Ripple Jul Sep 2007

8/2/2019 Ripple Jul Sep 2007

1/16Ripple July-September 2007

In this issue

RIPPLE is produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) with support from the Swiss Agency for DevelopmentCooperation (SDC). The IRRC promotes international links among scientists, managers, communicators, and farmers in lowland irrigrice environments.

April 2006, Vol. 1, No. 2

Research streams ...........3AWD technology gains

momentum in Bangla-

deshThe truth about alter-nate wetting anddrying

The pursuit of water-saving continues inVietnam

Ripples of change ...........7Integrated weed man-agement in Nepal

Humans outsmartingrats in Vietnam

Fun-filled farmersfield day and forum

Hermetic storage: a hottopic in Indonesia

New edition of Rice: APractical Guide to Nutri-ent Management

Waves of action .............10Rice science and farmersA quest to increase

Indonesias national

rice supplyA different take onpest management

Profiles.................................13Getting her hands dirtyThe doctor is outand about

Publications and............15upcoming events

www.irri.org/irrc/

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

July-September 2007, Vol. 2, No. 3

International Rice Research Institute

Food and water are

two of the most

important necessities

for survival, but, with an

increasing demand for food

and a looming water crisis,

a shortage of both may

be on the horizon unless

innovative technologies are

developed. Water, especially,

is fast becoming a precious

commodity, as more and more

people continue using water

for the household, industry,

and agriculture. Scientists arenow taking on the challenging

task of developing rice

production systems that can

cope with water scarcity.

We begin this special

water-saving issue of RIPPLE

with an introduction to a tech-

nology that enables rice to

be grown in dry land without

flooding, and help farmers

cope with water scarcity:

the aerobic rice system.

Less is moreAerobic rice is a new

way of growing rice that

needs less water than low-

land rice. It is grown like an

upland crop such as wheat,

in soil that is not puddled,

flooded, or saturated. The

soil is therefore aerobic or

with oxygen throughout the

growing season, as compared

to traditional flooded fields,

which are anaerobic.

The difference, however,

between aerobic rice andupland rice is that aerobic rice

produces higher yields, 46

tons per hectare and perhaps

beyond. This is possible

because the crop is grown

in aerobic soil but cared for

with external inputs such as

supplementary irr igation (if

rainfall is insufficient) and

fertilizers. This new way

of growing rice started as

early as the mid-1980s in

China. To differentiate it from

traditional upland rice, the

International Rice Research

Institute (IRRI) coined

the term aerobic rice.

Aerobic rice can be con-

sidered a mature technology

in temperate countries such

as northern China and Brazil,

where aerobic rice area is es-

timated at 80,000 and 250,000

hectares, respect ively. In both

countries, breeding programs

since the 1980s have resulted

in the release of several high-yielding aerobic rice variet-

ies by crossing high-yielding

lowland rice varieties with

traditional upland types. In

northern China, new high-

yielding aerobic varieties such

as Han Dao 277, Han Dao

297, and Han Dao 502 were

released in the late 1990s

with yield potential of up to

> continued on next page

Aerobic rice:

responding towater scarcity

Professor Wang Huaqi, an aerobic rice breeder from China AgriculturalUniversity, stands in an aerobic rice field close to Beijing that a farmerplanted with one of his varieties. B

asBouman


2/16

2Ripple July-September 2007

6.5 tons per hectare. After a

20-year breeding program in

Brazil, aerobic rice var iet-ies have yielded 57 tons

per hectare under sprinkler

irrigation in farmers fields.

In the tropics, aerobic

rice systems are still very

much in the research and

development phase. IRRI

started to develop variet-

ies for the Asian tropics in

2001. The first generation of

tropical aerobic rice variet-

ies consists of IR55423-01

(Apo) and UPLRI-5 from the

Philippines, B6144-MR-6-0-0

from Indonesia, and CT6510-

24-1-2 from Colombia. These

varieties were mostly derived

from crosses between indica

and tropical japonica parents.

Current research fo-

cuses on the development

of improved management

systems and on breeding

further improved varieties.

Managing aerobic riceThe usual way of planting

aerobic rice is the same as

how you would plant wheat or

maizeby dry direct seeding.

And, like these cereal crops,

aerobic rice can be rainfed,

supplementary irrigated, or

fully irrigated.

However, compared with

flooded rice, weeds pose a

bigger threat in aerobic soils.

To control

weeds, the

use of pre- or

post-emer-

gence her-

bicides is

recommendedwhen weed

pressure is

high, plus

additional

manual or

mechani-

cal weeding

in the early

phases of

crop growth.

Yield decline has also

been experienced after

growing aerobic rice con-tinuously each year on the

same piece of land. Possible

reasons for declining yields

or even failures to grow crops

for the first time in an area

could be soil-borne pests

and diseases such as fungi,

nematodes, and root aphids,

particularly in the tropics.

Current research focuses

on determining the causes of

yield decline under continu-

ous cropping, and on develop-

ing resistant varieties, suitable

management options such as

crop rotation, and integrated

weed management practices.

Latest researchIn the Philippines, par-

ticipatory testing of aerobic

Aerobic rice...from page 1

rice by farmers is being done

in the provinces of Tarlac,

Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and

Bohol. The 2003-05 experi-

ments produced yields of up

to 6.4 tons per hectare. Farm-

ers in India are also tryingout aerobic rice in their fields,

and they have identified well-

performing varieties. Water

savings were also achieved at

3040% for production levels

of 4 tons per hectare. (Learn

more about Indias progress

inRIPPLEVol. 2, No. 2.)

Varieties are being tested

in Lao PDR, while activi-

ties in northeast Thailand

are set to evaluate geno-

types and start on-farm teststo overcome problems of

labor shortage and weeds.

Experiments are actively

ongoing in China, and the

Chinese experience of

developing aerobic rice will

be highlighted at theInterna-

tional Workshop on Aerobic

Rice set for 22-25 October

(see page 7 for details).

Airing out aerobic riceVarious activities are

being done to extend aerobic

rice to farmers. Demon-

strations are being held for

farmers, researchers, and

other stakeholders at most

experimental sites in China,

the Philippines, India, and

Thailand. In the Philippines,

the technology is included in

a number of training pack-

ages on water-saving tech-

nologies in rice production.

Training courses for farm-

ers and irrigation engineers

have been organized at thePhilippine Rice Research

Institute and in several

provinces in the Philippines.

In China, aerobic rice

concepts are circulated

through two national exten-

sion networks. Seminars have

been organized at all sites for

the targeted farming com-

munities. The China Central

Television network, a major

TV network in the country, is

coordinating with the ChinaAgricultural University to

produce a video on aerobic

rice to be shown nationwide.

Internationally, informa-

tion on aerobic rice is shared

through the IRRC and the

CGIAR-Challenge Program

on Water and Food (through

the STAR project). Lectures

have been given in the

Philippines and in Vietnam.

Posters and oral presentations

were given at conventions and

at various Chinese national

conferences and workshops.

With predictions sug-

gesting that many Asian

countries will have severe

water problems by 2025,

aerobic rice gives hope to

farmers who do not have ac-

cess to enough water to grow

flooded lowland rice. The

Water-Saving Work Group

of the IRRC is committed tofur ther developing this new

technology and making it

available to farmers in Asia.

Trina Mendoza(t.mendoza@cgiar.org)

Ruben Lampayan(r.lampayan@cgiar.org)

and Bas Bouman(b.bouman@cgiar.org

Prof. Yang Xiaoguang (left) and Ms. Zhao Junfang(right) from CAU study the panicles of aerobic ricevariety HD502 with Dr. Bas Bouman (center) atChangping Research Station near Beijing.

Farmers experiment with hand dibbling oftropical aerobic rice (Apo variety) in CentralLuzon, Philippines.

WangHu

aqi

Rube

nLam

payan



Research streams

AWD technologygains momentumin Bangladesh

Bangladeshi farmers harvest boro rice under AWD conditions. Thepotential of AWD to reduce water input and its effect on yieldand water productivity depend on soil type, groundwater table depth,and climate.

After years of field tests,

the alternate wetting and

drying (AWD) technology is

now officially promoted by

the Bangladeshi government

and is being adopted by its

farmers.

In December 2005, Dr.

T.P. Tuong, head of the Crop

and Environmental Sciences

Division of the International

Rice Research Institute

(IRRI), made a presentationon water-saving technologies

at the Bangladesh Rice

Research Institutes (BRRI)

Department of Water Man-

agement. Dr. M.A. Sattar,

department head, used some

of the concepts, submitted a

proposal to the government,

and received funds to test

AWD in fields.

Fast forward to February

2007, when Dr. Tuong

conducted a seminar with

nongovernment organizations

(NGOs) to discuss the

implementation of AWD in

farmers fields. These initia-

tives led to the testing of

AWD by the Asian Develop-

ment Bank-funded project

Development and Dissemi-

nation of Water-Saving Rice

Technologies in South Asia,

and the Bangladesh Agricul-

tural Development Corpora-

tion (BADC).

On 14 May, a group of

high-level professionals,

policymakers, and farmersattended a crop-cutting

ceremony at BADCs Madhu-

pur Farm, where AWD is

being tested during the

current boro (winter) season.

The Irrigated Rice Research

Consortium supported the

attendance of Dr. Tuong.

Mr. Md. Abdul Aziz,

secretary of the Ministry of

Agriculture, inaugurated the

harvesting. He asked the

countrys Agriculture Infor-

mation Service to be more

active in promoting the

technology, and st ressed the

Mr. Md. Abdul Aziz, secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (middle),observes the crop grown under AWD conditions. Dr. Hamid Miah, IRRIliaison scientist for Bangladesh (with white hat), and BADC staff lookon.

need to work with NGOs and

other countries. Since AWD

can possibly aggravate weedproblems, he discouraged the

use of herbicides. He empha-

sized that Bangladesh should

save labor by using the

drum seeder for direct

seeding, save urea by using

the leaf color chart, and save

water by adopting AWD to

make rice cultivation more

profitable.

The crop was transplant-

ed on 8 February and grown

under AWD technology. It

needed only 5 irrigations,

while conventional practice

needed 9 irrigations. Under

AWD, paddy yield was 8.4

tons per hectare, while

the conventional practice

produced 8.1 tons per hectare.

After learning about the

yield and water savings, Mr.

Aziz directed the BADC to

validate this method on 1% of

land on its 23 farms all overthe country. He also asked

research and development

organizations of the country

to prepare an action plan

to validate AWD on a wider

scale for the boro season next

year.

The Barendra Multipur-

pose Development Authority

(BMDA), a government

organization, was asked to

adopt AWD more intensively,

because their clients are

farmers who have to pay for

water. Therefore, the BMDAis the perfect body to test the

benefit of the technology. The

Department of Agriculture

Extension (DAE) was asked

to be the lead agency in

different parts of the country

to expose farmers to the

technology, while BRRI was

directed to monitor the

profitability for farmers and

their level of acceptance.

During the conference,

Dr. M. Zainul Abedin, IRRI

representative for Bangladesh

highlighted the background

and need for water-saving

technologies in the country.

Keynote speaker Dr.

Tuong described the details of

water-saving technology

through AWD, and presented

impressive statistics that

highlighted the advantages of

saving water and the associ-

ated irrigation costs. Thetechnique was quite new for

many of the 90 participants

from BADC, DAE, BMDA,

and the other NGOs present.

After Dr. Tuongs presenta-

tion, a discussion was

facilitated by BADC Chair-

man Mr. Abdur Razzaque.

The ceremony created

awareness among the partici-



4/16


The truth about alternate wetting and drying

In alternate wetting

and drying (AWD),

the field is allowed to

dry for a certain number

of days before applying

irrigation water. The number

of days that the soil is left

dry can vary from 1 day

to more than 10 days.

A practical way to im-

plement AWD is to monitor

the depth of the water table

in the field using a perforated

or punctured water tube.

After an irrigation applica-

tion, the field water depth

will gradually decrease in

time. When the water level(as measured in the tube)

is 15 centimeters below the

surface of the soil, it is time

to irrigate and flood the soil

with a depth of around 5

centimeters. Around flower-

ing, from 1 week before to 1

week after the peak of flow-

ering, ponded water should

be kept at a 5-centimeter

depth to avoid any water

stress that would result in

potentially severe yield loss.

The threshold of 15

centimeters is called safe

AWD, because this will not

cause yield decline since the

roots of the rice plants will

take up water from the

saturated soil and the perched

water in the roots. The field

water tube helps farmers see

this hidden source of water.

In safe AWD, water savings

may be relatively small,

around 15%, but yield will not

be smaller. After creating

confidence that safe AWD

does not reduce yield, farmersmay experiment by lowering

the threshold level for

irrigation to 20, 25, or 30

centimeters, or even deeper.

A decrease in yield may be

acceptable when the price of

water is high or when water is

very scarce.

In safe AWD, the follow-

ing rules should be observed.

AWD irrigation can be used

from a few days after trans-

planting (or a 10-centimeter-tall crop after direct seeding)

until first heading. In the

period of first heading to 1

week after flowering, keep the

field flooded at a 5-centimeter

depth. After that, during grain

filling and ripening, apply

AWD again. When many

weeds are present in the early

stages of crop growth, the

implementation of AWD can

AWD technology...from page 3

pants, who expressed opti-

mism about the technology.

Special guests included Dr.

Nur-E-Elahi, BRRI director

general, Dr. Rahim Uddin

Ahmed, DAE directorgeneral, and Mr. Abdul

Mannan, BMDA executive

director.

Dr. M.A. Hamid Miah,

IRRI liaison scientist for

Bangladesh, synthesized the

points of discussion:

a) AWD has reduced the

frequency of irrigation

without affecting yield, and

yield was even a little higher

in AWD-treated fields. Water

saved through this techniquecan help increase the irriga-

tion command area, or the

area served by a specific tube

well, by at least 10%.

b) The cost of irrigation

decreased, reducing farmers

production cost. This haspositive effects for shortages

in diesel fuel and groundwa-

ter depletion.

c) AWD is an easy

technology for farmers to use.

Farmers buying water by

volume are likely to be fast

adopters of this technology.

d) The extra cost of

weeding is compensated for

by saving on fuel cost and

extra yield. Thus, farmers

may not receive cash benefitsimmediately, but large-scale

adoption has a positive

environmental impact

nationally.

Dr. Hamid Miah sug-

gested that partnership be

developed with BADC, BRRI,BMDA, DAE, IRRI, the

Bangladesh Water Develop-

ment Board, Rural Develop-

ment Academy, Local

Government and Engineering

Department (LGED), elec-

tronic media, and NGOs.

In another event, Dr.

Tuong presented an invited

seminar for the scientific

community on technologies

for efficient use of water in

rice production at the Bangla-desh Agriculture Research

Council on 15 May. It drew

around 60 scientists and

managers in the water and

agricultural sectors, and was

well covered by the media.

The seminar promoted furtherawareness on water manage-

ment issues and presented the

Water-Saving Work Groups

efforts to help solve them.

A training course on

AWD is being planned for

August this year at BRRI, to

be facilitated by Dr. Ruben

Lampayan (IRRC Water Sav-

ing WG leader) and scientists

of BRRIs Department of

Water Management.

M.A. Hamid Miah(h_miah@irribd.org) and

T.P. Tuong (t.tuong@cgiar.org)photos by M. Abdul Mannan

be postponed for 23 weeks

until weeds have beensuppressed by the ponded

water. Under safe AWD, no

special nitrogen (N) manage-

ment routine is needed and

local recommendations for

flooded rice can be used.

Apply N fertilizer preferably

on the dry soil just before

irrigation is applied.

Bas Bouman(b.bouman@cgiar.org)

BANGLADESHThis AWD field (on the right) received only 5 irrigationsand produced paddy yield of 8.4 tons per hectare, while the conven-tionally flooded field (on the left), had 9 irrigations and yielded 8.1tons per hectare.

M.

AbdulMannan



The pursuit of water-savingcontinues in Vietnam

S

ince 2005, the Water-

Saving Work Group

of the Irrigated RiceResearch Consortium (IRRC)

has established activities on

water management and water-

saving in rice in the Mekong

Delta in collaboration with

Vietnams Plant Protection

Department (PPD).

After an initial field

visit of staff from the Interna-

tional Rice Research Institute

(IRRI) to the Central Delta

region and a 1-day work-

shop at Long Xuyen in AnGiang Province in January

2005, the PPD and An Giang


organized a series of train-

ing activities for farmers and

established demonstration

fields on alternate wetting

and drying (AWD) technol-

ogy. Subsequent outreach

activities resulted in 161

farmers testing AWD on 168

hectares in 11 districts of An

Giang in the winter 2005/

spring 2006 seasons, followed

by around 1,500 farmers on

1,700 hectares in the sum-

mer of 2006. In Tien Giang,

31 farmers tried out AWD in

the summer, while 51 tested

it in the autumn of 2006. In

central Vietnam, PPD also

tested AWD in Quang Nam,

Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An.

In outreach activities,

AWD technology wasintegrated in the successful

Three Reductions, Three

Gains program, which

proved to be a good example

of the integrated crop man-

agement approach. By asking

farmers to record all opera-

tions, inputs, and outputs

obtained during the cropping

season, this gave them an idea

of the yield obtained and

yield-contributing factors,

and if there were any savings

in water and irrigation (pump-

ing) costs.

An initial analysis of

data from around 900 farmer

respondents in the summer

of 2006 in An Giang con-

firmed that AWD reduced

water use and pumping costs.

AWD farmers had, on aver-

age, two pumping operations

(to irrigate their fields) less

than the regular practice of

continuous flooding, savingaround 200,000 Vietnamese

Dong (US$13) per hectare.

Yields were significantly

higher with AWD (5.63 tons

per hectare) than with the

regular practice (5.36 tons per

hectare), although in absolute

terms, the differences were

quite small. An important

factor contributing to higher

yields under AWD manage-

ment seemed to be a decrease

in lodging (rice plants falling

over), which is often as-

sociated with wet seeding,

commonly practiced in the

Mekong Delta. With AWD,

lodging was on average 10%,

whereas, with standard prac-

tice, it was on average 19%.

In late 2006, an extensive

baseline survey was done in

the Mekong Delta area where

farmers are adopting AWD,

to determine their attitudes

toward and practices forwater management. With the

initial promising results of

AWD in the Mekong Delta,

plans were developed to

take water-saving technolo-

gies to other parts of Viet-

nam where water is scarcer

than in the Mekong Delta.

On 6 March, Dr. T.P.

Tuong, head of the Crop and

Environmental Sciences

Division of IRRI, gave a

presentation on Water-saving

irrigation: from research to

technology dissemination,focusing on AWD, at the Soil

and Fertilizer Research

Institute (SFRI). The seminar

was organized by the Vietnam

Academy of Agricultural

Sciences (VAAS) and was

attended by some 30 leaders

and scientists from VAAS,

SFRI, PPD, the Directorate of

Science and Technology of

MARD, Food Crops Research

Institute (FCRI), the Depart-

ment of Agriculture, Depart-ment of Agricultural Exten-

sion, and Hanoi Agricultural

University.

On 3 May, Dr. Bas Bou-

man (IRRI), Dang Thanh

Phong (provincial PPD),

and Le Quoc Cuong (PPD)

organized a 1-day training

course and workshop on water

management and water-sav-

ing technologies hosted by

the Northern Regional Plant

Protection Center in Hung

Yen Province. Some 40

participants from provincial

PPDs in the Red River Delta

attended the training, as well

as representatives from FCRI,

SFRI, and World Vision.

The training included

lectures on AWD and on

sound water management

practices such as land level-

ing, bund maintenance, and

construction of field channels.After the lectures, a forum

was organized, followed by a

short brainstorming with the

participants on the usefulness

and potential dissemination

of the presented technologies

in their own regions in the

Red River Delta. At the end

of the day, posters and fold-

ers in Vietnamese and tubes

BasBoum

an


MEKONG DELTAThe perched tube is asimple tool used in implementing AWDfor deciding when to irrigate fields.


6/16


to monitor field water depth

to assist in the implementa-

tion of AWD were distr ib-

uted to all the participants.

Three VAAS institutes

have expressed great inter-est in contributing to further

research, scientific develop-

ment, and dissemination of

water-saving technologies in

Vietnam (especially AWD):

FCRI, SFRI, and the North-

ern Mountainous Agriculture

and Forestry Institute (NO-

MAFSI). During a meeting at

FCRI on 2 May, Dr. Bouman

met with VAAS President

Dr. Nguyen Van Bo, FCRI

Director Dr. Nguyen VanTuat, SFRI Director Dr. Bui

Huy Hien, and several staff

members to discuss further

collaboration on water man-

agement. The first research

already began at SFRI in

2005 with field experiments

that looked at the integrated

effects of AWD and improved

nutrient management on rice

production at three loca-

tions in Vietnam. This was

an activity with the IRRC

Productivity and Sustain-

ability Work Group. In May

2007, plans were made to star tfield experiments on AWD

under different water table

depths at the research station

of FCRI at Gialoc, Haiduong.

Exciting opportunities

were identified to link the

IRRC Water-Saving Work

Group with another consor-

tium hosted by IRRIthe

Consortium for Unfavor-

able Rice Environments

(CURE)through collabora-

tion with VAAS-NOMAFSIin the mountainous regions

of northern Vietnam. One of

the projects under the um-

brella of CURE is par t of the

Challenge Program on Water

and Food. One of the projects

aims is to disseminate water

management technologies

for rice to increase water

productivity and make better

The pursuit...from page 6

use of scarce water resources.

During a project field trip to

Yen Bai Province on 4-7 May,

technologies developed by the

Work Group, such as AWDand aerobic rice, were identi-

fied as very promising options

for farmers growing lowland

rice in inland valleys or on

terraces on sloping hillsides.

Plans were drafted for the es-

tablishment of demonstration

fields of AWD and partici-

patory variety selection for

aerobic rice for the spring rice

crop in 2007 and 2008. Also,

further experimentation on

AWD and/or aerobic rice can

be pursued at the research sta-

tion of NOMAFSI at Phu ThoAs follow-up to these

developments on water-saving

technologies at the VAAS in-

stitutes, a training course and

planning workshop are set for

September or October 2007.

Bas Bouman (b.bouman@cgiarorg), T.P. Tuong (t.tuong@cgiar

org), and Ruben Lampayan(r. lampayan@cgiar.org

The China Agricultural

University (CAU)

and the International

Rice Research Institute

(IRRI) will organize the

International Workshop

on Aerobic Rice on 22-

25 October in Beijing,

China. This workshopis a joint undertaking of

the Water-Saving Work

Group of the Irrigated Rice

Research Consortium and

the project Developing

a System of Temperate

and Tropical Aerobic Rice

(STAR) in Asia of the

CGIAR-Challenge Program

on Water and Food.

The workshop will bring

Aerobic rice workshop in October 2007together breeders and scien-

tists who are working on the

development and dissemina-

tion of aerobic rice in Asia.

During the workshop,

participants will present and

discuss results from past

years of research on variety

development; water, crop,and nutrient management;

mapping of yield potentials

and water needs of aerobic

rice; socioeconomic analy-

sis of farming households

growing aerobic rice; and

adoption of aerobic rice.

With China being the

host country for this work-

shop, special attention will

be given to the Chinese

experience with aerobic

rice. Expected outputs of

the workshop will be shared

learning about aerobic rice

development, identified

target domains for aerobic

rice in Asia, and identified

new priorities for research.

The working language

will be English, for both oral

presentations and poster

sessions.

Extension materials developed by the Work Group have beentranslated into the local language and intensively used by extensionworkers and farmers in Vietnam.

BasBouman

In China: Dr. Tao Hongbin,

secretariat of the Organizing

Committee in China, China

Agricultural University, Bei-

jing, 100094 China.

Tel: 86-10-62733761

Fax: 86-10-62731298

E-mail: hongbintao@cau.edu.

cn

At IRRI, Philippines: Mrs.

Lolit Adriano, secretariat of

the Organizing Committee

at IRRI.

Tel: +62 (2) 580-5600

Fax: +63 (2) 580 5699

E-mail: l.adriano@cgiar.org

For more information, contact



Ripples of change

Integrated weed management in Nepal

As part of the

continuing effort of

the Irrigated Rice

Research Consortiums

(IRRC) program to build

capacity, it stretches itshelping hand to Nepal, where

the rice-wheat cropping

system is common.

Weeds are among the

major constraints in the rice-

wheat system. To address

this problem, 15 of Nepals

researchers and technical

officers were equipped with

knowledge and understand-

ing about weeds and their

ecology and control.

The training on integrat-ed weed management was

conducted on 25-27 April. It

was spearheaded by Dr. Jagat

Ranjit of Nepals National

Agricultural Research

Council in collaboration with

David Johnson and Joel

Janiya of the IRRC Labor

Productivity Work Group, andthe International Fund for

Agricultural Development.

Topics covered in the

training were introduction to

weed management, weed

identification and classifica-

tion, weed population dynam-

ics and survival, crop-weed

interaction, tillage-weed

interaction, weed control

methods, and herbicide

application.

The team of trainersincluded Dr. Dharma Raj

Dangol, who delivered a

lecture on weed identification

and herbarium preparation;

Dr. Madhav Joshi, who gave a

talk on tillage-weed interac-

tion; and Dr. Ranjit, who gave

a lecture on the positive valueof weeds, weeds associated

with different crops, and

herbicide use in Nepal. Dr.

JoelJaniya

Dr. David Johnson (middle) shows how to usea sprayer properly when applying herbicides.

Humans outsmarting rats in Vietnam

Johnson and Mr. Janiya

presented a range of topics

that included hands-on

exercises and group discus-

sion.

Joel Janiya ( j.janiya@cgiarorg) and David Johnson

(d.johnson@cgiar.org

Vietnamese farmers in

the provinces of Ha

Nam and An Giang

collectively practice control

actions against rodents, one

of the top three pests in the

country. Community action

and the use of the community

trap barrier system are

the key management

strategies implemented in

Vietnam and Indonesia by

the project Sustainable

implementation of ecological

rodent management. This

is funded by the Australian

Centre for International

Agricultural Research.The projects objectives

are related to the goals of the

Irrigated Rice Research

Consortium, particularly in

disseminating mature lowland

rice technologies. IRRC

Coordinator Dr. Grant

Singleton, a rodent expert, is

the project leader at the


Institute.

Now in its second year,

the project held a review and

planning workshop for

Vietnam in Ha Nam Provinceon 19-20 April to discuss the

lessons learned from activi-

ties in 2006what needs to

be improved, what went well,

and what to do for 2007 and

beyond. A few days before the

meeting, a training event on

the biology of rats and

ecologically based rodent

management (EBRM) was

conducted by Dr. Peter Brown

of the Australian Common-

wealth Scientific and Re-

search Organisation (CSIRO),

together with Dr. NguyenTuan of the Plant Protection

Institute (PPI). The partici-

pants were staff of provincial

plant protection departments

(PPD) and plant protection

stations of the district sites,

and village extension officers.

Dr. Peter Roebeling

of CSIRO (project coor-

dinator) and Mr. Huan

of PPD South organized

the workshop, assisted by

Mr. Tran Thanh Tung.

Dr. Roebeling gave an

overview of the workshops

objectives. Results of the

projects first year of imple-

mentation were presented

by Ms. Nga of Ha Nam and

Mr. Lam of An Giang. Dr.

Florencia Palis presented

initial results of the survey

on knowledge, attitudes, and

practices in Ha Nam and An

Giang. Interestingly, farm-

ers identified television and

video as preferred pathways

for receiving information on

new technologies. Develop-

ing a video will help exten-sion staff promote EBRM

among farmers in Vietnam.

Scaling-up of project

activities to the government

and nongovernment orga-

nizations, and institutions

in other districts, is the top

priority for this year, with

scaling-out to farmers set

for the following year.

Florencia Palis (f.palis@cgiar.org

AnGi a

ng

sub

-PPD

Farmers in An Giang, Vietnam, floodthe burrows of rats, one of their tradi-tional methods of rodent management.


8/16


Fun-filled farmers field day and forum

One bright, summer

day in San Jacinto,

Pangasinan Province,Philippines, farmers

and scientists gathered

enthusiastically for a farmers

field day and forum on rice-

growing technologies. About

148 farmers, local government

staff, extension specialists,

and municipal agriculturists

from five towns came on 9

March, along with 9 guests

from the Irrigated Rice

Research Consortium (IRRC),

Philippine Rice Research

Institute (PhilRice), and the


(DA). The event was made

possible through partnership

among the local government

unit of Barangay Lobong, San

Jacinto; PhilRice; and the


Institute through the IRRC.

Participants first vis-

ited the rice field of farmer

Francisco Aquino, a farmer-partner who began using site-

specific nutrient management

(SSNM) in November 2006.

After a ceremonial harvest-

ing of his crops, a lively

forum between farmers and

experts began. The experts on

the panel were Engr. Aurora

Corales and Mr. Rolando San

Gabriel of PhilRice, munici-

pal agriculture officer Floren-

tino Batin, DA regional field

unit representative Wilfredo

Pallaya, and Mr. Joel Janiya,

Dr. Ruben Lampayan, and Dr.Grant Singleton of the IRRC.

Questions varied from

fighting leaf blight disease

(the yellowing and wilting of

leaves and seedlings) to the

inevitable global warming

concern. Regarding the attack

of tungro, a viral disease

caused by green and zig-

zag leafhoppers, Mr. Janiya

advised farmers to practice

synchronous planting, which

means planting areas within

2 weeks of each other. Dr.

Lampayan, on the question

of how much fertilizer is

needed and when to apply

it, advocated use of the leaf

color chart and SSNM as a

guide to help farmers make

fertilizer recommendations

for their own fields. When

asked how to manage their rat

problems, Dr. Singleton said

that the trap barrier system

is only one tool that is idealfor severe infestations, and

he encouraged the whole

community to participate.

He emphasized further that

farmers should first learn the

rats breeding system and its

relationship with its environ-

ment, to know when and how

to manage its population.

Engr. Corales urged

farmers to shop for ideas

on technologies during

events such as this, and to

cooperate and help each

other. When you do things

together, hand in hand, no

one will stumble, she said.

(Get to know more about

technology promotion expertAurora Corales on page 13.)

As the forum came to a

close near noon, it was clear

that, based on the turnout of

participants and the spirited

discussion among them, the

farmers in Pangasinan were

receptive and eager for

effective rice-growing

technologies and venues such

as this to learn them from.

Text and photos by TrinaMendoza (t.mendoza@cgiar.org

Farmer-partner Francisco Aquino shares his experiences with SSNM.Last year, he harvested 4.4 tons from his 1-hectare field using traditionalpractices. This year, he harvested 4.8 tons using SSNM. He is now excitedto try the alternate wetting and drying technology.

IRRCs Dr. Ruben Lampayan (second from right) and Dr. GrantSingleton (extreme right) look at a collage of pictures showingactivities by the local government unit, PhilRice, and IRRI.



Hermetic storage: a hot topicin Indonesia

D

ecision-makers

and researchers

from nationaland provincial research

institutions from West

Java, South Sumatra,

North Sumatra, and

South Sulawesi,

extension workers

from West Java,

and distributors of

hermetic storage systems

from the Philippines and

Indonesia gathered on 24

March at ICFORD, Bogor,

to discuss issues andstrategies to disseminate

hermetic storage systems

to farmers in Indonesia.

Five years of research

at the International Rice

Research Institute (IRRI) and

three years in Indonesia have

shown that hermetic or air-

tight storage can help double

the life of rice seeds, main-

tain good milling quality,

and protect grains from pests

such as insects and rodents,

without using pesticides. In

a hermetic storage system

such as the IRRI Super Bag,

the atmosphere inside the

storage container is modified

through biological activities

in the grain and respiration

of insects, resulting in a

drop in oxygen and increase

in carbon dioxide levels. In

this modified atmosphere,

insects cannot survive.The meeting was con-

ducted as part of the Irrigated

Rice Research Consortium

(IRRC) activities in Indone-

sia. It was organized by the

IRRI Indonesia office and

hosted by the Indonesian Cen-

ter for Food Crop Research

and Development (ICFORD).

During the meeting, research-

ers from the Indonesian Cen-

ter for Postharvest Research

and Development (ICAPRD),

the Indonesian Center for

Rice Research (ICRR), and

the provincial technology

assessment centers (BPTPs)

in Medan, Makassar, and

Palembang gave updates on

research findings in Indone-

sia. IRRI provided a summary

of findings in other countries.

Representatives from Grain-

pro Inc., the international sup-

plier of commercial hermetic

storage systems and the IRRI

Super Bag, and from the

Agribusiness Club Jakarta,

distributor of the locally made

hermetic bagKantong Semar,introduced their products.

Participants agreed

that hermetic storage is a

practical technology that

can improve storage of rice

seeds, paddy, and other

crops. Several private seed

companies in Indonesia

have already started buying

hermetic storage systems,

but the anticipated adop-

tion of farmers still requires

public-sector involvement in

the promotion and dissemi-

nation of the technology.In the afternoon ses-

sion, the 40 participants

identified additional adap-

tive research needs and

discussed issues related

to national dissemination

to farming communities.

As an immediate follow-

up, a research team was

formed to collect region-

specific data on potential

target groups and their

existing storage practices.Standardization of testing

methods and hermetic storage

systems was another impor-

tant issue to be addressed.

Providing training to

farmer intermediaries and

farmers is critical for a

successful introduction of

the technology. This can becomplemented with informa-

tion dissemination through

the Indonesian Rice Knowl-

edge Bank. For national

dissemination, the hermetic

storage systems can be intro-

duced through the Indonesian

Prima Tani Program, which

focuses on accelerating the

transfer of research results

to Indonesian farmers.

Martin Gummer(m.gummert@cgiar.org

The farmer-friendly Super Bag is aperfect sample of hermetic orairtight storage. It costs onlyUS$1.10, and fits as a liner insideexisting storage bags..

New edition of Rice:A Practical Guide to Nutrient

ManagementEdited by T. Fairhurst, C. Witt, R. Buresh, and A. Dobermann

T

his 2nd edition of

the practical guide

became necessary

to be consistent with newer

developments on site-specific

nutrient management.

The pocket-sized guide

introduces the concept of

yield gaps and the underly-

ing constraints. The func-

tions of each nutrient are

explained in detail, with a

description of the deficiency

symptoms and recommended

strategies for improved

nutrient management. The47-page color annex provides

a pictorial guide to the

identification of nutrient

deficiencies in rice.

This 2nd edition is

about to be translated into

several languages, includ-

ing Bangla, Chinese, Hindi,

Indonesian, and Vietnamese.

To make this guide as

widely accessible as possi-

ble, the publishers decided not

only to sell the guide through

their Web sites and book-stores, but also to make the

guide available in electronic

format (pdf ) at the Web sites

of IRRI (www.irri.org) and

the Southeast Asia Program of

IPNI and IPI (www.ipni.net/

seasia) using a Creative Com-

mons attribution-noncom-

mercial-share alike license:

http://creativecommons.

org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0.

IRRI


10/16


Rice science and farmers

Waves of action

When, in 1961, the

International Rice

Research Institute

rose from Higamot Hill,

which was once a rustic area

planted to coconuts, citrus,

bananas, and pineapples,

a well-known Filipino

educator who was visiting

the place said: SomehowI find it difficult to see the

connection between this

20th-century Institute and

the man who plants r ice.

Five years after that remark,

IRRI turned over to the

Philippine government 50

tons of IR8 seeds. In addition,

IRRI distributed 5 tons in

two-kilogram packages to

the first 2,359 farmers to

request such seed in person

at the Institute. The press

popularized these seeds as

miracle rice. It was said that

within exactly a year of the

release of IR8 seeds, adequate

seed supplies were available

to meet local demand. This

was also the start of a new

era, dubbed as the Green

Revolution, in the deliberate

and intensified connection

between rice science and

the rice farmer. These seedsand their many successors,

which are the products of

rice science, have reached

farmers even in remote areas.

Some insightful les-

sons, experiences, observa-

tions, and research findings

from relevant R&D activi-

ties are cited here to illus-

trate what the new thinking

contributes to the knowl-

edge-intensive character

of emerging rice cultural

management practices.

Integrated pestmanagement (IPM)

The concept of IPM is

intellectually seductive. It is

not a package of technology

for pest control. It involves

new ways of thinking, seeing,and doing things not only on

the part of farmers but of ex-

tension workers, researchers,

policymakers, and the pesti-

cide industry. IRRIs perspec-

tive on IPM includes the basic

premise that no single pest

control method can be suc-

cessful over a long period of

time. IPM combines resistant

cultivars, agronomic practices

known to reduce losses due

to pests, and conservation

practices that preserve and

increase natural enemies.

Integrated nutrientmanagement (INM)

The simple rule, Feed

the rice plant as needed is a

very appropriate description

of INM. It applies to nutri-

ents, water, and pesticides,and implies timing, amounts,

and what inputs to feed. This

is quite a contrast to the blan-

ket prescriptions for fertilizer

applications of yesteryear.

The current concept is site-

specific nutrient management

(SSNM), which is an infor-

mation- and technology-based

agricultural management sys-

tem to identify, analyze, and

manage site soil, spatial, and

temporal variability within

fields for optimum profitabil-

ity, sustainability, and protec-

tion of the environment.

In this approach, farm-

ers knowledge and experi-

ence become vital for the

efficient management of

nutrients in these environ-

ments. It is a knowledge-intensive process for both

scientists and farmers.

The leaf color chart

and the minus-one element

technique are examples of

simple tools that deliver

simple messages to farmers

to assist them in making deci-

sions about when, how much,

and what nutr ients to apply.

Controlled irrigationand water-saving

Rice is a thirsty crop

and the production of 1

kilogram of rice requires

an average of 3,000 liters of

water. Increasing scarcity of

water has brought water-sav-

ing technology in the form

of controlled irrigation to a

test for farmers adaptation

and adoption using a farmer

participatory approach. Con-

trolled irrigation, also knownas alternate wetting and

drying, entails an irrigation

schedule in which, contrary

to the normal practice of con-

tinuous flooding, water is ap-

plied to the field a number of

days after the disappearance

of ponded water. Just like pes-

ticides and fertilizers, water

must now be used judiciously,

Gone are the heydays of scientists old blanket prescriptions on pest

control and fertilizer application. A paradigm shift from prescriptions to

decisions has occurred, and this is proven by new concepts and technologies

that are often shared with farmers using the participatory approach. In this

chapter of her book Rice in Our Life, Philippine national scientist and

outstanding rural sociologist Dr. Gelia Castillo talks about rice sciencetechnologies and products, including some of the IRRC technologies.


Researcher Bong Villareal shows how to catch insects during the IRRIRice Production Course in 2006. She emphasized IPM principles ofdistinguishing pests from predators and using chemicals for pestcontrol as the last resort.



but the use of irrigation water

is much more difficult to

control because it is a com-

mon property resource that is

often collectively managed.

After a 3-year implemen-

tation of controlled irrigation

in a study in Tarlac, Philip-pines, farmers found no yield

difference between their

practice and that of controlled

irrigation using less water.

Water savings were about

2030% compared with their

traditional practice. Con-

trolled irrigation saved time,

labor, and expenses because

farmers did not spend as

much time in irrigation.

Seeing is believing is notenough

Based on what we have

learned from IPM, INM, and

collective action experiences,

seeing is believing will no

longer suffice. Some, if not

most, of what is involved

in integrated crop manage-

ment, in growing a healthy

crop with minimal health and

environmental costs, is not

going to be directly visible

to the naked eye and will not

always be immediately expe-

rienced. Seeing and thinking

not only in the abstract but

also in the future must be

learned. The pedagogy of this

learning process, particularly

the social learning part, has

scarcely begun to unravel.

We know, however, that

we need to make significant

additions to the old adage To

see is to believe such asTo do is to believe;

to use is to believe;

to know is to believe;

to understand is to

believe; but

to adapt is to succeed for

adaptation localizes the

application of ecological

principles and the practice of

technology.

Gelia Castillo, photos by TrinaMendoza

A quest to increase Indonesiasnational rice supply

An estimated 1015%

of the rice produced

by Indonesian

farmers does not reach the

market because postharvest

losses are high. These losses

consist of shattered grains

during harvesting and

transport, grains eaten by

animals and spilled in sun-

drying, and losses in rice

mills due to poor equipment,

poor maintenance, and low-

quality raw material (paddy).

In addition, the remaining

rice that reaches the market

is often of poor quality with

low head rice, many broken

grains, wrong moisture

content, and discolored grains

from delays in postharvest

operations and improper

drying. The poor quality

grain is often downgradedto Grade 3, which sells

at highly discounted

prices, typically around

20% less than Grade 1.

Improved postharvest

management and technologies

can therefore help increase

the milled rice available in

the country and can signifi-

cantly lead to better qual-

ity and healthier rice.

The Postproduction Work

Group of the Irrigated Rice

Research Consortium cur-

rently contributes to reducing

postharvest losses in Indone-

sia by piloting hermetically

sealed storage systems in

collaboration with the As-

sessment Institute of Agri-

cultural Technology (BPTP)

in North Sumatra, South

Sumatra, West Java, and

South Sulawesi. These storage

systems include the Super

Bag orKantong Semarwith

a 50-kilogram capacity for

the village level, and larger

commercial systems with

5200-ton capacity for the

commercial sector. The seeds

kept in hermetic storage forthe next seasons crop keep

their germination rate above

90% even after extended stor-

age, and thus ensure even and

vigorous crop establishment.

This leads to reduced seed

rates and higher yields com-

pared to normal seeds. Paddy

that is kept in hermetic stor-

age before milling typically

results in milled rice having

10% higher whole grain than

paddy from open storage.The Work Group, in col-

laboration with BPTP South

Sumatra and the South Suma-

tra Forest Fire Management

Project, also supports the

introduction and adaptation of

flat-bed dryers for mechanical

drying of paddy. The dryers

can be used by rice millers,

traders, drying service pro-

viders, and farmers groups.

These dryers improve the

quality of paddy compared

to the traditional sun-drying

method, and thus increase the

milling recoveries and head

rice recoveries of rice mills.

Text and photos byMartin Gummer

(m.gummert@cgiar.org

Hermetic storage system with 5-ton capacity for seeds

used by a farmers group in Compreng, Subang, West Java.

Inspecting a dryer installed at the farmer processing center at UpangVillage in South Sumatra.


12/16


A different take onpest management

A2-week training

onEcological

management of

pests (rodents, insects,

and weeds)biological,

economic, and social

dimensions was held at IRRI

on 19-30 March. This was an

innovative and broad-reaching

workshop because integrated

ecological approaches to pest

management rarely include a

combination of rodent, insect,

and weed management, as

well as social and cultural

dimensions of technology

transfer. The aim of the

workshop was to foster the

importance of population

ecology in pest management,

with an emphasis on

farmer participatory

research as a foundation

for technology transfer.

During the course,

participants were able to

acquire knowledge and skills

in using scientific approaches

and computer technologies

to study pest management

at an agroecosystem level.

The course also included an

understanding of the differ-

ent processes and factors that

influenced farmers decision

making in pest manage-

ment, in which participants

developed different ways to

effectively t ransfer knowledge

to target end-users. A field

excursion to interview local

farmers using their newly ac-

quired skills was a highlight

for many of the part icipants.

Fourteen participants

from Belgium, Cambodia,

China, India, Myanmar,

Pakistan, the Philippines,

United Kingdom, and Viet-

nam attended and success-fully completed the course.

There were two PhD students:

Vincent Sluydts working in

Tanzania in eastern Africa

and Alex Stuart working in

Baler, Aurora Province, in the

Philippines. Unfortunately,

two of our colleagues from

Africa had to withdraw a few

days before the course began.

The course was facili-

tated by Dr. Grant Singleton,

who was also the coursecoordinator, and Professor

Charles Krebs (emeritus

professor, University of

British Columbia, Cana-

da). There was an impres-

sive lineup of an enthu-

siastic team of resource

people (from IRRI unless

otherwise indicated):

Dr. Lyn Hinds (CSIRO

Entomology, Australia),

Dr. David Johnson, Dr.

Yolanda Chen, Dr. K.L.

Heong, Professor Zhang

Zhibin (Institute of Zool-

ogy, China), Dr. Bhagirath

Chauhan, Dr. Debbie Temple-

ton, Dr. Noel Magor, Dr. Flor

Palis, Mr. Arnold Manza, Ms.

Jo Catindig, Mr. Joel Janiya,

Ms. Arelene Malabayabas,

and Ms. Trina Mendoza.

Engr. Eugene Castro, Jr.,

completed a monumental task

in facilitating the training

across such a wide range of

disciplines. And, despite the

competing demands on his

time, he did this with tremen-

dous enthusiasm and some-how continued to be smiling

at the end of the two weeks!

The participants found

the training course to be

challenging but in a positive

way. They rated it as a great

success. We are confident

that the participants will

be excellent emissaries for

what we see as an exciting

advance in pest management

over the next decadecom-

munity-based ecological

management. Community in

this context has a deliberate

double meaning; a community

of smallholder families in-

volved in the management of

a community of pest species

(insects, rodents, and weeds).

The main sponsors for

the course were the IrrigatedRice Research Consortium,

the Institute of Zoology of

the Chinese Academy of

Sciences, LEARN IT (Link-

ing Extension and Research

Needs through Informa-

tion Technology), and the

Rice-Wheat Consortium.

Grant Singleton(g.singleton@cgiar.org)

photos from IRRI Training Cente

Dr. David Johnson explains the effect of water depth on weeds.

Participants explore the secret livesof rats.

The participants, resource team, IRRI Training Center coordinators,and IRRI Director General Dr. Robert Zeigler (middle, bottom row).



Getting her hands dirty

Nueva Ecija

is often

referred to

as the rice bowl

of the Philippines,since it is the largest

province and biggest

rice producer in

the Central Luzon

region. Rightfully so,

Nueva Ecija is home

to the Philippine Rice

Research Institute

(PhilRice), the

countrys lead agency

for the planning,

coordination,

implementation, andmonitoring of all rice research

and development activities.

The famous rice-producing

province is also called

home by one of PhilRices

top technology promotion

experts, Engr. Aurora Corales.

Engr. Corales, or Au,

is a senior science research

specialist at the Technology

Management and Services

Division of PhilRice. She

handles the integrated area-

based technology promo-

tion project, which aims to

make the most of the r ice

and rice-based technolo-

gies developed by PhilRice

through innovative strategies

and partnerships with local

government units, nongovern-

ment organizations, and the

private sector. This project is

being implemented in close

coordination with the branchstations of PhilRice in differ-

ent provinces. The collabora-

tion between PhilRice and the


Institute on the development

and promotion of improved

technologies on rice produc-

tion falls under this project.

In addition, the technol-

ogy promotion activities

within Central Luzon and

Pangasinan Province are also

under her study leadership.

With all the responsibilities

under her belt, not a week

goes by that Engr. Corales

doesnt head to one of the

branch stations or farmers

fields to monitor the projects.

Out in the field, she

provides technical assis-

tance to partners, conducts

hands-on training on tech-

nologies, and holds consul-

tation meetings to identify

key production constraints.

The PhilRice group is also

responsible for conduct-

ing farmers field days and

information campaigns, such

as the successful Boo Boo

Rat campaign (seeRat patrol

in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

inRIPPLEVol. 1, No. 3).

Her efforts are now pay-

ing off. Year 2006 was a goodone for her, as she received

the 2006 Pagasa Award, a

nationwide competition held

yearly by the governments

civil service commission.

Her division also bagged the

Outstanding Division award

at PhilRices 21st anniversary

celebration, and she, as Out-

standing R&D staff (level 2).

It is difficult doing

technology promotion

because we are dealing with

different personalities, Engr.

Corales says. Some farmers

are more receptive than

others. But it is very fulfillingbecause we see that we are

serving and helping them.

When I go to the fields, they

ask so many questions. This is

probably why I got pulled into

this kind of work.

This agricultural engi-

neer started off as a statisti-

cian in 1982 at the Philip-

pine Cotton Corporation in

Pangasinan, where she met

her husband, Rizal. When I

was studying for my mastersdegree in rural develop-

ment, I didnt realize that I

was already shifting careers.

I was then working with

community organizers in my

office at the Philippine Rural

Reconstruction Movement,

and they were using differ-

ent terms in the local dialect.

It was a shocking experi-

ence for me, she reveals.

Nowadays, Engr. Corales

is most comfortable deal-

ing with farmers, especially

since her father is a farmer

as well. Another hobby that

she finds comfort and peace

from is gardening. My

husband and I enjoy work-ing together in our small

garden, she shares. When I

wake up each morning, I look

at my plants and see if they

have any beautiful flowers.

This mother of three girls

hopes to continue her studies

in community development,

so she can better equip herself

to help farmers. Our farmers

are in a continuous cycle of

debt. The sad thing is most of

the proceeds of sellingpalay(rice grains) will be used to

pay their loans, she says.

Her advice to Filipino

farmers is to cooperate with

one another to help uplift

their sector. Do not rely only

on the government for you to

progress; continue to strive

hard and not give up because

of poverty, she says. Many

technologies have been dis-

covered to help in rice-grow-

ing; let us not waste them.

Trina Mendoza(t.mendoza@cgiar.org

Profiles

Au in her element: Getting her hands dirty is an ordinary thing forEngr. Au Corales, as she promotes rice technologies to farmers (topphoto), and while relaxing and caring for her plants.


14/16


The doctor is out and about

It was a long journey

indeed for this medical

doctor turned secretary

general of the Myanmar

Rice and Paddy Traders

Association (MRPTA) torealize his true calling. As

diverse as these disciplines

are, one thing remains

constantDr. Myo Aung

Kyaws concern for people,

especially the poor.

He received his medical

degree in 1984 and opened

his own clinic in 1985 in his

hometown in Pathein, Ayeyar-

waddy Division (in Myanmar,

a division refers to a province

or state). Around 250 patientssought his care every day,

30% free of charge (includ-

ing monks and other religious

people, and the poor and old

patients), and his clinic turned

into a small hospital. I was

like a robot and had no time

to rest, no time to spend withmy family, even to take care

of my parents when they be-

came ill, narrates Dr. Kyaw.

That was the time he began

thinking of shifting from pri-

vate practice to government

service, and pursuing his

dream of becoming a surgeon.

So he worked under the

governments Minist ry of

Health from 1990 to 1997,

and, although he planned

to take clinical subjects,

he was assigned to handle

administrative matters such

as promotion and transfer

of employees, budgets, and

training. In 1994, he receivedhis diploma in management

and administ ration at the Yan-

gon Institute of Economics.

While working in the

government, his fathers

health worsened and he had

to take over two rice mills

of medium-scale capac-

ity in Pathein. He opened

a wholesale market cen-

ter in Yangon in 1995.

It was in 1997 when the

former chair of the MRPTAapproached Dr. Kyaw dur-

ing a rice-trading affair and

invited him to become a

member. He accepted, and the

rest, as they say, is history.

Now, Dr. Kyaw is the

secretary general of the orga-

nization, and he finds fulfill-ment in his pursuit to uplift

the livelihood of poor farm-

ers. The MRPTAs mission

is to create a fair and free rice

market trading environment

not only locally but also with

export markets that is in line

with government policy, he

explains. We aim to help rice

producers increase their trad-

ing volume of rice and rice

products, and we take part

in implementing government

economic policy guidelines

by cooperating with govern-

ment agencies and nongov-ernment organizations.

Part of Dr. Kyaws duties

include conducting training

and seminars on postharvest

technologies for farmers and

private entrepreneurs. In early

February, the MRPTA spon-

sored a seminar on rice pro-

duction technology in Nat Ta

Lin, West Bago, with the Thit

Cho Government Seed Farm

of the Myanma Agricultural

Services. In March, Dr. Kyaw

went to Mandalay, the upper

part of Myanmar, to present

a seminar on postharvest and

grain-drying technology. He

also recently gave a lecture on

commercial dryers in May in

Ayeyarwaddy, Bago, Manda-

lay, and Yangon divisions.

Although his tasks are

demanding, they arent as

time-consuming as when he

was still working round theclock as a doctor. He now has

time for his family

and for hobbies such

as gardening, traveling, pho-

tography, reading, and medi-

tating. A cert ified homebody,

Dr. Kyaw recounts a summer

holiday that didnt go quite as

planned. My family plannedto go to the beach for 4 days,

to go swimming and play

football. But, after one night,

we got bored and decided to

go home. We were happier

at home, he recalls fondly.

His plans for MRPTA,

though, are on track and

unswayable. He envisions

more capacity building among

farmers, millers, and trad-

ers by providing them with

training, and developingpostproduction technologies

in grain drying, seed stor-

age, milling, and more. This

dream entails the full sup-

port and cooperation of the

organization members.

Life does begin after

40, Dr. Kyaw says in hind-

sight. Before I turned 40, I

always considered things

from my point of view only,

but that changed. We might

have difficulties and unfore-

seeable things along our path,

but I believe we can overcome

them with compassion,

goodwill, and efforts and

sacrifices.

He may not be practicing

medicine any more, but many

more farmers all over Myan-

mar are benefiting from his

genuine kindness and sincer-

ity to help those in need.

Trina Mendoza(t.mendoza@cgiar.org

During his rare freetime, Dr. Kyaw indulgesin one of his hobbiesphotography. Thephoto on the left is thestone mine at Tat Kone,while the Buddha statue(photo, right) is foundat Bawdi Thousand,Monywa, Myanmar.



Publications

International journals

Bouman BAM, Feng Liping,

Tuong TP, Lu Guoan,

Wang Huaqi, Feng

Yuehua. 2007. Explor-

ing options to growrice using less water in

northern China using a

modelling approach. II.

Quantifying yield, water

balance components, and

water productivity. Agric.

Water Manage. 88:23-33.

Bouman BAM, Humphreys

E, Tuong TP, Barker R.

2007. Rice and water.

Adv. Agron. 92:187-237.

Choudhury BU, Bouman BAM,

Singh AK. 2007. Yield

and water productivity of

rice-wheat on raised beds

at New Delhi, India. Field

Crops Res. 100:229-239.

Feng Liping, Bouman BAM,

Tuong TP, Cabangon RJ,

Li Yalong, Lu Guoan,

Feng Yuehua. 2007. Ex-

ploring options to grow

rice using less water in

northern China using a

modelling approach. I.

Field experiments and

model evaluation. Agric.

Water Manage. 88:1-13.

Hu R, Cao J, Huang J, Peng S,

Huang J, Zhong X, Zou

Y, Yang J, Buresh RJ.

2007. Farmer participa-

tory testing of standard

and modified site-specificnitrogen management for

irrigated rice in China.

Agric. Syst. 94:331-340.

Singleton GR, Tann CR, Krebs

CJ. 2007. Landscape

ecology of house mouse

outbreaks in southeast-

ern Australia. J. App.

Ecol. 44:644-652.

Conference proceedings

Belmain S, Meyer A, Singleton

GR, Aplin K, Mohammed

Harun, Nazmul Islam Kadri,

Abu Baker, Rokeya Begum

Shafali, Abul Kalam Azad,Nazira Quraishi Kamal,

Md. Adnan Al Bachchu,

Mofazzel Hossain. 2006.

Methods for assessing

rodent loss, damage and

contamination to rice stored

at the household level in

Bangladesh. Proceedings of

3rd International Conference

on Rodent Biology and Man-

agement, September 2006,

Hanoi, Vietnam. p 121-122.

Ben DC, Liem PV, et al. 2006.

Effect of hermetic storage in

the super bag on seed quality

and on milled rice quality

of different varieties in Bac

Lieu, Vietnam. 2nd Interna-

tional Rice Congress 2006.

New Delhi, India. p 567.

Buresh RJ, Larazo WM, Laureles

EV, Samson MI, Pampolino

MF. 2006. Sustainable soil

management in lowland rice

ecosystems. Proceedings

of the 9th Annual Meet-

ing and Symposium of the

Philippine Society of Soil

Science and Technology,

1-2 June 2006, Central

Luzon State University,

Nueva Ecija, Philippines.

Book chapter

Mueller J, Gummert M. 2007.Agricultural engineering in

tropics/subtropics. Yearbook

of Agricultural Engineer-

ing. H. Harms and F. Meier.

Muenster, Landwirtschafts-

verlag GmbH, VDMA

Landtechnik, VDI-MEG,

KTBL. 19:211-215.

Conferences and workshops

20th Asia-Pacific Weed Science

Society Conference, Sri

Lanka, 2-6 October 2007

The IRRC Steering Committee

meeting will be hosted by

the Vietnamese Agricul-

tural Academy of Sci-

ences in Hanoi, Vietnam,

8-11 October 2007

International Workshop on

Aerobic Rice jointly

organized by the IRRC

Water-Saving Work Group

and the CPWF STARproject, China Agricultural

University (CAU), Beijing,

China, 22-25 October 2007

Country visits

Productivity and Sustain-

ability Work Group

Visit field demonstration and

verification trials in

Indonesia, July 2007

Workshop with farmer groups on

improved nutrient manage-

Upcoming events (July-September 2007)

ment for rice in central

Vietnam, Quang Nam

Province, August 2007

Postproduction Work Group

Follow-up on IRRC drying and

storage activities in

Sumsel, and on proposed

farm-level storage research

Palembang, South Sumatra

Indonesia, July 2007

Seed and grain quality training

for extension staff and

mini-combine harvesterdemonstration, Myan-

mar, September 2007

Labor Productivity Work

Group

Visit field sites in India and

Bangladesh, July/August

2007

Visit field sites in Indonesia,

August 2007

Training on weed management in

Myanmar, September 2007

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION TEAM:

IRRC:Trina Leah Mendoza, Grant Singleton,Jennifer Hernandez

CPS: Tess Rola, Bill Hardy, George Reyes, Juan Lazaro IV

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS: Bas Bouman, Ruben Lampayan,M.A . Hamid Miah, T.P. Tuong, Martin Gummert,Gelia Castillo, Florencia Palis, Joel Janiya, David Johnson

Team


16/16

Credits: The authors kindly provided pictures for their

articles. Copyright for pictures belongs to the authors.

Please direct further correspondence, com-

ments, and contributions to

Dr. Grant Singleton

IRRC Coordinator

International Rice Research InstituteDAPO Box 7777

Metro Manila, Philippines

E-mail: g.singleton@cgiar.org

www.irri.org/irrc/

This newsletter presents the personal views of in-

dividual authors and not necessarily those of IRRI,

SDC, or collaborating organizations in the IRRC.

Copyright IRRI 2007

Target area in northern Vietnam for dissemination of alternate

wetting and drying or aerobic rice in the spring season, when

irrigation water availability is insufficient to grow continuously

flooded lowland rice in all fields. (Photo by Bas Bouman)

Ripple Jul Sep 2007

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