CURE M a t t e r s
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CONSORTIUM FOR UNFAVORABLE RICE ENVIRONMENTS
In Brief
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Technology Generation and Validation
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Breeding for rice submergence tolerance and stagnant flooding tolerance in Vietnam Conquering floods and drought with climate-smart rice Lao farmers join field trials for better varieties and yields Developing best rice varieties and management practices for Philippine rainfed areas Myanmar partners produce highyielding salinity-tolerant rice varieties Managing salt-affected soils through proper fertilizer treatment in the Mekong Delta
Building Capacity for Innovation
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Consultation-workshop on technology transfer for rice in unfavorable upland environments of northern and central Vietnam
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Enabling poor rice farmers to improve livelihood and overcome poverty in northeastern Thailand’s salt-affected areas
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Indonesia to disseminate stresstolerant varieties and modern practices in less favorable rice areas
Words from the Field
23 28 Tidbits 29 CURE Mover
Khushi Ram Mishra and Lok Nath Devkota: profiles of successful seed producer farmers in Nepal Publications
A heart for Filipino farmers
Vol. 6 No. 1 May 2016
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e aspire to improve rice yields in unfavorable environments. Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) is constantly on the lookout for innovative approaches to enhance the validation, testing, wider promotion, and adoption of gendersensitive technologies in less favorable rice areas. Hence, as we continue to share with you the results of our work, we present what we have garnered over the past year: stories on technology generation and development, on farmers who have gained a new source of pride (by using our high-yielding stress-tolerant varieties), and on partnerships we have nurtured during the 15 years that we’ve been here. Our partners from Laos have been developing flood-tolerant varieties (nonglutinous) and screening lines resistant to insect damage. Rice scientists from Myanmar have been doing good work combating problems in salt-affected areas. Vietnam is also making headway overcoming stagnant flooding, cold weather, salinity, and drought. The Philippines likewise
has been creating awareness on new drought-tolerant varieties, grown in Tarlac and Pangasinan. Farmers have evaluated varieties and selected their preferences based on their own criteria, such as resistance to lodging, number and length of grains, length of panicles, and tolerance of drought. We are also consistent in our aim at reaching out to one another and our beneficiaries, sharing knowledge and skills we’ve gained from our experiences in the field. In Vietnam and Thailand, training on seed production, rice intensification, and dissemination of new varieties was conducted. We continuously support the countries’ effort to take up the technological developments from our partnerships, with policies and programs that will ensure wider dissemination of new stress-tolerant varieties and appropriate management practices. Along this, a consolidation-workshop in Indonesia was held, organized by the national government’s Directorate General of Food Crops in cooperation with the Indonesian Center for Rice Research and CURE. Continued on next page
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In Brief continued
The event was the first of its kind, in which the government is focusing efforts on suboptimal environments --- a truly encouraging development as we see here national governments fostering the scaling up of technological innovation catalyzed by current partnerships. Additionally, a major consultation-workshop on technology transfer was held in Vietnam in November, attracting 59 participants from different organizations under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Participants identified appropriate practices to be promoted in the uplands in northern and central Vietnam, among which was a model for community-based seeds production that addresses the issue of seed security in marginal uplands. Involvement of the private sector was also highly encouraged in technology transfer approaches. Besides capacity development, technology generation, and fostering partnerships, we never miss the chance to profile both our farmers and scientists in CURE Matters. Their individual contributions and success stories show the personal side of the people behind the work. Now in its 15th year, CURE is unrelenting in its mission of contributing to the improvement of food security and reduction of poverty by developing and disseminating technologies that bring economic, social, and environmental benefits to low-income rice farmers and consumers. Our commitment of valuing partnership, multidisciplinary research teamwork, the farmer-participatory approach, and scientific excellence is apparent in what we do, as you will also discern in the stories we feature in this issue.
Breeding for rice submergence tolerance and stagnant flooding tolerance in Vietnam
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Nguyen Thi Lang, Nguyen van Hieu, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, Bui Chi Buu, and Yoichiri Kato
he major constraints in agricultural production in the Mekong Delta are stagnant yields in irrigated lowlands, biotic stresses (such as sheath blight, blast, bacterial blight, brown planthopper, stem borer, thrips, and leaf-folder), abiotic stresses (such as acid sulfate soils, salinity, drought, and heat), the lack of varieties resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, low yield in hybrid rice, too
few parental lines for developing hybrids, too few heterotic hybrids suited to both the Red River and Mekong River deltas, and poor grain quality of inbreds and hybrids. Worse, more rice areas have been converted to nonagricultural use each year. Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and demographic pressure have led farmers to use their marginal land for increased rice production to meet their
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neglecting some essential microelements. In the long run, the microelements become deficient and cause an imbalance in soil nutrition, an increased demand for phosphorus and potassium, and nitrogen inefficiency—ultimately affecting yield.
Fertility change is also a constraint. For instance, modern rice varieties exhaust soil fertility more rapidly than traditional varieties. Modern rice crops under intensive cropping (about 6 t/ha) remove from soils high amount of macro (NPK) and micro (Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, and Mo) elements. Farmers usually compensate for these nutritional losses, especially macro-elements, with chemical fertilizers while
It is within this context that scientists from the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Vietnam, and International Rice Research Institute are breeding rice varieties with submergence tolerance (ST) and stagnant flooding (SF) tolerance. Fourteen submergencetolerant and high-yielding genotypes along with two standard checks plus a farmers’ variety were evaluated in a trial under naturally occurring submerged conditions. Different traits were assessed (crop duration, plant height, number of filled grains per panicle, percentage sterility, and other quality traits as well as submergence tolerance). Lines that are early maturing (90‒110 days), semi-dwarf (90 to 110 cm), with a medium number of panicles per hill (7 to 15), and with a high number of grains per panicle (77 to 199) are selected for further testing in the rice-rice cropping pattern when their submergence tolerance is high (survival after 20 to 25 days of submergence with 0.8 to 1 m water depth) and when duration reaches 98 days, similar to IR42. The experiment suggested that the lines IR64-Sub1 and Pana were suitable for submergence. On-station evaluation of the genotypes under controlled medium stagnant flooding was conducted. The 14 genotypes were evaluated along with the standard check
variety, IR64-Sub1. They were grown at the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute for screening against natural medium stagnant floods.
Technology Generation and Validation
family’s needs. With this, acid soils, tidal land, and forest land have been reclaimed and brought under cultivation, thereby limiting crop yield potential. In intensive irrigated rice-farming systems, major soil problems have included soil-mining effects and soil pollution.
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To evaluate performance stability, the 14 indica rice varieties were tested in different locations during the wet and dry seasons of 2014-15, using a randomized block design with three replications in each case. The experiment was conducted in the provinces of Bac Lieu, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, and An Giang. The highest grain yield across the six sites was obtained from IR64-Sub 1 during the dry season.
To reach poor farmers suffering from salt tolerance and likely to suffer losses in the future, a seed supply and the conversion of additional varieties to submergence-tolerant ones had to be achieved urgently. Seeds were provided, as follows, to these provinces: ● OM 10252: An Giang (300 kg) and Hau Giang (500 kg) ● OM 137: Hau Giang (400 kg) and Can Tho (200 kg) ● OM 138: An Giang (300 kg) and Can Tho (300 kg) A training course for farmers and technicians was conducted during 2014-15 with 330 farmers (252 males and 78 females) coming from An Giang, Can Tho, Bac Lieu, and Hau Giang provinces. In 2015, two workshops were conducted to discuss lessons and other useful information generated from the project. Rewards for local staff who participated in the project were also given.
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The survey and evaluation done by the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute brought about the following: improvement of 75 lines/elite rice varieties (ready for application for production); national testing of three rice varieties in two seasons; three rice variety candidates for national testing; and one rice variety candidate for DUS testing. In addition, several important characteristics were analyzed. The stability of rice varieties was also identified through the analysis of genotype by environment interactions. These results are expected to contribute to breeding improvement of the gene pool and to increase rice exports from the Mekong Delta. This should help boost Vietnam’s competitive advantage in rice production in the region, especially since these rice varieties are considered good materials not only for the Mekong Delta but also for rice production programs in the central and southern provinces. •
Conquering floods and drought with climate-smart rice Phetmanyseng Xangsayasane
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n Lao PDR, more than 860,000 hectares of land are devoted to rice production, of which 760,951 hectares (88%) are composed of rainfed lowland rice. However, the rice industry experiences losses because of frequent floods that damage rice fields in the central region (10–29%) and across the country (8–21%). Floods usually occur from late August to late September. Furthermore, the country is prone to drought, which damages and reduces yield from 10% to 50% in the central parts of the country. Drought occurs at any time during the growing season, with early drought in June to July, intermittent drought happening from August to September, and late drought in October.
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Identifying rice varieties that can withstand floods and droughts During the 2015 wet season, 22 new aromatic rice varieties with traits to endure flood and drought were planted in a field trial at ARC. On the other hand, 19 aromatic, drought-, and flood-tolerant rice varieties were tested at the Xebangfai Agriculture
Research and Development Center (XBFC).
tolerant variety) are now being produced at the Center.
Results from ARC showed that grain yield of the new aromatic, flood-, and drought-tolerant varieties ranged from 3.6 t/ha to 4.5 t/ha. Nine varieties outyielded the check variety, of which six produced 4.3–4.5 t/ha.
Demonstrating floodtolerant varieties and best management practices
Four new varieties with good eating quality were then produced in the 2015-16 dry season, and their seeds will be provided to farmers to test in the 2016 wet season. Meanwhile, the varieties tested at XBFC yielded from 2 t/ha to 3.6 t/ ha. Three aromatic varieties had higher yield than two commercial check varieties, although the differences were not significant. The seeds of four chosen varieties (three aromatic and one flood- and drought-
A high-quality harvest of improved rice varieties can only be fully reached if they are planted using best management practices. Thus, rice varieties that can survive floods were planted using best management practices and highlighted in field demonstration trials in eight villages from four districts. These were located in the provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxai, Khammouan, and Savannakhet. Fifty-five farmers participated in the demonstration trials for them to observe and compare the differences
Technology Generation and Validation
These chronic problems of floods and droughts have prompted partners of CURE led by Lao’s Agriculture Research Center (ARC) to showcase the use of submergence- and droughttolerant rice varieties grown using best management practices to farmers. The research team aimed to promote these improved varieties to increase rice productivity in the flood-prone areas.
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in the varieties and familiarize themselves with applying best management practices. The grain yield of all the tested improved varieties was higher than that of the farmers’ local varieties. At all eight sites, farmers who used certified seed had a 2–79% increase in yield. The increase in yield varied depending on the conditions in the fields. For example, the yield gap was high between XBF1, a flood-tolerant variety, and local farmers’ varieties in Nakua Nok Village because the rice field was completely flooded for 7 days. Thus, the yield of the farmers’ varieties was much lower than that of XBF1. In addition, the farmers in this village did not undergo any training on rice seed production, so the seeds that they used for rice production were of poor quality. On the contrary, the yield gap was small between the flood-tolerant variety and local farmers’ varieties at sites where farmers were able to attend training courses on rice seed production provided by government agencies and international and national nongovernment organizations (NGOs).
Multiplying seeds for farmers Rice seed production in Lao PDR can be classified into formal and informal seed production systems. The formal seed production system starts from breeder seed to foundation seed, to registered seed, and, finally, certified seed. Breeder and foundation seeds are produced by ARC and the National
Agriculture Forestry and Research Institute, while certified seed is produced by state centers, private seed companies, and farmer seed groups. However, certified seed produced by these three groups covers only 12% of the total amount of seed needed for rice production in the country (51,807 tons). Certified seeds are usually sold to farmers’ groups that produce paddy for rice millers’ associations to process and export. On the other hand, in the informal seed production system, good seed is produced by farmers who have been trained by international research institutes and NGOs, under the supervision of Lao’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This approach provides 19% of the country’s required seed. In the informal system, farmers can also produce seeds by themselves using their own knowledge and techniques, which accounts for 69% of the country’s required amount of rice seeds. These two types of seed provide paddy for the local market and food security for the country. However, seeds produced by farmers are usually of low quality and do not meet standards. Furthermore, farmers’ seeds are not of uniform quality, so the quality of paddy is poor, which in turn leads to low milling and eating quality. The Lao CURE team promotes climate-smart rice varieties for farmers to produce in unfavorable rice environments such as floodprone plains. In the 2015 wet season, breeder and foundation seeds of three flood-tolerant varieties (XBF1, HXBF2, and HXFB3) were
produced by ARC and XBFC. These varieties are now being promoted to farmers. XBFC produced 1,000 kilograms each of registered seeds of varieties XBF1 and XBF2, which were then sold to a farmer seed production group for it to produce certified seeds. The seed production group then produced and sold 6,000 kilograms of the certified XBF2 seed to farmers and a private company to produce paddy in the 2015-16 dry season. Unfortunately, low-quality farmerproduced seeds still provide the majority of the total seed needed by the country for rice production. Therefore, training on proper rice seed production is crucial. More Lao farmers should be able to produce good quality seed to increase rice production and ensure food security. To boost the quality of rice for export in the regional and international market, the Lao CURE team believes that all components should work together harmoniously. In their proposed scheme, research centers will produce breeder and foundation seeds while farmer seed groups will focus on certified seed production. Farmers’ associations will then produce paddy using certified seed and rice millers will need to develop standards for buying paddy from certified seed. In this scheme, it is crucial that the government support all the actors. In the meantime, CURE and its Lao partners continue to develop rice varieties that can withstand flood and drought, and produce topquality seeds for farmers, to be able to increase rice production and improve livelihoods in the flood-prone plains. •
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ao PDR may have reached rice selfsufficiency nationally, yet, at the regional level, major rice shortage areas still exist in the north. Furthermore, low-input/low-output rice-farming households, which include the majority of the farming households, find difficulty in increasing their income because of the increasing cost of rice production. Thus, rice researchers continue to work hard to overcome various challenges and improve rice production in their country. These include continuous research to improve rice varieties, seed multiplication, and capacity building.
Somvang Chanthamaly and Khamla Phanthaboun
Testing nonglutinous cultivars Researchers at the Upland Agriculture Research Center (UAReC) conducted trials on nonglutinous rice cultivars in the upland paddy fields of three provinces in the 2015 wet season. These trials aimed to compare the grain yield of the nonglutinous cultivars with that of local varieties, demonstrate the growth of some promising cultivars in farmers’ fields, and identify farmers’ preferred rice crop characteristics. Ten farmers from the provinces of Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, and
Luang Namtha participated in the trials.
Technology Generation and Validation
Lao farmers join field trials for better varieties and yields
Results showed that, statistically, there were no significant differences in grain yield between the nonglutinous cultivars (IR82589B-B-149-4 and IR82635-B-B-59-2) and the local glutinous cultivar. Grain yield ranged from 3.3 t/ha to 3.5 t/ha. When compared with the local glutinous variety, the farmer participants said that the two nonglutinous cultivars were 83% better. All 10 farmers said that they would continue planting the glutinous variety in the next planting season because of its proven high
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income. These consequences thus prompted researchers from these centers to screen for lines in varieties that can resist gall midge.
On the other hand, 33% of the farmers said that they would plant IR82589-B-B-149-4, one of the nonglutinous varieties, in the next planting season, because it is an earlymaturing variety that produces full grains. However, the variety has its negative traits of producing short panicles, small grains, and few tillers.
Field trials were carried out in Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, and Luang Namtha. Varieties used were the seven populations of F9 seeds and two parent varieties, Meuang Nga and TDK 7. Meuang Nga is a local rice variety that is resistant to gall midge, but is unfortunately photoperiod sensitive, and thus can be planted only once a year. TDK 7, on the other hand, is an improved high-yielding rice variety that adapts well in acid soil, especially in drought-prone areas, has good seed quality and good taste, but has a low resistance to gall midge.
Technology Generation and Validation
yield, good milling and eating quality, and big grains. However, this local variety was also susceptible to gall midge infestation.
Meanwhile, more farmers (43%) liked the other variety (IR82635B-B-59-2) and selected it as a crop for the next season. Although this variety is nonglutinous and has small grains, it has strong stems and produces many seeds, traits the farmers preferred.
Screening for lines resistant to gall midge Rice production in the lowland rice fields of Lao PDR has become selfsufficient, although in some seasons farmers still face problems such as drought and insect damage, such as that caused by gall midge. Asian rice gall midge is found in irrigated or rainfed wetland environments during the tillering stage of the rice crop. In some areas, such as Sri Lanka and parts of India, gall midge can cause significant yield losses of 30–40%. Researchers from UAReC in Luang Prabang and the Agriculture and Forestry Research Center stations in Luang Namtha and Oudomxay reported that gall midge damage had reached 30–35%, causing low yield and a significant decrease in farmers’
Results of the trials revealed that no gall midge infestations occurred at all sites. Furthermore, grain yield ranged from 3.4 t/ha to 5.8 t/ha.
Supplying high-quality seeds to farmers Growing rice in Lao PDR is still considered as the single most important economic activity in the country, accounting for 39% of agricultural gross domestic product. As such, a reliable supply of pure, uniform seeds is essential for rice farmers to continue producing highquality rice. Seeds of upland rice varieties Nok, Makhinsoung, Laboun, and None were multiplied at UAReC and on 10.5 ha of farmers’ fields in the 2015 wet season. Thirty farmers from Pak Ou and Xieng Ngeun districts, Luang Prabang, provided plots in their fields for seed multiplication. UAReC researchers provided them with seed
and management recommendations, but allowed them to use their own management practices. When harvest time came, researchers bought the seeds produced from the farmers’ plots. A total of 18.6 tons of seed were harvested (Laboun 7.6 tons, Makhinsoung 2.3 tons, Nok 5.6 tons, and None 3 tons) with an average grain yield of 1.57–1.91 t/ha. These seeds were then distributed to farmers in Luang Prabang Province, government institutions, and nongovernment organizations in 2015. Government research centers such as UAReC and the Agriculture and Forestry Research Center work tirelessly to develop improved rice varieties and high-quality seeds that will benefit Lao farmers. The International Rice Research Institute through CURE continue to aid in this mission, to ultimately help translate the rice surpluses at the national level into increasing income for rice farm households. • With reports from Invanh Kinnaly and Seua Thipphalangsy
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Aurora Corales and Yoichiro Kato
ccording to statistics, 27% of the Philippines’ physical area is rainfed, with about 26% of the total rice production coming from these areas. However, yields in the rainfed areas are still unstable, unlike irrigated rice yields, which have been increasing consistently over the past years. Thus, improving rice harvests in the rainfed areas is crucial to boosting the country’s total rice production. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and IRRI have been working together to help mitigate problems in rainfed areas by developing and promoting drought-tolerant rice varieties and best management practices. Through the CURE second phase project, various activities are being conducted and approaches used to enhance the validation, testing, wider promotion, and adoption of gender-sensitive technologies in rainfed areas. CURE also aims to develop effective impact pathways as a model for government and international programs on food crops to follow. The project partnered with farmer groups in the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija; local government units; machine fabricators; and state universities and colleges, which could become local champions in promoting droughttolerant varieties. These farmer groups also benefited from having access to a wider range of resources and technical expertise.
Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) Activity
Participants of the PVS in Malacampa, Camiling, Tarlac conducting field evaluation of the different sahod ulan varieties to determine their most preferred variety.
Partnership with farmer-groups and Local Government Units in Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Pangasinan Discussion of the project concept notes with Dr. Paz Mones, Regional Technical Director of DA-RFO1, San Fernando La Union regarding dissemination of sahod ulan varieties. Collaborators gathered at PhilRice CES on Dec 16-17, 2015 to discuss the design, development, and testing of a multipurpose seeder
Technology Generation and Validation
Developing best rice varieties and management practices for Philippine rainfed areas
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Technology Generation and Validation
Farmers test new rice varieties In 2010, the National Seed Industry Council approved the release of several drought-tolerant rice varieties. These varieties are expected to help increase rice productivity in rainfed lowland areas.
Seed Distribution Ester Robinos of Mabilang, Paniqui and Gerry Mamerga of Malacampa, Paniqui, Tarlac received the sahod ulan seeds namely: NSIC Rc192, 276, 280 and 282
An effective approach in creating awareness and promoting the adoption of new varieties is by encouraging farmers to test the varieties themselves in their own rice fields. Farmers can test the crop varieties’ yield and yield stability across seasons. Thus, in the 2015 wet season, selected farmers in Tarlac and Pangasinan participated in testing new drought-tolerant varieties with support from CURE. Four farmers (one female and three males) received 2 to 10 kilograms of seeds, with a total of 176 kg distributed. These drought-tolerant seeds included NSIC Rc192, 276, 280, 282, and 288, and were planted on more than 4 hectares of rice area. When the harvest season arrived, a farmers’ field day and forum was held to showcase the droughttolerant varieties. Fifty farmers evaluated the varieties, and NSIC Rc282 emerged as the most preferred. NSIC Rc282, according to the farmer-evaluators, had more tillers, had long panicles, showed tolerance of drought, and had less grain shattering. On the other hand, farmers preferred NSIC Rc192 because it was resistant to lodging, and NSIC Rc276 because of its number and length of grains.
These seedbeds are planted with sahod ulan varieties. Left picture is NSIC Rc276 in a seedbed owned by Mr. Romy Madriaga of Balungao, Pangasinan. Picture from the right is PSB Rc10 of Mr. Wilson Gardoce located in Victoria, Tarlac.
These seedlings were harvested in a seedbed and now ready for transplantingMalacampa, Camiling, Tarlac
PSB Rc10
NSIC Rc288
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Mr. Gerry Mamerga of Brgy. Malacampa, Camiling, Tarlac as he posed with his NSIC Rc276, this variety obtained the highest yield out of four varieties planted in the area
During the 2016 dry season, 810 kg of seeds were distributed to farmers to multiply in preparation for the 2016 wet season. The project devised a strategy in which farmergrowers would return twice the amount of seeds for every kilogram that they received. In this way, the process of multiplying, distributing, and exchanging drought-tolerant seeds among farmers would speed up, especially since these varieties are not yet popular among seed growers. As of press time, 27 farmercooperators covering more than 11 hectares in three provinces have participated in the dry season, and harvesting is ongoing.
Partners enhance knowledge and skills on rice science and technology
NSIC Rc192 or commonly called as Sahod-ulan 1-Camiling, Tarlac
Rice S&T Update
Farmer-leaders and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) from Region 3 participated in a Rice S&T update to primarily increase their knowledge on drought-tolerant rice varieties ready for commercial release and best management practices. The event also aimed to form partnerships with AEWs from local government units (LGUs) to expand CURE’s coverage in Region 3 for the 2016 wet season. Participants came from droughtprone municipalities such as
Technology Generation and Validation
In terms of overall yield performance, Tarlac farmers harvested 4.19 t/ha, while Pangasinan farmers obtained an average yield of 4.04 t/ha. NSIC Rc276 yielded 4.76 t/ha on average, while NSIC Rc282 and 280 both had an average yield of 4.64 t/ha.
Ms. Ester Robinos of Paniqui, Tarlac standing beside the top 2 varieties which obtained the highest yield out of four varieties planted.
A total of 32 participants composed of AEWs and farmer-leaders from the municipalities in Nueva Ecija (Bongabon, Nampicuan, Cuyapo, Gapan) and Tarlac (Ramos, Gerona, Camiling, Paniqui) attended the activity.
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Sahod ulan 1 and sahod ulan 10 at near harvesting planted by Mr. Romy Madriaga of Balungao, Pangasinan
Bongabon, Gapan, Cuyapo Nampicuan, Paniqui, Gerona, Ramos, and Camiling. The activity was held at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija in March 2015. The topics discussed were climate change and agriculture, varieties adapted to the drought ecosystem, best management practices in rainfed ecosystems, and innovations in crop establishment using direct-seeding and a mechanical transplanter. The participants discussed possible collaboration in promoting the technologies for rainfed areas after the lectures.
A farmers’ field day and forum in Malacampa, Camiling, Tarlac, was also conducted to showcase the drought-adaptive technologies. More than 200 CURE-IRRI partners attended, composed of farmers, AEWs, and representatives from various partner agencies such as the LGUs of Tarlac Province. CURE Philippine partners, led by PhilRice, continue to strive to forge partnerships with LGUs and farmer groups, and test and promote new improved varieties and best management practices. Indeed, this kind of dedication and hard work will pay off in the future, to ultimately benefit rainfed rice farmers and the country’s rice production. •
Myanmar partners produce high-yielding salinitytolerant rice varieties Mr. Mamerga of Camiling, Tarlac obtained yields for NSIC Rc280 and NSIC Rc282 of 3.79 and 3.39 t/ha respectively.
Mr. Gerry Mamerga, our farmer cooperator in Camiling, Tarlac where the farmers’ field day and forum was conducted.
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yanmar has a predominantly agricultural economy based on rice production, with 32% of the total rice area composed of unfavorable lowland areas. Salinity-affected ricefarming areas account for 2% of these unfavorable areas—almost 110,000 hectares—spread across different states and regions. The largest salinity-affected area is the Ayeyarwaddy Delta (59,818 ha), followed by Rakhine (28,600 ha), Taintharyi (7,573 ha), Yangon (7,346 ha), Mon (5,346 ha), and Mandalay (190 ha). Since 2011, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through
Tin Tin Myint
the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE), has been working with Myanmar’s Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) to develop suitable rice varieties for these challenging areas. Their fruitful collaboration has resulted in successfully developing and distributing to farmers seeds of three salinitytolerant varieties—Sangnakhan Sin Thwe Latt, Pyi Myanmar Sein, and Shwe Asean. Still, a team of researchers from IRRI and DAR continues to work hand in hand to identify new salinity-tolerant varieties and enhance rice production in the salinity-affected rice areas of Myanmar.
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Elite varieties perform well in different locations
Sixty farmers participated in evaluating new salinity-tolerant rice varieties in a farmer’s field in Meikhtilar District, Mandalay, in December 2015. Of the participants, 43 were males and 17 were females.
One of the strategies used by CURE to promote cropping systems innovations and farmer-preferred varieties is demonstration activities with the help of local extension agents.
The participatory selection of varieties aimed to identify new high-yielding varieties that could adapt to the conditions in Mandalay, and to determine the role gender plays in choosing varieties. The activity was also conducted for the farmers themselves to select the best varieties, and become aware of the sustainable adoption of improved varieties in stress-prone environments.
Six identified elite or farmerpreferred varieties were showcased through demonstration trials held in Yezin (with normal soil conditions), Myaung Mya (with salinity-affected soils), and Zalote and Kyaukse (with basic soil conditions) in June 2015. All tested varieties had 37.6–79.2% higher average yields than check variety Pokkali. Among the varieties, IR10 T102 had the highest average yield (5 t/ha), followed by IR10 T105 (4.7 t/ha) and Pyi Myanmar Sein (4.37 t/ha). Furthermore, these varieties not only had higher yield but also adapted better than the other varieties in all locations.
All the nine tested varieties outyielded the check varieties, except for one variety, 11T 265. Among the tested varieties, IR11T 159 had the highest yield (5.1 t/ ha), followed by Salinas 15 (4.6 t/ ha) and IR77674-2B and IR11T256 (4.5 t/ha each). However, the farmers’ first choice was Salinas 15, followed by IR11T 159 and then IR77674-2B. The two highest-yielding varieties (IR11T 159 and Salinas 15) were more preferred by men than by women because these varieties produced more tillers and more spikelets per panicle, and had good plant height and higher grain yield. On the contrary, women liked IR77674-2B because of its long grains and higher yield.
IR10 T102 had the highest yield on Yezin and Zalote research farms, which had normal and basic soil conditions, respectively, and was 79% superior to Pokkali.
Newly released salinitytolerant variety reigns supreme A demonstration trial was held in farmer U Chit Hlaing’s own rice field in Meikhtilar District, Mandalay, to compare Pyi Myanmar Sein, a newly released salinitytolerant variety, with four farmerpreferred varieties. The four farmer-preferred varieties included Manawthukha (widely
grown variety), Nga Sein (local farmer variety), VT 035 (currently existing variety), and Shwe Pyi Htay (early-maturing and high-yielding variety). Among the five tested varieties, Pyi Myanmar Sein performed best and produced the highest yield (4.3 t/ ha). The farmer-preferred varieties had little to no yield. Many farmers from the village came to see the field demonstration and, upon seeing the successful results, asked U Chit Hlaing to share Pyi Myanmar Sein seeds for them to plant in the 2016 wet season. The farmers liked the new variety because of its tall height, higher yield, early maturity, and survival even in drought-prone conditions. Because of the success of the demonstration trials, farmer U Chit Hlaing felt proud of and thankful for the strong partnership between CURE and DAR.
Technology Generation and Validation
Farmers choose their preferred varieties
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CURE-DAR team plans ahead The team believes that, by doing participatory varietal selection and seed multiplication each year, information on new elite varieties will be shared quickly with farmers, and their capacity will be developed. With the progress that they have achieved, the team plans to hold more participatory trials for farmers as well as a varietal improvement program to develop more salttolerant rice varieties. The team works tirelessly to develop and distribute new and improved rice varieties that will help Myanmar farmers in salinity-affected areas raise rice yields and quality, even in unfavorable conditions. •
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Technology Generation and Validation
Managing salt-affected soils through proper fertilizer treatment in the Mekong Delta Thac Thi Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thi Lang, Yoichiro Kato
T
he Mekong Delta region serves as the “food basket” of Vietnam. It provides more than 80% of the total rice exports—an important contribution to food security across the region. With more than 5 million tons of rice being exported annually, farmers’ living standards have also improved considerably. During March-April, when water flow of the Mekong River is low, sea water penetrates inland up to 40‒50 kilometers through the main estuary. In the Mekong Delta, 750,000 hectares are characterized by coastal salinity. The coastal area is often affected by salt intrusion during the dry season, which is also a difficult time to obtain water supply from the Mekong river. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), of 650,000 ha of cultivated rice, 100,000 ha risk being hit by salt intrusion during the dry season. Damage to rice growth and development likewise happens during the beginning and end of the rainy season, for both high-yielding and rainfed rice. Meager rain, slow soil desalination (removal of salt), and salt intrusion from the river’s mouth occur during such periods. To illustrate, in 2015, because of the drought in TraVinh Province, the sowing date for the rainy season was delayed for 2,100 ha of rice cultivation.
Effects of salinity on rice plants
environment in drought- and saltaffected regions.
Rice is more sensitive to salinity during seedling, panicle initiation, and flowering stages, leading to reduced crop yield surpassing 50%1 (Zeng and Shannon 2000). Salinity reduces plant growth through osmotic effects and reduces water uptake. Symptoms and manifestations of salinity include white, stunted leaf tips and patchy growth in the field. In addition, salinity causes a lower germination rate, decreased plant height and tillering, poor root growth, increased spikelet sterility, decreased 1,000-grain weight, and decreased total protein content in grain due to excess sodium uptake.
The soil in TraVinh Province
Fertilizers and rice productivity Fertilizers greatly contribute to increased rice yield and are responsible for more than 40% of the total yield increase. However, resource-poor farmers often do not have access to fertilizers because of constant financial difficulties regarding increasing input. Hence, a study was needed to determine the proper nutrient rate for each rice cultivar to achieve high fertilizer-use efficiency. The study envisions contributing to improving farmers’ living standards as well as maintaining a sustainable soil-water 1
As EC = 6.65 dS/m.
Intensive rice cultivation soils in TraVinh Province are characterized by the following limiting factors: acidity, intrusion of saline seawater, phosphorus and potassium deficiency, poor organic matter, low capacity in holding nutrients, and iron and aluminum toxicity. Based on an earlier soil survey, the composition of the rice soil was mainly clay; it occupied 30,268 ha, which is equivalent to 25.7% of the total soil in TraVinh, concentrated in the areas CauKe, Tieu Can, Chau Thanh, Tra Cu, CauNgang, and Duyen Hai, which had a soil pH of 5‒6 and high water-holding capacity. Two promising rice varieties (TLR 801 and 70L) at different fertilizer rates at the drought- and salinityaffected site of Tra Cu A Village, Kim Son Commune, Tra Cu District, TraVinh Province, were tested to determine the suitable fertilizer rate for each variety. The fertilizer source consisted of the following: urea CO (NH2)2, ordinary superphosphate (15% P2O5), and muriate of potash with 60% K2O. Researchers studied the interactions between fertilizer and variety treatments on (1) duration, (2) plant height, (3) number of panicles, (4) number of filled spikelets per panicle, (5) unfilled spikelets, (6)
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Fertilizer treatment and higher yields Results indicated that the fertilizer treatment with a higher number of panicles/m2 and number of filled spikelets per panicle as well as taller plant height could bring about good yield. Reasonably adjusting nitrogen
(N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) could increase the number of filled spikelets and panicle number/ m2, thereby contributing more significantly to grain yield, especially for variety TLR 801. Among the fertilizer treatments, the application of 80 kg N-50 kg P2O5-40 kg K2O/ha obtained the highest grain yield and is the most economically efficient. TLR 801 can yield 3,361 kg/ha and 70L can reach 2,576 kg/ha.
Researchers 'nonetheless' advise paying attention to water management during young seedling stage and ensuring balanced application of N-P-K (and at the right time). Farmers should likewise anticipate that this fertilizer treatment can be challenged by pest attacks, such as by rice caseworms (between seedling and tillering stages) and blast/bacterial leaf blight (between panicle initiation and flowering stages). •
Consultation-workshop on technology transfer for rice in unfavorable upland environments of northern and central Vietnam
O
Luu Ngoc Quyen
n 9-10 November 2015, a consultationworkshop on technology transfer for rice in unfavorable upland environments of northern and central Vietnam was held. The workshop, jointly coordinated by the Vietnam Academy for Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), Ministry of Agricultural for Rural Development (MARD), and CURE project, aimed to identify best management practices and innovations that are now ready for dissemination and the impact pathway through which these can be disseminated to farmers. The specific objectives of the workshop were to review and identify technical innovations of value and potential contributions in examining issues for sustainable production of rice, with potential for up- and
Building Capacity for Innovation
thousand-grain weight, (7) grain yield, and (8) grain yield response to fertilizer treatment.
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Building Capacity for Innovation
out-scaling in the unfavorable upland environments in northern and central Vietnam; identify strategies for successful promotion of technologies through discussions and consultation among participants representing a wide range of stakeholders (central government decision-makers, local government decision-makers, donors, researchers, extension officers, NGOs, and international experts); and identify national/regional/provincial programs for up-scaling and outscaling the innovations. The event attracted 59 participants from different organizations under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and IRRI. It was co-organized by Dr. Digna Manzanilla, coordinator of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments/IRRI. It was also attended by Dr. Casiana Vera Cruz, working group leader of CURE; Dr. Pham Dong Quang, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology and Environment; and Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat, vice president of the Vietnam Academy
of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS). Dr. Robert Zeigler, IRRI Director General, served as key speaker of the meeting. Other attendees were the deputy director general of the Science Institute under VAAS as well as the director, leaders, and consultants of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, and Bac Kan provinces, and representatives from Climate-Smart Villages. The following topics were shared during the consultation: CURE and partnerships in developing and disseminating technologies in upland areas in Southeast Asia; Overview of the program in upland rice production in Southeast Asia: selected cases; Overview of upland rice production in northern and central Vietnam; Rice breeding for unfavorable upland environments; Current status and challenges in production and supply of rice seed; Restoration of local varieties as an option for upland rice: a model of community-based seed production and supply system in
Yen Bai Province; Priority technical innovations for rice in the uplands and barriers to their adoption; Policies in rice seed production and distribution in the uplands, and the need for developing communitybased seed systems. Participants were divided into groups to discuss priority interventions to promote the adoption of technical innovations for upland rice in the central and northern uplands; priority interventions to improve the quality of rice seeds used in the central and northern uplands; interventions for “farm-seeds” to out-scale the model of community-based seed groups/ cooperatives; and the priority model to be out-scaled in each province and mechanisms needed. From the participants’ discussions, the following practices were identified for promotion in the uplands in northern and central Vietnam:
CURE Matters ▌Vol. 6 No.1 | May 2016
For unfavorable environments (slopes/upland rice): integrated pest management, integrated crop management, and conservation agriculture including mulch, minimum tillage, intercropping, and rotation. Farm-seed system: Dissemination of good and new pure-line rice varieties; restoration of local varieties, which will help increase farmers’ income and resilience to climate change; and adoption of sustainable practices, in particular ICM (because, when farmers produce quality seeds, they have to adopt ICM and IPM). During the discussions, participants pointed out some challenges and barriers in the adoption of
innovation technologies: ●
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Communication and promotion efforts for those techniques are still limited. Farmers are reluctant to believe in the effectiveness of new techniques. Financial limits exist to work for validating, testing, and promoting adoption. The irrigation system in many areas is not well developed and can’t meet the requirements for the adoption of new techniques, for example, for water-saving irrigation. Rice production area is scattered, resulting in several difficulties in monitoring and evaluation. The scale for rice production of each household and plots is small, so the impact per plot or per household may not be big enough to encourage farmers to consider a change. Different education levels, ages, and personal preferences are also factors that limit communication. Many households are still poor and can’t meet the requirement for some additional investment when adopting new practices. Farmers are just not ready to change. The rice price in the market is not stable and this also influences the adoption of new techniques. A high-quality seed source in many locations for many varieties is still lacking and access is poor. Poor links to markets and links between stakeholders exist. Benefit-sharing between valuechain members is not fair. Difficulties in mechanization cause a high price and low competitiveness of products.
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Logos and trademarks of Vietnamese rice products are lacking. ● Improper adoption (adoption of only some parts of the technical packages) also causes poor impacts of the practices and this causes reluctance of farmers to adopt. ● Farm-seeds (often not qualitycontrolled) occupy a large ratio ● Seeds provided by local seed stores/traders also have uncertain quality. To overcome the challenges and barriers that limit new technologies and innovation adoption, the participants made suggestions and recommendations, as follows: ●
Building Capacity for Innovation
For less favorable environments (valleys, lowlands in the uplands, terraces), including irrigated and “regulated” rainfed: integrated pest management (IPM), integrated crop management (ICM), deep fertilizer placement, alternate wetting and drying irrigation
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Raising awareness/capacity of farmers: This will require good communication and extension strategies and an approach that needs to involve the following: — Activities for awarenessraising for extension staff (community-based). — Demonstration of practices. — Training of farmers and local staff (using farmer field schools). — Developing and distributing knowledge management materials suitable to different target groups (printed materials, videos, leaflets, radio, television, local radio). — Developing links to other projects and activities. — Developing and disseminating appropriate varieties with good quality. — Developing farmer organizations (e.g., interest groups). — Facilitating farmers’ access to inputs and credit. — Improving infrastructure (e.g.,
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stakeholders is very important as this allows for sharing of resources and capabilities to achieve common goals.
● To develop farm-seed systems, the following are important: — Developing farmers’ organizations. — Providing capacity building for farmers’ organizations. — Developing and adopting supportive policies on farmseed systems. — Promoting the involvement and support of local authorities. — Promoting the involvement of the private sector with suitable policies and building capacity and awareness for companies. Up to now, no inputs have been spent for building capacity for private companies.
Enabling poor rice farmers to improve livelihood and overcome poverty in northeastern Thailand’s saltaffected areas
Building Capacity for Innovation
irrigation systems). — Developing and adopting supportive policies and mechanisms, especially to increase income and other support for local extension staff (community-based extension staff ). At present, community-based extension staff receive a very low salary and, under the projects, they also have very low incentive; thus, after the projects end, they cannot continue to work to support farmers in adopting technical innovations. — Developing links to markets. — Raising farmers’ awareness of the need to use quality seeds.
During the closing of the workshop, Dr. Digna Manzanilla mentioned that government policies and programs that will support the upscaling of technologies are very critical in helping farmers. Also, partnership and building network of networks among different
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Tuat, “I encourage values for promoting adoption in the regions for the sustainable development of rice production. This involves technologies such as ICM, IPM, biomass recycling, and deep fertilizer placement. However, efforts are also required for overcoming barriers to adoption. The model of community-based rice seed production and supply developed in Dai Phac has been recommended as a successful model
N
ortheastern Thailand’s paddy fields are the largest area for rice growing in Thailand, but rice yield in this area is very low compared with that in other regions because of constraints such as drought, salinity, submergence, and low soil fertility. One of the major constraints is soil and water salinity, which causes low rice yield. This problem has increased year by year. In 2013, the Nakhon Ratchasima Rice Research Center established a project to solve the problem of rice
for scaling out and scaling up. I hope that support from IRRI/CURE and IFAD projects, other donors, as well as the government of Vietnam will always be available for up- and outscaling technological innovations in developing rice farming in the marginal upland communities. There are also examples of good local policy to support community-based seed systems and the restoration of local varieties.” All these support of projects will boost rice production in unfavorable areas, aiming to contribute significantly to adoption and the restructuring of the rice sector in Vietnam. •
Duangjai Suriya-Arunroj
growing in salt-affected areas by using improved rice cultivars and technologies. The Rice Research Center employed a participatory approach in the project. The research aimed to test the rice cultivars and technologies in farmers’ fields before disseminating them to farmers in the area. But, because the farmers had been suffering from salinity in their rice fields for a very long time and no organization was paying serious attention to the problem, they formed a group and approached the researchers, showing interest in
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learning, but also in having a chance to learn by themselves. Mr. Mana Siang Suntia, a Smart1 farmer from Nakhon Ratchasima Province and chief of the farmers’ group in Khok Prom Village, led and guided the Smart farmers are groups of farmers capable of efficient production and sustainable management. They were trained by the Rice Department and Rice Centers and have an important role in farmer field schools, serving as managers and lecturers. Their activities include providing counseling, servicing, collecting information, and reporting problems (regarding natural disasters and outbreaks of rice pests).
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farmers to observe the trial. Then, in 2014, he contacted the project again to participate in selecting rice cultivars in the farmers’ fields. Under the CURE, supported by IFAD, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, former WG3 leader, encouraged the rice research center to take part in the project to solve the problems farmers faced. From the beginning, therefore, the research center has been involved with the farmers in improving salinity-tolerant rice cultivars and testing technology.
Building Capacity for Innovation
PVS at Khok prom village, Non Thai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province
The head of the farmer group was invited to invite 40 farmer participants to join the training; but, with several farmers encountering problems in the field, more than 70 farmers arrived to observe. The salinity-tolerant rice cultivars, which this group of farmers became interested in, were UBN0212350R-B-3 (aromatic salinity-tolerant and blast-resistant) and UBN02124RGD-MAS-90-2-5-5 (aromatic and moderately salinity-tolerant). The farmers have recently requested rice cultivars to be grown in their own saline paddy fields.
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Building Capacity for Innovation
With Mr. Mana Siang Sunthia, head of farmer group at Non Tahi district, Nakhon Ratchasima province
In 2015, IRRI scientist Dr. R.K. Singh pushed for further expansion of project areas affected by salinity. Farmers grew rice in their own fields (which were near the trial areas). They used five rice cultivars: UBN02123-50R-B-3, UBN02124RDG-MAS-192-5-5, UBN02124RGD-MAS-90-2-5-5, G45-2-6729-NRM-1, and KDML105. The
RGD-MAS-90-2-5-5 and G45-267-29-NRM-1. The rice cultivars and adopted technology from Khok Prom Village were disseminated to Gong Pan Village, Don Pan District in Udorn Thani Province, for out-scaling. Don Pan District Chief Mr. Somchai Martsriklang and agricultural extensionist in Kumphawapi Mr. Somporn Nampila joined the out-scaling training for the dissemination of the salinity-tolerant rice cultivars and technology for improving rice growing in this pioneer village of Udorn Thani Province. Both villages expressed appreciation for the training. At the end of the training, five farmers were provided with salinity-tolerant rice cultivars to be tested in their salinity-affected fields for the 2016 crop year. The promising salinity-tolerant rice cultivars found appropriate to grow in salt-affected areas and preferred by farmers will be promoted and proposed to the Rice Department Committee to be released as new salt-tolerant varieties for up-scaling. Seeds will be multiplied and disseminated to farmers in areas affected by soil and water salinity. Farmers will test them in their paddy fields and then select the proper cultivars to help improve their rice production and livelihood, and finally overcome poverty. •
farmers followed the trial procedures and collected data as was done in the fields. After harvest, they conducted preference analysis both in the field and in the rice graintasting activity. Finally, they selected the rice cultivars that had high yield, good performance, and good eating quality as well as aroma. The cultivars chosen were UBN02124-
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B
OGOR, Indonesia ‒ “No matter how many varieties we develop, if farmers do not plant them, our efforts to raise productivity in suboptimal rice environments will have no meaning.” This was the message of Dr. Hasil Sembiring, director general of food crops, Ministry of Agriculture in Indonesia, during a consolidation-workshop on upscaling technological innovation in suboptimal rice environments of Indonesia, held 11 March. The activity, the first ever held in Indonesia, aimed to focus efforts
Participants in the consolidation-workshop on upscaling technological innovation in suboptimal rice environments of Indonesia
Indrastuti Rumanti, Zulkifli Zaini and Digna Manzanilla
on reaching out to poor farmers in suboptimal environments. In the past, the government had addressed productivity mainly in irrigated rice areas that comprise nearly 60% of the country’s total rice production area. Recently, the government has directed its resources to meet its target seed production for 2016-17 and it has included rainfed lowland (27.7%), swampy (8.8%), and upland (5.3%) areas. Sembiring, a former director of the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR) and steering committee member of the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE), has been calling for
increased production to improve the livelihood of farmers severely affected by climatic variability. He has strongly supported efforts to develop climate-resilient varieties and community seed banks. The workshop, held at the IPB International Convention Center in Bogor, was organized by the Directorate General of Food Crops in cooperation with ICRR and CURE. The purpose was to speed up the delivery of suitable seeds of newly released stress-tolerant rice varieties and the associated best management practices specifically suited to unfavorable environments in
Building Capacity for Innovation
Indonesia to disseminate stress-tolerant varieties and modern practices in less favorable rice areas
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upland, swampy, rainfed, and flood-prone areas. Scientists and technical directorate staff involved in unfavorable environment research attended the workshop. They came from ICRR, IWETRI, ICATAD, the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) of eight provinces, IRRI, and the Directorate of Food Crops. “CURE’s role is to catalyze and encourage national governments to foster the scaling up of technological innovation developed out of the current partnerships,” said Dr. Digna Manzanilla, CURE coordinator. One workshop recommendation is to further strengthen collaboration among ICRR, the Indonesian Swampland Agriculture Research Institute (ISARI), and CURE to develop best management practices. Dr. Ali Jamil, director of ICRR (and now promoted to director of the Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development or ICFORD), expressed his confidence in the appropriateness and readiness of technologies intended to raise productivity in Indonesia’s unfavorable environments. These appropriate technologies include varieties; soil, water, weed, pest, and disease management; fertilizer recommendations; and postharvest practices. Also, a demo for the Seed Multiplication Program will be pursued through “1,000 self-sufficient seed villages”
(or “Desa Mandiri Benih,” DMB, an Indonesian acronym) from the Directorate General of Food Crops to encourage and increase seed production for upland varieties in selected provinces. DMB will financially support the purchase of starter and foundation seeds from the AIAT while the directorate seed program will use starter and extension seeds for food crops. The seed production unit of each AIAT in selected provinces integrated with the DMB, ICRR, and the Directorate of Seed has started seed multiplication of stress-tolerant rice varieties to support the effort in 2016. The seed multiplication is targeting fulfilling the seed need for 2 million hectares of upland rice and 0.8 million hectares of swampy and droughtprone lowland rice. Zulkifli Zaini, representing the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Indonesia, has been instrumental in making the consultation possible. He highlighted some technologies such as seeds, machinery, crop establishment, and crop and natural resource management. Casiana Vera Cruz and Yoichiro Kato, working group leaders of CURE, also joined the consultation. Recommended in-kind support for technology packages (best management practices) was also proposed to be given to farmers as an intervention by the government
to increase rice yield and expand rice area. Government support such as simple mechanization and a seed and fertilizer subsidy will be provided for farmers by the Directorate of Food Crops and Directorate of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities. A coordination meeting to reexamine the strategies for seed multiplication to develop working mechanisms and a timeline for producing seeds for the coming season was set for September 2016, according to Dr. Nandang Sunandar, director of cereal production in the Directorate General of Food Crops, Ministry of Agriculture. Attending the workshop were representatives of the Directorate General of Food Crops, Directorate of Seed, Directorate of Cereal Production, Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development, Indonesian Center for Agricultural Technology Assessment and Development, ICRR, IRRI, and CURE. Also represented were the Swampland Agriculture Research Institute and representatives of the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) in Riau, South Sumatra, Banten, Lampung, and West Java as well as local government units of South Sumatra, Lampung, Banten, West Java, East Java, and South Kalimantan. •
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Bishnu Bilas Adhikari
K
hushi Ram Mishra and Lok Nath Devkota are progressive farmers living in Nepal. The 63-year-old Mr. Mishra lives in Sundarbazar Municipality in Paundibazar Lamjung and his farming experience began in childhood. Mr. Devkota resides in Palungtar Municipality in Palungtar, Gorkha, and he is 65 years old. Both farmers have no high or advanced education (Mr. Devkota passed eighth grade and joined the Nepalese army). They each have families, including grandchildren. They come from the Brahmin high class with Hindu religion. But, whereas Mr. Mishra started farming as a child, Mr. Devkota started farming practices only after retirement from the Nepalese army in 2009. They are medium-level farmers. Mr. Mishra has around 1.3 hectares of land, while Mr. Devkota has 2.4 ha (1.4 ha of upland and 1 ha of rainfed lowland). Mr. Mishra obtains extra income from his small tea shop in Paundibazar Lamjung, where several villagers usually gather daily for tea. Aside from their farming activities, both farmers are active socially in
Khushi Ram Mishra
Lok Nath Devkota
the community. They have joined more than ten institutions and groups and assumed key positions in them. Mr. Mishra is now the coordinator of the district-level seed producer groups of Lamjung and vice president of the Sunder (Model) Seed Producer Agricultural Cooperative in Sundarbazar, Lamjung. Mr. Devkota is an active seed producer member in the Bhrikuti seed producer group of Palungtar, Gorkha. Both farmers became involved in the IRRI/IAAS research activities of the IRRI-IFAD project Managing Rice Landscapes in the Marginal Uplands for Household Food Security and Environmental Sustainability (started in 2005 in Mr. Mishra’s area; in Mr. Devkota’s
case, the verified technologies were disseminated in Palungtar villages in 2007). Prior to the IRRI project, both grew local varieties such as Eakle, Dalle, Gokule Mansuli, Aanpjhutte, Jhinuwa, Anati, etc., on their rainfed lowland parcels. For their upland, Mr. Mishra grew mango, litchi, and banana, whereas Mr. Devkota grew upland rice, maize, and finger millet.
Rice production activities Before the IRRI/IAAS partnership under the IFAD project, these two farmers grew local traditional varieties (landraces) with low
Words from the Field
Khushi Ram Mishra and Lok Nath Devkota: profiles of successful seed producer farmers in Nepal
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fertilizer response, low tillering, and less production potential (2‒2.5 t/ ha). Neck blast was very severe for variety Gokule Mansuli, and covered more than half of the production areas. Both became involved in participatory action research/ participatory varietal selection (PVS) in rainfed lowland areas through mother-baby trials. Mr. Devkota contributed significantly to the release and production of rice varieties Sukhadhan-1 to Sukhadhan-6 and their seed, including Ramdhan in the western mid-hills of Nepal (the same as with Mr. Mishra, with the addition of scented variety Sunaulo sugandha). PVS trials, varietal selection, seed production, seed storage, and seed distribution were important activities, which led to increased productivity and food security in the
Farmers' seed assembly
western mid-hill districts of Nepal. The two farmers became recipients of several training activities, especially on improved rice cultivation practices, in different years from projects they were involved in and those of their respective District Agriculture Development Offices (DADOs). Mr. Devkota particularly had a month-long seed producer farmers’ training in 2014 at Palungtar Agricultural Service Center, which was organized by DADO-Gorkha. Mr. Mishra as well had extensive experience involving seed producer farmers’ training and exposure visits in different districts. On their farms, Mr. Mishra and Mr. Devkota have applied improved practices from seeding to harvesting, threshing, storage, and marketing. They reported that they were able to
obtain more than 5 t/ha of rice yield from drought-tolerant rice (DTR) varieties. They are immersed as well in improved nursery management, planting, weed management, water management, nutrient management, and postharvest management activities.
Seed production using drought-tolerant varieties Mr. Mishra started a commercial seed production program after establishing the Sundar Seed Producer Group in Sundarbazar in 2007; on the other hand, Mr. Devkota helped establish the Palungtar seed producer group, renamed Bhrikuti SPG in 2010. These farmers were given first priority in testing new genotypes and in producing quality seed of released varieties. They gained
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Words from the Field
significant experience in seed production of drought-tolerant varieties from Sukhadhan-1 to Sukhadhan-6. They said that, out of six newly released droughttolerant varieties, the production potential and drought-tolerance characteristics were higher with Sukhadhan-2, whereas production and cooking quality were higher with Sukhadhan-5, as it was found to be very soft, with good taste, and had good water-absorbing capacity. Sukhadhan-3 and Pakhe jhinuwa were more susceptible to neck blast in hills. This year, Mr. Mishra produced 1 ton of Sukhadhan-3 and 1 ton of Sukhadhan-4 as quality seed, whereas Mr. Devkota produced around 2 tons of Sabitri and 1 ton of Sukhadhan-2 for quality seed, including 2 tons of Ramdhan.
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Experiences with droughttolerant varieties and management practices How were they affected by the stresses occurring on their farms?
Both farmers had used longduration local varieties on their farms before the project. Because of the long drought at the time of planting, in some years they could not transplant the seedlings in time. Because of the late planting of long-duration varieties, production declined to almost half; hence, they turned to maize, wheat, and other crops for food.
How did they cope with or manage farming in such conditions?
They made use of some droughttolerant local varieties during certain years. Mr. Mishra used Anga, Marshi, and Ghaiya, while Mr. Devkota used Chaurasi (84 days), Radha-4, Bindeshwori, Anga, Marsi, Pakhejhinuwa, and Rathothantar. After the project, they used improved drought-tolerant rice varieties on their upland and rainfed lowland farms. How did they find out about the stress-tolerant varieties or rice management practices?
Various IRRI projects such as IFADTAG 706, Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA),
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Words from the Field
and CURE activities supported by IFAD have contributed to the release of drought-tolerant rice varieties suitable for growing in upland as well as rainfed lowland conditions. The farmers said that they have since been using newly released DTR varieties on their farms. They are using different drought-tolerant varieties in different years with improved management practices. How long have they been using the stress-tolerant varieties or rice management practices?
Mr. Devkota said that he had the good opportunity to use drought-tolerant varieties after implementation of the CURE project in 2010 in his village. The newly released drought-tolerant varieties such as Sukhadhan-1, Sukhadhan-2, and Sukhadhan-3 were used after their release in 2011. Before 2011, he used Radha-4, Bindeshwori, Chaurasi, Pakhejhinuwa, Rathothantar, etc., as drought-tolerant varieties. Similarly, Mr. Mishra has been using newly released drought-tolerant varieties since 2011. Before 2011, he used Radha-4, Hardinath-1 and Bindeshwori as drought-tolerant improved varieties with good management practices. What other support services were provided by the source of variety or management practice?
Both farmers confirmed using more seedlings per hill (>6 tillers) for drought-tolerant varieties in rainfed lowland conditions as a general practice. If the variety was planted late, the number of tillers increased up to 8 per hill. In late-planting
conditions, the farmers used a high amount of nitrogenous fertilizer as topdressing just after rainfall. Mr. Mishra particularly used butachlor as pre-emergence herbicide to control weeds in rainfed conditions. Did they make any improvement or adjustment in their system of growing varieties or using management practices?
Mr. Mishra has more than six drought-tolerant varieties and Mr. Devkota has seven drought-tolerant varieties with an improved package of practices (POP). They can use different varieties in different years in different land types. They are familiar with improved cultivation and management practices from nursery to postharvest management. What hesitations did they have before trying a variety or adapting a management practice; what convinced them to try it?
Mr. Devkota said that he had some hesitation when he grew new DTR varieties obtained in 2011 from the project. He received a minikit packet from the project and then he planted on his small parcel of land just to test the varieties. When he observed good results from the newly obtained varieties, he tried growing them in large areas. Both Mr. Devkota and Mr. Mishra were involved in PVS trials and varietal demonstration programs to observe and select the best genotypes based on good characters. They selected the newly released varieties, together with other farmers. They said that they developed confidence using these released varieties on their farms.
They have tried all the droughttolerant varieties on their farms successfully. How did the varieties or management practices change their farming style, livelihood, and family’s lifestyle?
Both farmers said that, before the IRRI project, they applied local farming practices with local varieties on their farms. They joined training activities on various topics sponsored by the IRRI project and by their respective DADOs in Lamjung and Gorkha. After attending the training, they changed their cultivation practices. Now, they are progressive farmers and have started to lead farmers’ organizations. They have developed a reputation in their community as good farmers. After the adoption of newly verified technologies on their farms, they were able to achieve high profit from the improved cultivation practices. Have they observed any change in their community with the farmers’ use of the varieties or management practices?
They said that the adoption rate of verified technologies from the IRRI project is increasing day by day. After the adoption of newly verified technologies (drought-tolerant varieties and management practices) in different farming communities, the area adopting drought-tolerant varieties is also increasing day by day. Farmers are now able to achieve almost double grain yield.
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Source of pride and income
Mr. Mishra reported that a number of farmers have benefited from the new technologies. The coverage area of newly released drought-tolerant varieties in his region has grown to more than 90%. His support for the new technologies is drawn from his involvement in different organizations at both local and district levels. He was involved, for instance, in seed collection (from national programs), seed distribution programs from the Sundar seed cooperative, minikit distribution programs from IRRI projects, and experience-sharing programs with farmers in new areas.
Mr. Mishra’s two sons, employed abroad, and his daughter-in-law, employed in a local primary school as a teacher, help provide the needs of the household through their earnings. Mr. Devkota’s two sons, on the other hand, are employed in their locality as a construction manager (elder son) and secondarylevel teacher (younger one). They also share their earnings to the household.
Mr. Devkota also mentioned that he recommends new technologies to other farmers on various occasions. He has been more involved in different organizations at the local and district levels. Like Mr. Mishra, he involved himself in the different programs organized through IRRI projects. The coverage area of newly released drought-tolerant varieties in his region has surpassed 75%. The adoption rate of new droughttolerant varieties is increasing annually.
Mr. Mishra and Mr. Devkota are now significantly contributing to theirs families’ household incomes.
Mr. Mishra (who besides earning from his tea shop and from selling vegetable seedlings and vegetables during the on- and off-seasons), and Mr. Devkota (who also receives a monthly pension) now have an additional sturdy source of income. Mr. Mishra and Mr. Devkota each contribute around NRs 50,000 rupees (equivalent to $500) from their rice production. Mr. Khushi Ram Mishra’s and Mr. Lok Nath Devkota’s success stories are still unfolding. They can be told continually with pride, as they contribute to the improvement of their families’ lives and of their country, Nepal. •
Words from the Field
Would they recommend the technologies to other farmers?
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Publications
Poudel MR, Adhikari BB, Dhakal CK, Shrestha K. 2014. Role of Sundar seed cooperative for rice (Oryza sativa) seed supply in Lamjung: a case study at Sundarbazar, Lamjung. Proceedings of Undergraduate Practicum Assessment. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science. p 95-99.
Devkota RM, Adhikari BB, Dhakal CK, Chalise M, Maharjan M. 2013. Role of Harrabot ladies’ seed producer group in food security in Lamjung, Nepal. Proceedings of Undergraduate Practicum Assessment. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science. p 81-85.
ABSTRACT Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the main staple food crop of Nepal. Farmers in Nepal mostly use the informal seed system as the source of seed, which comprises 92% of the total seed requirement. A survey was conducted in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, to study the role of the Sundar seed cooperative in the seed supply system in Lamjung District. The study was made through a household survey in which semi-structured pretested questionnaires were used. Secondary information was collected from different sources such as project annual reports, key informant surveys, pamphlets, leaflets, etc. Purposive sampling of 30 households (HHs) was done for the sample population, among which 15 HHs were seed producers and 15 were non-seedproducer HHs. The study revealed that the Sundar seed cooperative was a successful seed cooperative contributing to the formal seed sector of the district. The technical know-how of cooperative members; collaboration with organizations such as the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), District Development Committee (DDC), Regional Seed Testing Laboratory (RSTL), and NGOs/ INGOs; participation of female farmers; and a proper strategic channel for seed marketing, seed certification, and truthful labeling that increase the trust of farmers in the cooperative were the success factors of the cooperative. This cooperative contributed 11.85% of the total rice seed requirement of Lamjung District in 2013. So, the establishment of this seed cooperative in Sundarbazar Village has played a key role in enhancing the productivity of the rice crop and in increasing food security in Lamjung and other neighboring districts.
ABSTRACT A field survey was conducted in June 2014 to study the role of a ladies’ seed producer group (SPG) in food security through women’s participation in Harrabot Village of Tarkugaht VDC, Lamjung. A total sampling population of 30 was taken from wards no. 1 to 4, of which 15 were seed producer members and 15 were nonproducers selected by simple random sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a prestructured and pretested questionnaire. Results showed that 63.3% of the population had more than 12 months of food sufficiency. The average rice production of the population was found to increase by 26.9% till now after the establishment of this SPG, which illustrates that there must be a gradual reduction in slack months of the family, thus aiding in the society’s food security. Therefore, the availability of improved seeds and training via a community-based seed production (CBSP) program helps to maintain food security of the population along with higher living standards. CBSP is the key strategy of the seed production program implemented through the District Seed Self-Sufficiency Program (DISSPRO) by the government of Nepal to increase food production and food security throughout the nation.
Adhikari BB, Haefele SM. 2014. Characterization of cropping systems in the western mid-hills of Nepal: constraints and opportunities. International Journal of Research and Innovations in Earth Science 1(1):20-26. ABSTRACT A cropping systems characterization study was carried out in three Village Development Committees (VDCs)—Sundarbazar of Lamjung District and Purkot and Bhanu of Tanahun District—in the western mid-hills of Nepal during 2010. The representative 45 households from different ecosystems were randomly selected from these three villages on the basis of their area under rice cultivation and the toposequence position of their fields. People’s knowledge was gathered through focus group discussions and household surveys in the study area. The study villages lie in the subtropical climatic belt in river basin areas of the Marshyangdi River. The area has subhumid type of weather conditions with a cold winter, hot summer, and distinct rainy season. The dominant features of farming in the study area were small landholdings, sloping marginal land, and rainfall-dependent farming. In the study villages, a variety of crops such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, and flowers was grown. The major cropping systems were maize-ricefallow and rice-wheat-fallow, intercropped with pulses in maize and mustard in wheat. Nutrient-poor soils (micronutrient deficiencies, low pH, low CEC), farmers’ poor access to inorganic fertilizers, soil-depleting cropping patterns, and a lack of technical knowledge on crop management appear to contribute to increased soil erosion and soil degradation. The lack of quality seed, insect pests, and diseases were the major biotic constraints while the lack of irrigation, drought, and lack of technical support were the major abiotic constraints to rice production. Huge potential exists for increased productivity of rice in the hills but this needs concerted efforts in capacity building, technical support through effective channels, an improved land tenure system, and the use of quality inputs at the correct time and place for the emerging farming community.
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Trina Leah T. Mendoza
Zaini Z, Rumanti IA, Soegondo DW, Kato Y, editors. 2015. International Proceedings of Unfavorable Rice Land Securing National Rice Production in Indonesia. Indonesian Center for Food Crops Research and Development. p 252. From the PREFACE Collaboration between the Indonesian Center for Rice Research (ICRR) and IRRI for the CURE project formally began in 2002, when both agreed to cooperate for the improvement of rice research through Indonesia’s National Rice Research Program. ICRR research resulted in a series of technology information that later was reviewed and developed as an integrated crop management (ICM) concept. The Ministry of Agriculture through the Directorate General for Food Crops is implementing the ICM Field School to promote increase in national rice production. In 2012, ICM was implemented in an ICM Farmer Field School in areas totaling 3 million hectares. However, for unfavorable rice ecosystems, except for the modern varieties, the technology for cultural practices of ICM is not developing as fast as that of irrigated ICM. One of the concerns in maintaining selfsufficiency is how productivity level must increase. Keeping that effort in mind, the Indonesian government formulated some programs that included improving the irrigation system, creating new agricultural lands (especially sub-optimal lands), using high-yielding new plant varieties, and implementing technology for plant cultivation. To accelerate the adoption of new rice varieties, the Indonesian Center for Rice Research, together with the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology in 33 provinces of Indonesia, increased the seed production of locally specific modern rice varieties, especially for unfavourable areas that are prone to submergence, salinity and drought, and upland ecosystems.
rowing rice is hard enough for rice farmers because of the various challenges that they face each day: pest infestations, water and labor shortages, postharvest losses, and impending threats such as climate change. Imagine having to factor all these in and grow rice in rainfed lowland and stress-prone rice environments—rice grown in salinity-, drought-, and flood-prone areas. These are the challenges that CURE mover Nenita Desamero has to deal with as a principal rice breeder for rainfed lowland and stress-prone rice environments at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). At PhilRice, she leads a research and development team working
on developing and improving rice varieties for drought-prone rainfed lowland and salinity- and floodprone rice environments. “I conceptualize and implement breeding methodologies and strategies for a cost-effective and efficient breeding program aimed at developing varieties with tolerance of abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, submergence), high grain yield, good grain and eating quality, and resistance to major pests,” Dr. Desamero said. Dr. Desamero was tasked to improve the Institute’s existing tissue culture laboratory when she joined PhilRice in 1994. She was successful in turning the laboratory into a facility where nonconventional approaches could be used to develop and improve rice varieties. Under
CURE Mover
A Heart for Filipino farmers
May 2016 | Vol. 6 No.1 ▌CURE Matters
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her leadership, her research team was able to generate and develop hundreds of rice breeding lines for adverse environments. To date, six rice varieties for salinity-prone areas have been released and four varieties for drought-prone and rainfed lowland environments have been developed through tissue culture methods. Her valuable contributions have led to the development and registration
with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) of 11 salinitytolerant varieties as of 2013 and 7 drought-tolerant dry-seeded varieties for rainfed lowlands as of 2015. Rice varieties for stress-prone environments require suitable best management practices or technologies to achieve high quality. Dr. Desamero served as program leader of a PhilRice R&D program
that aimed to develop technologies appropriate for the target rice ecosystems and environments (rainfed lowland and upland, saline, submergence, cool elevated, heat). “Under my leadership, the research team generated technologies and information on varieties; land preparation and crop establishment; soil and nutrient management; pest management; water harvesting, conservation, and management; and crop intensification and
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“The request for fast or special accreditation for IR64-Sub1 was necessary as many farmers were clamoring for the seeds to be planted on a commercial scale, as during that period the country was hit by several typhoons, resulting in frequent flash flooding in the low-lying rice areas in the country,” she said. “During that time, the policies and guidelines for varietal registration and release for the flood-prone rice areas were not yet in place.” Dr. Desamero continued her involvement with CURE from 2011 to 2014 as a principal
diversification for inclusion in the PalayCheck System for the target ecosystem,” she explained. As a CURE partner, Dr. Desamero led an IRRI-PhilRice project from 2007 to 2009 that aimed to implement plans to disseminate flood-tolerant rice varieties and associated new production practices to farmers in Southeast Asia. As project team leader, she implemented on-station and on-
investigator and coordinator on collaborative work to improve livelihoods and overcome poverty in drought-prone lowlands of South and Southeast Asia. Her team promoted site-specific nutrient management through the Nutrient Manager for Rice and Rice Crop Manager applications. With local government units, they provided recommendations for hundreds of farmer beneficiaries through a technology clinic. Drought-tolerant varieties for rainfed lowlands were also validated and promoted. Her work has contributed significantly to improving rice varieties for farmers, especially in adverse conditions. The droughttolerant and early-maturing varieties that she developed are one of the technology options (together with other associated technologies) recommended for cultivation to overcome the ongoing El Niño phenomenon. The drought- and salinity-tolerant varieties developed have also been recommended to advance climate change resiliency in rice production, in combination with other climate change-resilient cultural practices. Furthermore, growing these varieties has been proven to contribute to raising rice yield and production in the target areas; thus, farmers’ incomes can also increase. For her significant contributions to science, Dr. Desamero has received numerous awards. These include receiving the 2010 Achievement Award in crop science research from the Crop Science Society of the Philippines. She was also the 2009 Outstanding R&D Achiever and a Gawad Saka Outstanding Agricultural Scientist-Finalist, awarded by the Department of
Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research. Despite her achievements, Dr. Desamero believes that a lot more can be done for our farmers. She sees that farmers have limited or no access to information on rice varieties for their environments and have problems in seed availability and sustainability of an adequate seed supply. However, she says that the Department of Agriculture is now attempting to overcome the problem in seed supply and distribution through a seed production network to make affordable seed sufficiently available at any time and place needed. Moreover, she sees that farmers can be made aware through timely information campaigns, farmers’ field schools, and communication materials. Because of these challenges, Dr. Desamero continues to work hard to help our farmers. “Thanks to the rice farmers who work as hard as a beast of burden, making rice available on our dinner table,” she said. “It inspires me to make a difference in the lives of our rice farmers, capitalizing on the knowledge I have and my expertise. How I can be of help in my own capacity to improve our farmers’ well-being, especially with the climate change adversities that our rice farmers are facing, motivates me to work further in rice research.” •
CURE Mover
farm trials of IRRI-developed flood-tolerant breeding lines, and evaluated the performance and yield of the lines in stressful and nonstressful conditions. Dr. Desamero’s leadership was instrumental in the release of the IRRI-developed IR64-Sub1 line as a variety registered as NSIC Rc194 with the commercial name Submarino 1 for cultivation in flood-prone areas in the Philippines.
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About IFAD The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventyfive percent of the world’s poorest people —1.4 billion women, children, and men—live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods.
CURE Matters, Volume 6, Number 1, May 2016. This Newsletter is produced by the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). CURE is a regional platform for partnerships among institutions from South and Southeast Asia. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), as the host institution, provides the coordination function. Scientists from IRRI and the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) of partner countries work together to help raise productivity and contribute to improved livelihoods in unfavourable rice ecosystems. Materials in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official views of IRRI, IFAD, or collaborating institutions of CURE.
About CURE Drought, flooding, and soil salinity are among the key problems in Asia’s rainfed rice environment. The Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) is a platform that provides a venue for partnership between national agricultural research and extension systems and IRRI researchers and farmers and extension workers to tackle these problems in rice farming systems where low and unstable yields are commonplace and where extensive poverty and food insecurity prevail. CURE, one of the projects funded by IFAD, aims to help 100 million poor farm households in Asia who depend on rice.
www. irri.org/cure EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION TEAM CURE Digna Manzanilla, David Johnson, and Anne Marie Jennifer E. Eligio COMMUNICATION TEAM Bill Hardy, Grace Canas (Editors) Ariel Paelmo (Layout Artist) Contributing authors: Digna Manzanilla, Luu Ngoc Quyen, Duangjai Suriya-Arunroj, Indrastuti Rumanti, Zulkifli Zaini, Bishnu Bilas Adhikari, Thac Thi Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thi Lang, Nguyen van Hieu, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, Bai Chi Buu, Yoichiro Kato, Aurora Corales, TinTin Myint, Phetmanyseng Xangsayasane, Somvang Chanthamaly, Khamla Phanthaboun, Trina Leah T. Mendoza, and Anne Marie Jennifer E. Eligio
Please direct queries, comments, and contributions to: Digna Manzanilla, Scientist (Social Sciences) and CURE Coordinator Email:
[email protected] Anne Marie Jennifer E. Eligio, Knowledge Management and Communication Specialist Email:
[email protected]
CURE M a t t e r s
Raising productivity for fragile ecosystems
