Rice Crop Manager: Innovative ICT Approach for Food Security PhilEASNet Makati, Philippines 30 September 2015 Roland J. Buresh International Rice Research Institute
Rice Crop Manager: Innovative ICT
Approach for Food Security
PhilEASNet
Makati, Philippines
30 September 2015
Roland J. Buresh
International Rice Research Institute
Role of
scientist
Scientist
A scientist’s view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
A shopping
cart
Extension materials
Knowledgebanks
Courseware
Role of
scientist
Scientist
A modified view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Farmers require information precisely
matching their specific conditions
Farmers vary in access to
financial resources, inputs, and
technologies
Farmers need personalized farming advice to help make better
decisions, which lead to increased net income
Fields vary in rice-growing
environment and conditions
ICT-enabled
environment
Scientist
A modified view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Scientist
A modified view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Rice Crop
Manager (RCM)
ICT-enabled
environment
How Rice Crop Manager works?
Personal computer Smartphone1. Download from web site:
http://cropmanager.irri.org
2. Interview farmer, off-line or
online
3. Submit online for automatically
calculated recommendation
located on cloud-
based serverSMS
4. Provide recommendation
to farmer Printout
How Rice Crop Manager helps farmers?
• Provides farmers with
personalized information and an
actionable recommendation on:
• Improved nutrient management:
(N, P, K, Zn)
• Sources
• Rates
• Timing
• Seed rate for direct seeded rice
• Weed management
• Crop health management
• Controlled irrigation (AWD)
• Target yield adjusted for climate &
farmer resources
a. Printed
recommendation
before the crop
b. Reminders
and advise
during the crop
Use of Rice Crop Manager recommendations
increases yield and net income
• IRRI and PhilRice collaborative research
• Supported by DA National Rice Program through DA-BAR
Progress with Rice Crop Manager
The DA National Rice Program
has supported the deployment of
RCM throughout the Philippines
More than 500,000
recommendations
received by farmers
in 17 months
Rice Crop Manager helps increase the
effectiveness of extension services
• More farmers are reached faster
with personalized information to
meet needs and match local
conditions
• Technologies and information can
more rapidly reach the correct
farmers
A modified view of extension services
Scientist
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Rice Crop
Manager (RCM)
ICT-enabled
environment
Scientist
An enhanced view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Additional
personalized
advice
Decision-making
tools – crop health,
variety, etc
ICT-enabled
environment
RCM products coming soon with
additional personalized advice
Rice Health Care
• Diagnoses and solves rice
production problems during the
cropping season
• Beta version planned at end of 2015
Rice Variety Selector
• Identifies rice varieties with
preferred traits
• Under development with Next Gen
project
• Beta version planned for early 2016
Scientist
An enhanced view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Additional
personalized
advice
Decision-making
tools – crop health,
variety, etc
Services
SMS
ICT-enabled
environment
SMS-based advisory service
• Provides personalized reminders
and farming advice for farmer
• Established through DA in 2015
Status:
• SMS advisory service is now
operational
• Launched with farmer through phone
call by DA-ATI operators using RCM
Messenger
• Plan to incorporate RCM-based SMS
advisory service into DA-ATI
Farmers’ Contact Center (FCC)
Scientist
An enhanced view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Additional
personalized
advice
Decision-making
tools – crop health,
variety, etc
Services
SMS
DA
Farmer
monitoring
ICT-enabled
environment
Monitoring of farmer uptake of RCM
recommendations
Status:
• RCM Farming Monitor with on-line
operation released in August 2015
• Upgrade with off-line operation to be
operational in October 2015
• Training for DA in partnership with
IPaD in October 2015
http://webapps.irri.org/ph/rcmfm
• Survey farmers to determine actual
practices after receiving an RCM
recommendation
• Web-based survey tool developed
with DA
Reporting for DA and extension on usage
Number of printed RCM
recommendations provided to
farmers
2015
2014
http://cropmanager.irri.org/statistics
Scientist
An enhanced view of extension services
Extension workerFarmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Additional
personalized
advice
Decision-making
tools – crop health,
variety, etc
Services
SMS
DA
Farmer
monitoring
ICT-based
advisory
service
RCM with advisory
service
RCM with advisory service
Rice crop in field
Sowing or
transplantingHarvest
Messenger
Crop HealthVariety
Report for extension
and DA
Monitoring
Basic RCM
ICT can accelerate the flow of information from
research to farmers
ICT enables extension services to be more
personalized, effective, and efficient
ICT can help reach more farmers
with needed information
Poor internet
connectivity
in rural areas
remains a
constraint
Scientist
Enhanced entrepreneurial opportunities
Farmer
Publications
Scientific principles
Practical guides
Science-based
information
Personalized
profitable
farming advice
Decision-making
tools – nutrient and
crop management
Additional
personalized
advice
Decision-making
tools – crop health,
variety, etc
Services
SMS
ICT-based
advisory
service
RCM with advisory
service
Farmer leaders
AgRiDocs
Provide valued
professional services
for groups of farmers