 m².

6. Timeline: It is poposed that the first year trial will be 2017 sowing in late July of that year. The months following the 2016

harvest will be dedicated to field preparation which will require some back hoe work and bund repairs. Aditionally

the biochar needs to be sourced and charged in March 2017. The 2016 rice harvest will be measured and used as a

baseline.


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7. Greenhouse gas mitigation: Although the primary aim of the program is to demonstrate procedures that can significantly increase rice yields, in

a wider context, its environmental impact will be evaluated, therefore it is imperative that the program recognizes

the need for both sustainability and environmental soundness.

Paddy rice production is estimated to account for between 5 - 20% anthropogenic GHG emissions 12,13. Given this, it

would be positive to demonstrate that the methods we have employed would establish a net GHG reduction. There

is much discussion on the subject of GHG mitigation employing agricultural programs specifically targeting Paddy

rice cultivation. Many are very contentious and scientists and experts in numerous fields are in disagreement over

all of them.14

However, the program as designed has a number of recognized greenhouse gas mitigation mechanisms which

would could be accumulative.

1. Reduction of GHG emissions from switching to pyrolysis of waste biomass from traditional methods of

use/disposal. Its very difficult to place a precise figure on the level of mitigation as this observation would

be dependent a number factors which is completely out of the scope of the program, i.e. what is the

feedstock? What is the pyrolysis methodology? What is the logistical mass flow effect what would normally

be the conversion on of waste biomass? (i.e.: burning or composting etc.). What are the transport logistics?

etc. etc.

2. Carbon sequestration by returning Black Carbon (BC) to the ground sequestering carbon for hundreds

perhaps thousands of years.

3. Reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and the associated manufacturing train which emits GHG.

4. AWD proposes that the flooded paddy never converts to anaerobic conditions which releases methane into

the atmosphere it is worth noting however that paradoxically the introduction of water into a dry paddy

can increase CO2 Emissions and NOX emissions by a process known as the “Birch effect”15Ɨ

Ɨ At the time of instigation of the One Ton Per Rai project it is not scheduled for acquisition of data relating to

methane emissions of calculations of net reduction of GHG emissions. In the future however it would be an

excellent opportunity to make side by side comparative measurements. At the current time the global trade in

carbon credits is depressed and no carbon crediting mechanism exist for either part or wholly for the program in

Thailand.


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8. Project participants

Project manager:

Gordon Hirst

Appropriate technology consultant, former environmental program manager Warm Heart foundation

Farm manager:

Jureeporn Kanconchum (Nong)

Fourth generation rice farmer has been cultivating rice on this farm for five seasons

Technical consultants and collaborators:

In addition to the project leads there is a number of academics, researchers and technical advisors who are integral

to the success of the project and agreed to be named collaborators:

Dr. Wolfram Spreer

Lecturer and assistant dean for research and international affairs

Chiang Mai University, Faculty of agriculture Chiang Mai, Thailand

Asst. Prof. Suphatihida Aumtong:

Assistant dean/chairman of soil science program (AWD specialist)

Soil science program, Department of Agriculture, Mae Jo University

Mae Jo, Chiang Mai province, Thailand

Dr. Edward Allen

Consultant soil scientist (specializing in tropical soils)

Vientiane, PDR Laos

Warm Heart Foundation

Dr. Michel Shafer director Warm Heart biochar and environmental program (supplier of biochar to OTPR project)

Echo Asia impact center

Dr. Abram Bicksler: Director

Boomsong Thansirtong: Agriculture program manager (SRI specialists)


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Pictures

Picture 1

Picture 2


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References 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/07/01/this-unsettling-chart-shows-were-not-

growing-enough-food-to-feed-the-world/

2. European Journal of Agronomy Volume 36, Issue 1, January 2012, Rice yields and yield gaps in Southeast

Asia: Past trends and future outlook Alice G. Labortea, b, Kees (C.A.J.M.) de Biea, Eric M.A. Smalinga,

Piedad F. Moyab, Anita A. Bolingb, Martin K. Van Ittersumc

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1161030111000979)

3. (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABE720.pdf) Upland rice a global perspective PC Gupta JC O’Toole IRRI

4. CGAIR global rice science partnership (http://ricepedia.org/thailand)

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_seeding

6. http://ricepedia.org/rice-as-a-plant/growth-phases

7. http://www.biochar-international.org/about

8. Biochar an organic house for microbes: Echo Asia notes (https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/echocommunity.site-

ym.com/resource/collection/F6FFA3BF-02EF-4FE3-B180-F391C063E31A/Biochar-

An_Organic_House_for_Soil_Microbes.pdf)

9. ORIGIN OF THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI) (http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/origin/)

10. Cornell university college of agriculture and life science SRI international network and resource centre

(http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/)

11. New irrigation technique can ease drought effect on rice 06 June 2014 (http://irri.org/news/media-

releases/new-irrigation-technique-can-ease-drought-effect-on-rice)

12. How realistic is the prospect of low-carbon rice production? Lessons from China: Sheng Zhou and Xiangfu

Song

13. Methane Emissions from Rice Cultivation :Flooded Rice Fields (http://www.ipcc-

nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gl/guidelin/ch4ref5.pdf)

14. Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47545113_Sustainable_biochar_to_mitigate_global_climate_c

hange_Nat_Comm_156)

15. Drying and wetting of Mediterranean soils stimulates decomposition and carbon dioxide emission: the

“Birch effect”

OTPR Concepte note issue 1

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