Ripple Jan Apr 2011

8/2/2019 Ripple Jan Apr 2011

1/12January-April 2011RIPPLE

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2

www.irri.org/irrc/

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

New books on IRRC research

Swiss Agency for Developmentand Cooperation

Volume 6, Number 1 January-April 20

IN THIS ISSUE...IRRC joins 3rd International Rice Congress................2IRRC success stories highlighted in 2010 Steering Committee meeting.....3ADB-IRRI project ramps up to address rice postharvest losses...........6IRRC joins UNEP and Thai Rice Department in technology delivery andresource efciency..................7Farmers happy with increased rice yields.................8Vietnam recognizes IRRC scientists.............12IRRI scientists recognized by Indonesian minister...............12

FEATURE

Travelogues..........9

PROFILES

Step out and reach out.........................10Dreaming big..................11

New books on IRRC research....45


2/122 RIPPLJanuary-April 2011

Trina Leah Mendoza

IRRC research and technologieswere showcased at the 3rd Interna-tional Rice Congress (IRC2010) on

9-11 November 2010, in Hanoi, Viet-nam, where more than 1,700 top rice

scientists, researchers, policymakers,and industry representatives gath-ered.

More than 30 papers and posterswere presented by IRRC scientists andcollaborators. These were in the eldsof postharvest; water availability andaccess; policy, market, and supplychain; wide-scale adoption of water-saving technologies; pest, disease,and weed management; social andcultural dimensions in rice-farmingand communities; information, dis-

semination, and innovation; and clos-ing the yield gap.

At the IRRI booth, demonstra-tions of the Internet and mobile phoneapplications of Nutrient Manager forRice tools and videos were ongoingthroughout the day. The IRRC CropHealth Work Group distributed cop-ies of the booklet Field Problems of

IRRC joins 3rd Internaonal Rice Congress

Tropical Rice and published articleson crop health and related studies. ThePostproduction Work Group highlight-ed the ongoing Asian DevelopmenetBank-IRRI Postharvest Project, the

learning alliance approach, and post-harvest technologies through postersand a Web site. An IRRI Super bag, anexample of hermetic storage used toprotect grains and seeds for longer pe-riods of time, was on display. Field wa-

TrinaMendoza

ter tubes made of PVC, bamboo, andsodrink boles used to monitor water levels in the eld in alternate wetting and drying technology were alsodisplayed. Aside from various leaets

technology fact sheets, and RIPPLE issues, new books titled Research to Im pact: Case Studies for Natural ResourcManagement for Irrigated Rice in Asia (inCD format) and Weeds of Rice in Asia: APractical Field Guide were given away.

The ADB-IRRIPostharvest Projechosted a symposiumon public-privatepartnerships and aroundtable discussion on laser leveling

which gathered stakeholders from varioussectors.

IRC parcipants visit the IRRCbooth and sign up to receiveelectronic copies of the IRRCsnewsleer, RIPPLE.

PUBLICATIONS AND

UPCOMING EVENTS

Internaonal journalsChauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2010. Eects of ni-trogen on the compeveness ofEchinochloacolona and Amaranthus viridis with direct-seeded rice. J. Agric. Sci. Tech. 4(2):14-19.

Chauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2010. Growth andreproducon of junglerice (Echinochloa colona)in response to water stress. Weed Sci. 58:132-135.

Chauhan BS, Migo T, Westerman PR, JohnsonDE. 2010. Post-dispersal predaon of weedseeds in rice elds. Weed Res. 50 (6):553-560.

Chauhan BS, Johnson DE. 2010. Weedy rice(Oryza satva). I. Grain characteriscs andgrowth response to compeon of weedy ricevariants from ve Asian countries. Weed Sci.58(4):374-380.

Fuentes RG, Baltazar AM, Merca FE, Ismail AM,Johnson DE. 2010. Morphological and physio-logical responses of lowland purple nutsedge(Cyperus rotundus L.) to ooding. AoB Plants2010:plq010, doi:10.1093/aobpla/plq010.

Jacob J, Sudarmaji, Singleton GR, Rahmini, Her-awa NA, Brown, PR. 2010. Ecologically basedmanagement of rodents in lowland irrigatedrice elds in Indonesia. Wildlife Res. 37:418-427.

Reddy CS, Laha GS, Prasad MS, Krishnaveni D,Caslla NP, Nelson A, Savary S. 2010. Charac-terizing mulple linkages between individualdiseases, crop health syndromes, germplasmdeployment, and rice producon situaons inIndia. Field Crops Res. 120:241-253.

Huang SW, Wang L, Liu LM, Tang SQ, Zhu DF,Savary S. 2011. Rice spikelet rot disease in Chi-na. 1. Characterizaon of fungi associated withthe disease. Crop Prot. 30:10-19.

Huang SW, Wang L, Liu LM, Tang SQ, Zhu DF,Savary S. 2011. Rice spikelet rot disease in Chi-na. 2. Pathogenicity tests, assessment of theimportance of the disease, and preliminaryevaluaon of control opons. Crop Prot.30:1-9.

Stuart AM, Presco CV, Singleton GR, Joshi RC.2011. Knowledge, atudes and pracces offarmers on rodent pests and their manage-ment in the lowlands of the Sierra Madre Biodi-versity Corridor, Philippines. Crop Prot. 30: 147-154.

Singh Y, Singh VP, Singh G, Yadav DS, Sinha RKPJohnson DE, Mormer AM. 2011. The implicaons of land preparaon, crop establishmentmethod and weed management on rice yieldvariaon in the ricewheat system in the IndoGangec plains. Field Crops Res. (in press).

BooksPalis FG, Singleton GR, Casimero MC, HardyB, editors. Research to impact: case studiesfor natural resource management of irrigatedrice in Asia. Los Baos (Philippines): Internaonal Rice Research Instute. 370 p.

Singleton GR, Belmain SR, Brown PR, HardyB, editors. 2010. Rodent outbreaks: ecologyand impacts. Los Baos (Philippines): Interna

onal Rice Research Instute. 289 p.

Caton BP, Mormer M, Hill JE, Johnson DE2010. A praccal eld guide to weeds of ricein Asia. Second edion. Los Baos (Philippines): Internaonal Rice Research Instute118 p.

Book chaptersMyo AK, Gummert M. 2010. Public-privatepartnership: a case study for the introducon of at-bed dryers through the privatesector in Myanmar. In: Palis FG, SingletonGR, Casimero MC, Hardy B, editors. Researchto impact: case studies for natural resource



Trina Leah Mendoza

P

artners of the Irrigated Rice Re-search Consortium (IRRC) re-viewed key outcomes of the rst

2 years of Phase IV during its annualSteering Commiee meeting on 12 No-vember 2010 at the Vietnam Academyof Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), Hanoi,Vietnam.

IRRC coordinator Grant Singletonpresented the highlights of 2010 andan overview of performance againstlogframes. Anthropologist Flor Palisshared the IRRCs accomplishments,progress, and plans in social science re-search.

The meeting provided a forum for

cross-country learning among part-ners. Prior to the SC meeting, the par-ticipants aended the InternationalRice Congress 2010 in Hanoi, where across section of the IRRCs work wasshowcased.

Triumphs and trialsSuccess stories were presented by

work group (WG) leaders Ruben Lam-payan, Roland Buresh, David Johnson,Serge Savary, Martin Gummert, and

their collaborators.Doan Ngoc Pha, vice director of theAn Giang Department of Agricultureand Rural Development, shared theirprogress and plans in implementingthe 1 Must Do, 5 Reductions program inVietnam.

Caroline Paul, a student at Hum- boldt-Universitat zu Berlin and col-

laborator of theWater-Saving WG,discussed the

adoption process-es and impacts ofalternate weingand drying in Ban-gladesh (see Farm-ers adopt water-saving technology inRIPPLE, Sep-Dec2010).

The dierentapproaches usedin delivering site-specic nutrient

management tofarmers were pre-sented by IRRIsoil scientist Rowena Castillo (throughWeb and mobile phone applications)and Raymund Ilustre, president of theAtlas Fertilizer Corporation in the Phil-ippines.

Anuru Abeysekera, head of thePlant Protection Division of the RiceResearch and Development Institutein Sri Lanka, talked about their teams

research and progress in controllingweedy rice.Success stories in scaling out post-

harvest technologies in partner coun-tries were shared by postharvest con-sultants Meas Pyseth (Cambodia) andPhan Hieu Hien (Vietnam).

Dr. Singleton provided updates oftheir work on ecologically based ro-

dent management, while Dr. Savarypresented key outcomes on crop healthresearch.

The meeting was graced by VAASpresident and former IRRC SC memberNguyen Van Bo and Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation donorrepresentatives Carmen Thoennissenand Liliane Ortega.

The event concluded with a busi-ness meeting among SC members andWG leaders to plan for the review ofPhase IV, and the next date and venueof the SC meeting, among others.

The IRRCs success stories for 2010were highlighted in the special countryissue of RIPPLE, Sep-Dec 2010.

IRRC success stories highlighted in2010 Steering Commiee meeng

management for irrigated rice in Asia. Los Ba-os (Philippines): Internaonal Rice ResearchInstute. p 247-260.

Witmer G, Singleton G. 2010. Sustainedagriculture: the need to manage rodentdamage. In: Wager FC, editor. Agricul-tural producon. Nova Science Pub-lishers Inc., New York, USA. p 1-38.

Norton GW, Heong KL, Johnson DE, Savary S.2010. Rice pest management: issues and op-portunies. In: Pandey S, Byerlee D, DaweD, Dobermann A, Mohanty S, Rozelle S,Hardy B, editors. Rice in the global econo-my: strategic research and policy issues forfood security. Los Baos (Philippines): Inter-naonal Rice Research Instute. p 297-332.Buresh RJ, Dobermann A. 2010. Organic mate-

rials and rice. In: Annual Rice Forum 2009: Re-vising the organic ferlizer issue in rice. LosBaos (Philippines): Asia Rice Foundaon. p 17-33.

PresentaonsSingleton GR, Htwe NM, Brown PR, Newton P.2010. Rodents and diseases in Asia links toextreme weather events. XIIth InternaonalCongress of Parasitology, Melbourne, Austra-lia, 18 August 2010, abstract no. 379.

Singleton GR, Htwe NM, Nelson A. 2010. Rodentoutbreaks following extreme weather events:cyclone Nargis a case study. 4th internaonalSymposium of Integrave Zoology Biologi-cal Consequences of Global Change, Kunming,China, 5 December 2010. Plenary paper.

EventsCoordinaon Unit and Work GroupsFinal workshop of ACIAR-funded projecSMAR/2007/216 Improving Rice Producv

ity in South and Southeast Sulawesi. KendariSoutheast Sulawesi, 16-18 January 2011.

Workshop co-hosted by MAS and IRRI on Adaptaon of rice producon in Myanmar to Climate Change, Yangon, Myanmar. 17 February2011

IRRI Program 2 leader Bas Bouman highlights the IRRCs link with the

Consorum for Unfavorable Rice Environments in scaling out technologies tofarmers and other end users. Beside him is Carmen Thoennissen, donorrepresentave of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperaon.



CorneliaGarcia

Rona Nia Mae Rojas

How do rodents aect peopleslives? And to what extent?

Rodent outbreaks havehad overwhelming consequencesec-onomically, socially, and politicallyin the areas where they occur. Morethan 1 billion people suer chronichunger, widespread diseases, and se-vere crop losses that are aributed torodent pests.

Such events throughout historyhave resulted in an aitude of accep-

tance and fatalism for some people,particularly rural folks, who seem re-signed to the onslaught of rodents.

That should not be the case.A new book, titled Rodent Out-

breaks: Ecology and Impacts , showshow understanding the ecology andthe factors that cause population out-

breaks of rodents can help in manag-ing the problem. A central messagethe book contributors hope to conveyis the strong advances that were madein understanding the factors that lead

The IRRC has now released two books.Both are available in print at the IRRI Riceworld Bookstore.

to outbreaks, providing a modern ap-praisal to an age-old problem.

This is an encouraging progressreport driven by scientists passion-ate about rodents, about people, aboutconservation, and about improvingour knowledge of these species and theecosystems they inhabit, says IRRCcoordinator Grant Singleton, rodentecology and management expert andone of the books editors.

Learn more about the impacts orodents on people around the worldLook into the depth and scope of howrodent pests have aected variouscountries in Asia, Oceania (Australiaand New Zealand), Europe, Africaand North America.

The book draws on a global scalethe lessons from previous outbreaksand the successes and failures of rodent management actions. Sharing and

learning from previous experiences omanagement actions during outbreakshelped develop evidence-based scientic knowledge.

Other themes highlighted in thebook are the need to focus more strategically on approaches to reduce orprevent crop or conservation impactscaused by rodents rather than on simply killing rodents or reducing population size. Another theme is the needto consider the cultural and social di

mensions of both the impacts of rodenoutbreaks and proposed managemenactions.

To cap it o, there is something instore for the gastronomically adventurousthe book contains recipes forpreparing rat meat.

Rodent Outbreaks is co-edited byrodent experts Steve Belmain and Pe-ter Brown, and IRRI science editor BilHardy.

Rodent Outbreaks: Ecology and Impacts

Much progress has been made in understanding the eco-

logical factors that limit rodent populaons in temperate cli-

mates, and only recently has this knowledge been focused on

rodents in tropical and subtropical countries, where agricul-

tural pest problems are most serious. Charles J. Krebs, Emeritus Professor, University of Brish Columbia

The map shows the areas in Myanmar affected by cyclone Nargis in May2008, and the number of rats killed in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta region fromJune to September 2009.

New books on IRRC research



Florencia PalisRona Nia Mae Rojas

Food security means there should

be a continued increase in rice

production. If rice productivityincreases, it could also bring about areduction in poverty and hunger, andenvironmental sustainability. Unfortu-nately, in the critically important irri-gated rice ecosystem, the road towardachieving food security is limited bythe shortage of labor, declining wateravailability, the conversion of primelands to alternate uses, climate vari-ability and climate change, and envi-ronmental issues.

This is where agricultural research

and extension come in. This new book,titled Research to Impact: Case Studies for Natural Resource Management for Ir-rigated Rice in Asia, shows how both ag-ricultural research and extension playpivotal roles in improving the lives offarmers and consumers.

The 2008 global rice crisis stimulat-ed Asian governments to allocate morefunding to rice research and extensionto increase the rice supply and achieverice self-suciency for rice-importing

countries, and a rice surplus for ex-porting countries.Research determines rice farming

needs and problems in irrigated rice by working closely with farmers andother stakeholdersknown as collab-orative research. From research, tech-nologies and good agricultural practic-es or best practices for natural resourcemanagement (NRM) to increase farm-ers productivity and income are gen-erated. Extension allows the basketof options for NRM technologies to

be validated and scaled out. Extensionprovides the mechanisms by whichthese NRM technologies can be dis-seminated for wide-scale adoption byfarmers.

The impacts of NRM technologiescan be determined and achieved onlywhen the end usersrice farmersare practicing them. However, adop-tion of agricultural technologies hasalways been a challenge. The adop-tion of best practices for NRM is aneven greater challenge because most

are knowledge-intensive technologiesthat cater to local adaptation by farm-ers, and not physical products. This

book documents cross-country learn-

ing through case studies on the pro-cesses and methodologies employedfrom research toward the achievementof impact by addressing the challengesof generating wider-scale adoption ofNRM technologies in lowland irrigat-ed agroecosystems.

Highlighted in the book is theparticipation of farmers during theinnovation process of the NRM tech-nologies. The success of research andextension depends also on the mul-tistakeholder partnership within the

rice supply chain, which involves poli-cymakers, local champions (of technology), and public-private partnershipsParticipatory monitoring and evalua-

tion activities are viewed as methodsto improve and further rene a technology. Through the use of communi-cation channels, farmers perceptionsaitudes, and practices toward a particular technology can be eectivelychanged.

The book is co-edited by agricultural anthropologist Flor Palis, IRRCcoordinator and rodent expert GrantSingleton, agronomist Donna Casimero, and IRRI science editor Bill Hardy

The lives of resource-poor farmers who grow ir-

rigated rice in Asia can no doubt improve if innovave

agricultural technologies are tailored to their needs and

carried out collecvely.

Robert S. Zeigler, IRRI Director General

Research to Impact: Case Studies forNatural Resource Managementfor Irrigated RIce in Asia

Billboards used by the province of An Giang, Vietnam, to promote the Mot Phai,Nam Giam (One Must Do, Five Reductions) campaign. This campaign encouragesfarmers to reduce seed rate, fer tilizer use, pesticide use, postharvest losses, andwater use. The one must do is to use certified seeds.



Reianne QuilloyTrina Leah Mendoza

T

he second phase of the Asian De-velopment Bank (ADB)- and IRRI-funded postharvest project titled

Addressing the Pre- and PostharvestChallenges of the Rice Supply Chain wasformally launched during the ADB-IRRIPostharvest Project Review and InceptionWorkshop: Learning Alliance Meeting on8 November 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The workshop was conducted to re-view activities from the previous phaseand identify the most promising new ap-proaches that have potential for outscal-ing and transfer to other partner coun-tries.

Partners from Cambodia, the Philip-

pines, and Vietnam gave progress reportsfocusing on the successfully veriedpostharvest technologies from the rstphase of the project titled Bringing Abouta Sustainable Agronomic Revolution inRice Production in Asia by ReducingPreventable Pre- and Postharvest Losses.This one-year phase of the project dealtwith postharvest technology vericationthrough adaptive research, extension,and capacity-building activities. Hermet-ic storage systems, combine harvesters,

and mechanical dryers were some of thetechnologies identied that can be rolledon to the next phase of the project, whichwill focus on the piloting of veried post-harvest technologies.

Project planning and implementationfor Vietnam is divided into ve regionsand is coordinated by a team led by Dr.Nguyen Le Hung from Nong Lam Uni-versity. Highlights of 2010 in Vietnam in-cluded an interregional training of train-ers on postharvest technologies for 52participants from the provincial Depart-

ment of Agriculture and Rural Develop-ment and extension sta, and the releaseof a training manual on postharvest tech-nologies. Regional representatives re-ported on eld visits and demonstrations,training and extension activities, baselinestudies on postharvest situations, busi-ness model development, and results ofadaptive research.

Partners from the Red River Deltaprovinces and Thanh Hoa Province foundthat the cooking quality of rice stored inhermetic storage was good, and that there

was no dierence in viscosity and fra-grance aer 4 months of storage. Resultsof laser-leveling trials in Thua Thien Hue

Province showed a decrease in inputs,particularly in the labor cost for weedingand cost of irrigation water.

Dr. Meas Pyseth, postharvest consul-tant, presented the success stories in Cam-

bodia. Aer the Project introduced combine harvesters in Cambodia, hundredsof units are now imported and used inthe country. Farmers who have improvedtheir granaries through the Projects sup-port were satised with the resultsnoquantity losses and pest damage, fewerinsects, and more aromatic grains.

In the Philippines, linkages with thelearning alliance partners proved to bevital in achieving more activities such asincreased capacity building of partners attheir project sites and conducting cross-country learning on key postharvesttechnologies. Other successful activitiesconducted were the parallel and adaptiveresearch, as well as designing of uniedkey messages on hermetic storage sys-tems, which were all done in the contextof a learning alliance. Dr. Caesar Tado,

co-project leader in the Philippines, high-lighted that the optimized linkages of theproject with national programs providedleverage to achieve more with less.

Dr. Lourdes Adriano, ADB donor rep-resentative, lauded the eorts of the part-ners while highlighting the challenges

of forging sustainable partnerships, andexploring creative methods on projectimplementation. Dr. Adriano emphasized

the importance of communicating anddisseminating the knowledge and technologies from the project. She also posedthe challenge of strengthening the marketinformation system so that farmers wilgain more benets from their productsand be motivated to produce more.

To cap the day, participants visitedAn Dinh Co, a rice processing companyin Hanoi engaged in contract farmingto produce a high-quality Sushi rice va-riety for export to Korea and Japan. Thecompany is a collaborator of the Vietnam

Institute for Agricultural Engineeringand Postharvest Technology (VIAEP), aregional project partner and host of theworkshop. VIAEP provides technical assistance to the company, which has be-come a constant venue for training andother project activities. Through this eldtrip, the participants were able to see anexisting contract farming business modethat can be adapted in their own area.

Aer this workshop, the partnerswere ready for the kick-o activities in

each country. In January 2011, in-countryplanning meetings and start-up activitieswere in the pipeline of their work plan, asthis piloting phase went into full swing

ADB-IRRI project ramps up to addressrice postharvest losses

ReianneQuilloy

At a project-sponsored symposium, private-sector representave Mark Heyward pres-ents his companys experience in promong the use of laser-leveling technology in theAsia-Pacic region.



Rica Joy Flo

UNEP representave Dr.James Lomax (extreme le)discussed resource ecien-cy in rice producon withstakeholders.

IRRC joins UNEP and Thai Rice Departmentin technology delivery and resource efciency

T

he world may view Thailand asthe lead exporter of rice, wherefarmers and consumers reap the

benets of excess supply. Yet, expertswould see a rice sector that is not with-out challenges and complexities fromproduction and beyond. This is why theIRRC continues to work with its part-ners in bringing sustainable naturalresource management (NRM) technolo-gies to help Thai r ice farmers.

The IRRC held two workshops on6-8 October 2010 with the Rice Depart-ment (RD) of Thailand and the UnitedNations Environment Programme

(UNEP). One workshop was on RiceProduction Extension and TechnologyTransfer System Development and Net-working for NRM of Irrigated Rice. Theother, organized by UNEP, was on Re-source Eciency and Ecosystem Resil-ience in Thai Rice Production.

Planning toward eective delivery oftechnologies

The RD is testing innovative exten-sion mechanisms that would help farm-ers have access to new technologies and

also spread the technologies to morefarmers. It has an interest in assessingthe results from such trials. Since theRD has teamed up with the IRRC inpromoting eective delivery of researchproducts to end users, an exchange ofexperiences with dissemination path-ways was a rst step.

In the workshop, participants fromthe IRRC and RD presented the dierentapproaches to validate and spread NRMtechnologies. They discussed experi-ences in linking with specic partners,

such as local champi-ons and other nontra-ditional research andextension stakehold-ers in Bangladesh andthe Philippines. Theyalso discussed various

participatory approaches such as thefarmer-adaptive research in Indonesia,participatory technology development,

the Rice Community Center extensionapproach, and the farmer-to-farmerextension approach in Thailand. A pre-sentation on research-to-extension inthe case of An Giang, Vietnam, was alsogiven. IRRIs experiences in conceptual-izing and facilitating the Learning Al-liance were also presented. Participantsalso visited a community where a tech-nology transfer model was piloted bythe RD. The cross-country learning andexchange became a basis for further dis-

cussions on what the IRRC and the RDcan do together in the next 3 years.

Preparing for resource-ecient rice

productionA stakeholder workshop for sec

tor representatives from the rice valuechain was held on 7 October 2010 todiscuss a possible road map to accelerate the adoption of clean and ecientechnologies. Around 50 participantsrepresenting government agenciesprivate companies, farmer groups, universities, and associations for millersexporters, and input suppliers joinedthe workshop.

According to Dr. Bas Bouman o

IRRI, the challenge is to mobilize sup-ply chain actors to drive the adoptionof improved farming and postharvespractices, forge partnerships, mobilizemarket forces, introduce price incentives, harness labeling mechanismsand develop schemes for payment forenvironmental services. Aer stimulating discussions, the group cameup with several possible road maps topursue, including the use of good agricultural practices (GAP) as a potentia

lever.

GrantSingleton

IRRC now on Facebook

Connect with us on Facebook!Be our friend through [email protected].

MEA CULPA

On page 6 of the RIPPLE Vol. 5, No

3, September-December 2010 issue, we

aributed the photograph to Ruben Lam

payan. It should have been Debjit Roy

Our apologies for the error.

Dr. Kukiat Soitong (standing, center), rice producon promoon expert of the Rice Departmentof Thailand, discusses the role of the actors involved in the countrys rice value chain with work-shop parcipants.

BhagirathChauhan



Rica Joy FloRona Nia Mae Rojas

Farmers happy with increased rice yields

Positive impact where rice farmersachieve higher yields and theirhouseholds get improved incomes

is the goal of the project Improving rice

productivity in South and Southeast Su-lawesi. Funded by the Australian Centrefor International Agricultural Research(ACIAR), this project has been imple-mented since 2008.

Indonesian partners and IRRI stagathered in Kendari, SE Sulawesi, on 16-19 January to report on the outputs andoutcomes of the project. IRRI sta pres-ent were Bas Bouman, Grant Singleton,Donna Casimero, Ruben Lampayan, Da-vid Johnson, Martin Gummert, and RicaFlor. Frances Barns, ACIAR country man-

ager in Indonesia, represented the donor.Also present were SE Sulawesi Governorrepresentative, Ir. Zuhuri Mahmud, to-gether with the directors of IndonesianCenter for Rice Research, IndonesianCenter for Food Crops Research and De-velopment, and Assessment Institutes ofAgricultural Technologies(AIATs).

The farmers who participated re-ported an increase in their rice produc-tivity by more than 10%. Twenty farmersin South Sulawesi gave positive feedback

on the benets of the project. We arehappy. We got 3 tons per hectare in 2008;in 2010, we got 5 tons per hectare, claimsone Indonesian farmer. In one instance,another farmer reported more than a100% increase in rice yield, Two and ahalf years ago, I had 3.5 tons per hectare.This season, I got 7.3 tons per hectare.

In 2010, four treat-ment villages re-ceived a total of1.8 million rupees

more in net re-turns than farm-ers in the checkvillages.

Through dif-ferent adaptiveresearch activi-ties, the IRRC andits partners haveworked withfarmers in tryingout useful technologies in farmers elds.Training and other capacity-building ac-

tivities were done by IRRC sta. Videos,posters, and other communication ma-terials have been produced and used to

bring knowledge to more farmers. Theend of 2010 was an exciting time to assesswhether indeed farmers gained fromthese eorts.

AIATs partners in South and South-east Sulawesi organized survey teams inOctober 2010 to interview farmers as partof the adoption and impact assessment.The teams from each province worked

in four villages, two of which are siteswhere the project was implemented. Dr.Casimero and Ms. Flor helped the surveyteams during the data gathering.

The 2010 household survey provideda comparison to the baseline survey in2008. Informal discussions with farmersindicated the presence that the project

has and the changes happening at thesites. Posters on rat management and di

rect seeding can be seen in dierent areain the project villages. Many of the cooperators said that farmers oen ask abougood practices for managing their cropand whether these worked for them. Onecooperator, 73-year-old Pak Sutoyo, saidthat he observed his wet-season yield tohave increased from 3 tons per hectare to3.5 tons per hectare aer using site-specic nutrient management. Those whoaended the farmer eld school said thathey are more familiar with what is going

on because they monitor their elds moreoen, and they are condent regardingwhat they have to do (e.g., just becausethere are insects does not mean they haveto use pesticides immediately). This issome of the feedback that the householdsurvey will quantify. Long-term impactsof the project may not be evident as yet

but this activity ensures that those involved in implementing the project think

beyond the project and consider thchanges it has made in the lives of smallholder farmers in Sulawesi.

Aer the project meeting, DrsSingleton and Buresh received speciaawards from the Indonesian Minister oAgriculture His Excellency Min Suswono(read more on page 12). The Minister alsoocially launched the web application ofNutrient Manager for Rice, with the Ba-hasa Indonesia name of Pemupukan HaraSpesic Lokasi Padi Sawah. The NutrienManager decision tool (hp://webappsirri.org/nm/id) and training materials are

being prepared before the start of the nextrice-growing season in March.

A farmer eld day was held in Bone, South Sulawesi, as part of the nal project meeng.IRRI sciensts Bas Bouman and Grant Singleton joined Hon. Idris Galigo SH, polical head ofBone, in a harvest fesval.

RicaFlor

A South Sulawesi farmer is interviewed regarding his rice producon prac -ces aer the project has been implemented in his village for two years.



Nancy Castilla

The Crop Health Work Group willhold a workshop, tledAssessment,

Modeling, and Gains from Sustain-

able Management of Crop Health, on 8-11

February in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand.

The workshop will involve approxi-

mately 55 parcipants from the IRRC,

the Cereal Systems Iniave for South

Asia (CSISA), the Scienc Know-how Ex-

change Program (SKEP) involving IRRI and

Syngenta, and the Philippine Rice Self-Suf-

ciency Program (PRSSP). Crop health is a

major component of all these projects.

CHWG to hold crop health workshop

The workshop aims to review thecrop health data collecon procedure

used in all four projects, discuss the range

of procedures to assess crop health, and

measure its consequences, specically

crop losses. Part of the workshop involves

reviewing the importance of and priories

for crop health management at dierent

sites and crop health management op-

ons. These opons will be linked to how

crop health aects producon situaons

and the derived gains from improved crop

health. A discussion on the strategies to

disseminate crop health science, knowledge, and management opons will also

be held during the event. The workshop

will involve site and country reports, eld

observaons, and further demonstraon

of the crop health characterizaon port

folio.

Also, presentaons will be made on

the analyses of complex data sets and

RICEPESTa crop growth model that simu

lates yield losses due to mulple rice pests

and yield gains from plant protecon.

T

raveling entails a lot of var-ied activities. More than justmeeting with collaborators and

visiting feld sites, traveling involvessharing the latest in rice science, cre-ating detailed work plans, and seingthings into motion.

ChinaIn his latest visit to China, IRRC

coordinator Grant Singleton gave a ple-nary talk during the International Sym-posium of Integrative Zoology in Kun-ming. The theme of the symposium wasBiological Consequences of Global Change.His talk generated a lot of interest from

the 130 symposium aendees.A seminar on Rodent outbreaks: ecol-

ogy and management and a lecture onFertility control of rodents in Australiaand Southeast Asiarecent and current

approaches were given by Dr. Single-ton as a visiting scholar to HuazhongNormal University in Wuhan. He alsopresented a seminar on Natural resourcemanagement in lowland rice agroecosystemsin Southeast Asia at the College of WaterResources and Hydroelectric Engineer-ing, Wuhan University. In this talk, hehighlighted the activities of the IRRCand emphasized the potential benetsof research on ecosystem services at alandscape scale.

The adoption of the 3 Controls Tech-

nology (3CT) in the provinces of Jiangsuand Guangdong was discussed with

Dr. Xuhua Zhongat the GuangdongAcademy of Agricul-tural Sciences. 3CThad high adoptionin Guangdong Prov-ince, leading to a9.5% increase in yieldand 24% reductionin nitrogen use. Dr.

Xuhua, a collaboratorfrom the GuangdongRice Research Insti-tute, plans to extend3CT to all districts inGuangdong and toother provinces.

MyanmarDr. Singleton participated in the an-

nual review and planning meeting of

the IRRC Myanmar Outreach Program(IMOP). The current status of demonstration sites in West Bago, SagaingYangon, and Ayeyarwaddy was presented by U Maung Maung Yi, generamanager of the Project Planning, Management, and Evaluation Division of theMyanma Agriculture Service in YangonData presented showed strong progressin yield increases (versus a check sitethat range from 0.12 to 3.3 t/ha.

The IMOP plans to take steps tostrengthen sustainable practices at the

demonstration sites by handing oversite management to the lead farmersand allowing them to nd their comforlevel in the adoption and adaptation oIRRC technologies.

U Than Aye, director general of theDepartment of Agricultural Planningin Myanmar, also met with Dr. Single-ton to discuss the needs of the countrys rice farming sector and determinethe steps to address them, such as theneed for more funds and beer techni

cal input. The local demand for rice isincreasing and the government placeshigh emphasis on rice suciency. IRRIespecially the IRRC, is in a good position to provide natural resource management technologies that could enablethe country to increase its annual riceproduction.

Travelogues

FEATURE

Rona Nia Mae Rojas



Step out and reach out

Five hundred meters to your des-tination, the cars GPS mumbles,as Dr. Kukiat Soitong navigates

around Bangkoks busy streets at 2100aer hosting a dinner for collaborators.

His day does not end then. While somesoil scientists spend most of their timein experiment stations, Dr. Soitong, riceproduction promotion expert at the RiceDepartment of Thailand, has steppedout of his eld into another that focus-es on reaching farmers. Described byfriends as outgoing, outspoken, and fullof ideas, this man is up and about con-stantly dealing with people. He thinksthis must be why, even if he loves re-search on soil science, he is thrust intothe role of simplifying research prod-ucts and bringing them to farmers.

Rica Joy Flo

Although passionate about reach-ing farmers with useful results fromscientic research, Dr. Soitong has notforgoen his roots. He nished his un-dergraduate and graduate degrees inagronomy at Kasetsart University. His

classmates have not only become hisfriends for life but also his colleaguesand partners in collaborative work withdierent agencies. Before devoting hisfull time to research, Dr. Soitong was alecturer on soil science and soil fertilityfor several training programs for bothocers and famers. He has also spenttime doing consultancy work in LaoPDR on soil and fertilizer management.It is good he has been very busy withscience because, if not in this career, hewould have gone into business manage-

ment, and Thailand would have lost ascientist who champions technologydelivery to farmers.

Working for the agency that looks atall maers relating to rice in Thailand,

Dr. Soitong leads a team that monitorsissues concerning rice production, co-ordinates results from research on tech-nologies, and makes recommendationsfor policy and action. His team is alsoinvolved in developing approaches fordelivery of technologies to rice farmers.In 2006, they piloted the SMART farm-er approach, which is a tool to involvewell-trained farmers at the district levelin farmer-to-farmer extension. This ap-proach also links with community ricecenters (CRCs)another brainchild of

the Rice Department. These are villagefarmer groups registered at the districtextension oce. The CRCs choose 10 rep-resentatives for SMART farmer trainingfollowing a selection standard. Farmersare trained on a package of technologiesfor good agricultural practice as wellas other skill-enhancing courses. Thetrained farmers will then be assignedto be trainers in specic villages. Theproject aims to empower 35,000 SMARTfarmers who can each target reaching atleast 10 other farmers.

Not only does research on eectiveextension methods occupy Dr. Soitongsactive schedule; he also has researchon evaluating production technologiesor technology transfer system devel

opment. Still, he makes time to go tothe beach in Paaya, his favorite placeto relax with his friends. He also goesto Chiangmai in northern Thailand towork on his new family business at theSMC Garden Home Resort. Since theirtwo children, Cherry and Pack, havemarried and moved out, Dr. Soitong andPok, his wife, sometimes visit their onlygranddaughter in another part of Bangkok. What most people do not know isthat Dr. Soitong is gadget savvy and en

joys searching the Internet. He keeps up

with his friends and updates them withphotos through social networks online.Making life simple through com-

fortable and open relationships withpeople is what keeps the smile on DrSoitongs face through the bustle ofdaily activities at work and at home. Hesays it is important to look at the posi-tive side: how to add to something andhow to make something work, so thaideas can ow freely and more can benet from them.

Last September 2010, IRRI welcomed extension specialists from the Thailand Rice Deparment, ledby Dr. Kukiat Soitong (2nd from le), with a special dinner celebraon. (Also in photo, le to right:Dr. Noel Magor, IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler [center], Dr. David Johnson, and Dr. GrantSingleton.)



Are you also from the University ofthe Philippines (UP)? were Dr. Er-izal Jamals rst words as this writer

met him for the rst time in 2008 in hisoce at the Indonesian Center for Agri-

culture Technology Assessment and De-velopment (ICATAD) in Bogor, Indonesia.Friendly, cheerful, and down-to-earth,he seemed like an old friend rather thanICATADs deputy director for collabora-tion and dissemination, oering sweets,and asking about UP in Los Baos, La-guna, Philippines, where he nished hisPhD in agricultural economics in 2005.

But then again, his warm and unas-suming demeanor comes in handy sincehis main role at ICATAD is to initiate,maintain, and evaluate partnerships

with national and international organiza-tions. In 2009, ICATAD joined forces withthe IRRC and the Indonesian Center forRice Research (ICRR) to develop an IRRCCountry Outreach Program in Indonesiato speed up the spread of new rice tech-nologies to farmers. Dr. Jamals othermain task is to accelerate this dissemi-nation process for technologies from theICRR and other research centers to all 32stations of Assessment Institutes of Agri-cultural Technologies (AIATs). Spread all

across the nation, these AIATs work di-rectly with extension workers and farm-ers to teach them new technologies.

Speeding up the dissemination pro-cess, creating simple extension materialsfor farmers that actually reach them, and

coordinating all 32 AIATs are justsome of the challenges that Dr. Ja-mal faces each day. Indonesia hasover 17,000 islands and stretchesacross the equator for almost 5,000

kilometers. Part of his job is to visitall the AIAT oces, with the near-est one 1.5 hours away by landtravel.

His days are fully packed.At half past 4 in the morning, hewakes up and prays, eats break-fast, and takes his kids to school.He likes to jog, and he does so re-ligiously, three times a week beforeheading o to work. At the oce,he spends most of the day in meet-ings with his sta and other direc-

tors from the Indonesian Agencyfor Agricultural Research and Develop-ment (IAARD), of which ICATAD is part.He also travels to Jakarta almost everyday (about an hour away) to meet anddiscuss with colleagues from IAARD andthe Ministry of Agriculture.

But, during weekends and holidays,its family time. Thrice a month, his wholefamily watches the wayang , which is anIndonesian word for theater. This tradi-tional form of shadow puppet theater tells

of old Javanese tales. Dr. Jamal rst sawit with his father- and mother-in-law andenjoyed it immensely; he has been bring-ing his family to watch these shows eversince.

Reading books is another hobby thathe enjoys. Dr. Jamal bonds with his chil-dren by going to the bookstore togetherto hunt for new books. He is particularlyfond of reading inspirational books, andthose about rural development, which isanother area he is passionate about.

Dr. Jamal, an MS degree holder in re-gional and rural development planningfrom the Bogor Agricultural Universityaspires to become an international sci-

entist involved in rural development oneday. He is slowly working toward hisdream by discussing issues with otherscientists and contributing articles on rural development to some national news-papers such as Republika and Kompas.

But, for now, he is focused on speed-ing up the process of disseminating tech-nologies to farmers, to help them realizetheir dreams. My dream for Indonesiais to make the farm lands protable forfarmers, and that their income from ag-ricultural activities will be enough for

their needs, says Dr. Jamal. As we knowmost farmers, especially in Java, do nothave their own rice elds. They grow riceon less than 0.5 hectare, and earn incomethat is not enough for their daily expens-es. We need to consolidate land so thateach farmer has enough land, and that isnot easy.

With leaders like Dr. Erizal Jamal athe forefront, these big dreams for Indo-nesian farmers are not far from becominga reality.

Dreaming big

Dr. Erizal Jamal always watches the wayang (Indonesian shadow puppet theater)with wife Maes Mardiharini, daughter Eranthy Firdaus, and sons DiyandaruAdhitya and Ichwan Bagus Ernanda.

Dr. Erizal (right) and Cambodian parcipant MeasPyseth visit a greenhouse in South Korea during theRice Technology Transfer System in Asia workshop in

April 2010.

Trina Leah Mendoza


12/12

Volume 6, Number 1

January-April 2011

This newsletter is produced by theIrrigated Rice Research Consortium

(IRRC) with support from the

Swiss Agency for Developmentand Cooperation (SDC). The IRRCpromotes international links among

scientists, managers, communicators,and farmers in lowland irrigated rice

environments.

Materials in this newsletter do not

necessarily reect the ofcial views ofIRRI, SDC, or collaborating institutions

of the IRRC.

EdITORIAL ANd

PROdUCTION TEAm

IRRCTrina Leah Mendoza, Grant Singleton,

Rona Nia Mae Rojas,Jennifer Hernandez

CPSBill Hardy

CONTRIbUTINg AUTHORSReianne Quilloy, Rica Joy Flor,

Florencia Palis

Please direct further correspondence,comments, and contributions to

Trina Leah MendozaSenior Communication Specialist

International Rice Research Institute

DAPO Box 7777Metro Manila, Philippines

Email: [email protected]:www.irri.or/irrc

During the opening ceremony ofIRC2010, Vietnamese Prime Min-ister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung presentedIRRI with the First Class FriendshipOrder, in honor of IRRIs contribu-tions to Vietnamese agriculture and its

almost 50 years of alliance with Viet-nam. This Friendship award is one ofthe most prestigious honors Vietnamhas given to an international organiza-tion, and it came at a ing time dur-ing IRRIs 50th anniversary.

Vietnam also awarded 15 meritmedals to IRRI scientists, four of whomare IRRC scientists. IRRC coordinatorGrant Singleton and Productivity andSustainability Work Group leader Ro-land Buresh received the Merit Medalsfor the cause of science and technol-

ogy development of Vietnam.

Vietnam recognizes IRRC sciensts

T

he Indonesian minister of agriculture gave a citation toIRRC scientists Grant Singleton and Roland Buresh fortheir contribution to food security in the country during

the IRRI-Indonesia Collaborative Work Plan Meeting in Jakartaon 20-21 January.

The minister also launched the Nutrient Manager for Riceversion 2.0 during the opening. This tool will help Indonesianfarmers get the most of their fertilizer inputs through a rec-ommendation given aer the farmer answers nutrient manage-ment questions.

More than 30 directors and representatives of governmentagencies met with IRRI scientists to review completed and on-going projects and plan for collaboration in 2011-14. The ACIAR-funded project in South and Southeast Sulawesi was one of thecollaborative projects discussed. Further work between theIRRC and Indonesian scientists was also planned.

IRRI sciensts recognized by Indonesian minister

The Merit Medals for the cause ofagriculture and rural development ofVietnam were given to Martin Gum-mert and David Johnson, leaders of thePostproduction (PP) and Labor Produc-tivity and Community Ecology (LPCE)

work groups, respectively.The IRRC has been working with

Vietnamese partners in collabora-tive research for more than a decade.Research covers management of nu-trients, postharvest, water, weeds,rodents, insects, crop establishment,and integrated crop management. Theimpressive and dynamic collaborationhas now resulted in an integration oftechnologies being promoted throughthe One Must Do, Five Reductions Pro-gram of Vietnam.

TrinaM

endoza(2)

IRRI sciensts Roland Buresh and Grant Singleton (extreme leand extreme right) are recognized for their eorts during the2007-10 IRRI-Indonesia collaborave project. (Also in photo, 2nd& 3rd from le: IRRI Deputy Director General for Research AchimDobermann and Indonesian Minister of Agriculture H.E. Dr. MinSuswono.)

1. (le to right) IRRI Senior Plant Physiologist Abdelbagi Ismail, IRRC coordinator Grant Singleton,and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

2. (le to right) LPCE WG leader David Johnson and PP WG leader Marn Gummert

1 2

RicaFlor

Trina Leah Mendoza

Ripple Jan Apr 2011

Documents