PhilRice paper wins award

A PhilRice paper on the results of the PalayCheck system in Northwest Luzon garnered second place in the development category during a recent regional symposium on research and development at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, which was attended by researchers based in the Ilocos Region.

The paper showed that the PalayCheck system increases rice yields and net income of farmers.

Authors of the paper are Noel D. Ganotisi, Dr. Reynaldo C. Castro, Juanito M. Maloom, Dr. Edilberto D. Redona, Melita U. Castillo, Adelfa T. Camungao, Evelyn R. Cabulay, Dr. Rolando T. Cruz, Karen Eloisa T. Barroga, and Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian.

The PhilRice researchers said PalayCheck is an extension system that integrates and balances relevant technology and management options with farmers learning to improve their productivity and profitability in an environment-friendly manner. It is an adoption of the RiceCheck system that originated in Australia and led to an increase in their average rice yield from six tons per hectare to 10 t/ha in a span of 10 years.

In Northwest Luzon, the PalayCheck is a collaborative project of PhilRice, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the local government units.

Results in the implementation of the PalayCheck showed that only 16 percent of 75 farmer-cooperators in three sites followed all the nine recommendations called key checks. The number of checks attained by the farmer-cooperators varied, with the average yields decreasing correspondingly with the number of checks attained.

In like manner, the average net income per hectare decreased with decreasing number of checks attained.

The nine key checks are: use certified seeds; achieve no high and low soil spots at initial flooding after final harrowing/leveling; achieve 22 to 25 hills/sq m and at least one healthy seedling per hill at 10 days after transplanting; achieve 500 to 600 tillers/sq m or 20 to 24 tillers/hill (20 cm x 20 cm) at early panicle initiation; manage the nitrogen needs according to the number of tillers counted at panicle initiation; other nutrients (like phosphorus, potassium, zinc and sulfur) have not limited the yield; ensure no significant yield loss from pests; avoid moisture stress that affects the growth and yield of the crop; and harvest the crop when one-fifth of the panicle length or four to five grains at the base of the primary panicle are in hard dough stage.