Experts finalize Filipino version of mobile app that identifies rice pests and diseases

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines, 8 July—Agriculture experts recently held a workshop at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to finalize the Filipino version of Rice Doctor, a mobile app that helps identify and manage rice crop problems.

It is an interactive mobile app that uses text and images to help extension workers, farmers, researchers, and students diagnose more than 80 pests, diseases, and other disorders affecting rice. Up to now, Rice Doctor has been only available in English.

Specialists from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and development communication students from the University of the Philippines joined the Rice Doctor Development Team (photo). They reviewed, edited, and finalized the Filipino translation of the brief descriptions of the signs, symptoms, and management options.

This activity is the second part of the Filipino translation workshop conducted through the project, Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of Next-Gen Rice Extension Professionals and Other Intermediaries, under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program. The first part, which was held last year, focused on the terms and the translation of the diagnostic questions.

The Filipino version of Rice Doctor, which will be available later this year, is the first effort to translate and localize the diagnostic tool for country-specific crop problems. Similar efforts are also being done in Bangladesh and India.

Rice Doctor was first developed by IRRI, PhilRice, the Indonesian Research Institute for Rice, and the Lucid team at the University of Queensland in Australia. The English version is available for download at the Google Play and App Store for free.

For more information, please email rkb@irri.org.

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DA chief eyes advanced rice technologies to boost farmer productivity and income

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (center) receives seeds of
climate-smart rice from Dr, Tolentino (left) during his visit.

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines—True to his mission of making food available and affordable to all Filipinos, as well as improve the lives of farmers—especially in challenging upland areas—Emmanuel Piñol, new secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on 6 July.

Piñol was most concerned in ensuring that the advances in rice production achieved through IRRI’s research reach farmers "so we can focus on food production and poverty alleviation,” referring to the pronouncements of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. "This is the main thrust of the Duterte Administration's agriculture program."

Piñol received an overview of IRRI and its existing collaborative projects with the DA and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) from IRRI Deputy Directors General V. Bruce J. Tolentino and Jackie Hughes.  Also briefing the DA team were Donna Casimero, Michele Weldon, Sarah Beebout, Roland Buresh, Alice Laborte, Rowena Castillo, and Mary Jean Du.

The Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP), which was launched in 2011, includes seven components: the Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM), a web-based tool called Rice Crop Manager (RCM), better extension service through the Project IPaD, development of new varieties in the NextGen project, diffusion of associated technologies in rainfed areas, benchmarking of the Philippine rice economy, and preservation and promotion of heirloom rice varieties in the Cordilleras and in the uplands of Alamada and Banisilan in Arakan Valley of North Cotabato.

"My experiences as a local government executive actually brought me to the mountainous areas in my province," shared Piñol. "This is where poverty is. If only families living in upland areas could produce enough rice for their needs then, perhaps, we'll be able to alleviate poverty in these areas. I'm really interested; maybe it's not for commercial reasons, but just for subsistence.”

Recognizing the threats of La Niña and the recent El Niño, Piñol also stressed the importance of establishing food centers in critical areas of the country with enough supplies to last at least 6 months.

Heirloom rice varieties
In the ongoing FSSP partnership, IRRI works with DA regional field offices and local government units in the Cordilleras and Region XII to help upland farmers not only conserve traditional rice varieties but also connect them with high-value markets such as restaurants that operate locally and abroad.

"The Heirloom Rice Project (HRP) not only helps preserve and promote Filipino cultural identity, but it also aims to improve the quality of life of Filipino farmers economically and socially," said Dr. Nollie Vera Cruz, project leader.

Mechanization

Engr. Martin Gummert, head of the postharvest unit at IRRI, shared several postharvest technologies with the Secretary during his visit. These included the Superbag, a durable plastic bag designed to keep grains dry and safe from moisture, as well as insects, rats, and molds. He also demonstrated the solar bubble dryer (SBD) that dries grains inside a plastic dome to protect them from rain. The SBD can dry grains to a moisture level of 10–13%, depending on the weather conditions—dry or wet. It can also run on solar power, when needed. Other technologies that were showcased included a transplanter, drum seeder for sowing pregerminated rice, combine harvester, among others.

Water conservation

Piñol also took notice of a simple perforated plastic pipe that can be used by farmers to alternately wet and dry fields. He remarked that, for decades, the Philippine irrigation program has been focused on mega projects that take 15–20 years to complete but then only irrigate 10,000–15,000 hectares. Instead, he wants to focus on establishing quick communal irrigation projects that are also environment-friendly

"Building irrigation projects starting now will take us 15 years to complete," he said. "Because our population is growing at 1.9% per annum and our irrigation program only adds about 50,00–60,000 hectares a year, that's not going work."

Piñol noted that the country squanders many of its resources, the most important of which is water. "We are a country with six months of rain, typhoons, and flooding. Then there are three months of dry spell when we cry for water," he said. "We really need somebody to help us come up with a good plan to conserve water. We need a program on how to preserve La Niña water for the coming season."  

     

Climate-smart varieties

Dr. Gina Vergara, who leads the NextGen project, discussed varieties that can withstand stresses brought about by climate change such as drought, flooding, and salinity. The DA Secretary asked if these varieties were already available. She reported that two flood-tolerant varieties developed by IRRI have been released by the National Seed Industry Council but breeding materials for stagnant flooding are still being evaluated in field trials.
 

Genetic conservation

Piñol also toured the International Rice Genebank (IRG), where he asked if it would be possible to obtain seeds of Dinorado, Azucena, and other traditional varieties for seed production.

IRG manager Flor de Guzman replied that the seeds are available to anyone upon request and are free of charge. Currently, the IRG holds about 7,800 accessions of Philippine rice varieties, about 40% of them being IRRI-developed.

Crop management

In addition to the IRG and a briefing of the PRISM and RCM projects under the FSSP, Piñol also toured the Long-Term Continuous Cropping Experiment (LTCCE), where the institute has been able to sustainably cultivate three rice crops annually for nearly 55 years.

Extension
Keen on getting technologies into the hands of farmers, Sec. Piñol stressed how he wanted to expand the current program for agricultural extension workers in the country.

Director Edmund Sana of the DA National Rice Program agreed with the secretary that any technology is useless when it is not in farmer's hands.

"Last Monday, we did an assessment and we are already planning for the roll out," reported Sana. "This program will have to be expanded further to support the rice production enhancement program that we will be undertaking to ensure rice self-sufficiency.”

Sana explained that the agricultural extension workers in Project IPaD are not only being trained exclusively on the technology of rice production. "The first module involves values transformation. The second one is on enterprise development because extension workers need to look at farming as an enterprise. We don't just recommend that farmers plant rice from A to Z, but they also have to make money while doing it."

Dr. Tolentino explained that IRRI, as a research agency, is mandated to come up with ideas and to test or validate them. However, it cannot directly bring technologies to farmers because its mission is global.

In addition to officials from the DA and PhilRice, Piñol’s party also included officials from National Irrigation Administration, the Department of Interior and Local Government, among others.

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Project to boost productivity in drought-prone areas launched in New Delhi

by Najam Waris Zaidi

NEW DELHI, India—The inception and planning workshop of the microbial component of a project that seeks to boost the productivity of drought-prone lowlands in South Asia was held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) on 28 June. ​

The workshop focused on working with partners in developing and carrying out standard protocols and research activities in order to develop and evaluate suitable microbial formulations that will further enhance drought tolerance of rice varieties. The experiments were designed to understand the effect of various Trichoderma isolates on drought responses of rice.

The activity is a component of the project, Improved Crop Management and Strengthened Seed Supply System for Drought-prone Rainfed Lowlands in South Asia, funded by the European Commission-International Fund for Agricultural Development. 

Six participants (photo) from state agricultural universities and institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research attended the workshop. These included Dr. Rashmi Aggarwal, head, and Dr. Bishnu Maya, senior scientist, IARI's Plant Pathology Division; Dr. Arup Mukharjee, senior scientist, plant pathology, National Rice Research Institute (NRRI); Dr. Anil Kotasthane, professor, plant pathology and biotechnology, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya University; Dr. J.P. Singh, associate professor, agronomy, and Ms. Shyama Kumari, SRF, both from Rajendra Agricultural University. 

The meeting was coordinated by Dr. Najam Waris Zaidi, project scientist at IRRI-India, and chaired by Dr. U.S. Singh, South Asia coordinator for the Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia project.

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Founder of Rice Crop Manager joins IRRI Young Researchers' Lunch

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna--The Young Researchers' Lunch for July hosted Dr. Roland Buresh (seated at center in photo), the IRRI soil scientist who spearheaded the Nutrient Manager and Rice Crop Manager platforms and who will soon be retiring after more than 20 years with the institute.  

Buresh shared the story of his career path, which started with a PhD on submerged marine soils and led to opportunities to work on fertilizer use in submerged rice soils. He encouraged the young researchers to publish their work and to hone their writing skills to be able to highlight their research concisely. 

Regarding his decision to shift his focus to more applied work on Rice Crop Manager, Buresh commented that this was more a late-career move that he was able to pursue only after his years of research in the discipline. Buresh also attributed part of Rice Crop Manager's success to empowering national scientists with the governments of their own countries.

Lunch participants were Jeny Raviz, Emma Quicho, Carlo Leo U. Cabral, Carlito Balingbing, Xiaoqian Wang, and Jun Correa. At the end of the lunch, the group was joined by Buresh's research staff who serenaded him in celebration of his 65th birthday.

The Young Researchers Lunch is a monthly meeting for national recruited staff and scientists in the Association of Fellows, Scholars, Trainees, and Residents (AFSTRI) who are in the early stages of their career. It provides an opportunity for discussions with senior scientists on a range of topics including science and career paths.

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"Outrun the Boss" event raises funds for IFSA scholarships and projects

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The IRRI Filipino Scientists Association Inc. (IFSA) hosted a Fun Run event on 24 June. Proceeds went to the IFSA Scholarship and General Welfare Fund. 

To add more excitement and generate more funds, this year’s theme was Outrun the Boss. Globally recruited staff were invited to participate in the race and to serve as sponsors for Bosses to Beat. Ten bosses, including Director General Matthew Morell and scientists David Johnson and George Kotch, joined the 5-km category while three bosses participated in the 3-km category.  

Each boss donated Php100.00 to the scholarship fund for every IRRI staff member who crossed the finish line ahead of him/her. Around 90 runners, both IFSAn and non-IFSAn, participated in the event, with 30 finishing ahead of the bosses. The “outrunners” earned bragging rights and mugs bearing I Beat the Boss signed by the sponsors. 

"We hope that the proceeds from the Fun Run will be enough to support at least a year's allowance for scholars under the IFSA Scholarship Fund," said Maria Ymber Reveche, a geneticist at IRRI and IFSA member.

The IFSA Scholarship has provided grants for the children of IRRI staff since 1974. The IFSA General Welfare Fund will be used to finance upcoming projects for its year-long 50th Anniversary celebration.

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Asian agriculture experts attend 14th annual rice technology transfer workshop in Korea

JEONJU, Korea— Eighteen agriculture experts from 10 Asian countries attended the annual  workshop on the effective transfer of rice production technologies from sources to target users, 19 June to 2 July. 

The first of its kind in Asia when initially held in 2002, the 14th annual Rice Technology Transfer System (RTTS) workshop showcased South Korea’s latest rice technology systems and agricultural linkages. The workshop shared rice farming knowledge that the participating Asian countries could use. The RTTS participants were scientific officers, technical officers, researchers, public officials, extension workers, instructors, and agricultural research officers. It was conducted in collaboration between the Training Center of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Technology Cooperation Center of Korea's Rural Development Administration (RDA).

For the last 14 years, RDA and IRRI have been training farmers and extension workers for farm technologies to be transferred from the source to the end users. Since 2002. 130 practitioners from 17 Asian countries have attended the two-week course. Trainees have been exposed to contemporary rice technology issues and have developed their capacity to critically analyze the components of successful research-extension linkages. With courses conducted in Korea, trainees have had the opportunity to observe first-hand and apply what they have learned directly in their respective countries.

Resource persons for this year’s workshop were Maria Socorro S. Arboleda, senior training specialist at the IRRI Training Center, and Poornima Ravi Shankar, senior specialist at IRRI's Knowledge Management and Outreach Impact Acceleration Unit.

Countries represented were Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam

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Naga City agriculture officials visit IRRI

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—Officials of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) in Naga City and City Councilor Cecilia De Asis visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on 16 June to learn about modern and traditional farming technologies.

A progressive city known for its agricultural roots and hardworking people, Naga City bagged the Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Award in 2015. The award recognized the hard work and support of farmers, agricultural technicians, and local farm leaders in increasing productivity and income of rice farmers.

During their visit, the guests were given seeds of IRRI-developed rice varieties and toured the Riceworld Museum.

"The museum was an eye-opening experience for me," shared De Asis. “When you see traditional farm implements, they show how innovations started. It makes you realize how farmers then had much difficulty. Back then, you had to go through a lot just to be able to eat rice. But now, there are all these modern technologies, which make things easier.”

"You won't see many of these traditional implements even in the most remote villages anymore,” observed Maria Edna Bongalonta, officer-in-charge of Naga’s Agriculture Office. “Farmers are likely to dispose of them when they are no longer used. It's good that you were able to collect and preserve these artifacts for the younger generation.

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