More rice farmers use RCM to increase production

AN increasing number of rice farmers using Rice Crop Manager (RCM) to increase the yield of their rice crop after two years of implementation.

RCM ‘decision support tool’ is an application that could be accessed via a smartphone or a computer with internet connection. It allows extension officers to give specific recommendation on nutrient, pest, weed, or water management depending on the rice variety, yield from the previous season, and the site specific conditions of the rice paddies.

Edwin Franco, RCM focal person said that the RCM has been an effective tool by the farmers in managing their crops. Farmers practicing the RCM recorded an increased in their yield, learned new ways of managing crops, and reduced production cost.

The monitored impact of the aggressive deployment of the RCM technology to the nutrient management practices of rice farmers in the Cordillera helped many farmers to effectively use their fertilizers thrice corresponding to the three most critical stages of rice; early vegetative, active tillering and panicle initiation.

Further, farmers realized that the use of complete (14-14-14) and urea (46-0-0) can optimize their money instead of using ammonium phosphate (16-200) and ammonium sulfate (21-0-0). Though the prices of the latter fertilizers are cheaper, the effect of the former on the yield is better. While the

use of muriate of potash (MOP or 0-0-60) and zinc sulfate (Zn2S04) are not priority fertilizers and are optional for the farmers to use.

“All RCM technology demonstration projects implemented across the region indicates that indeed a substantial yield increment could be attained when the RCM technology is being followed. It is however recognized that there are still great opportunities to improve through the conduct of parallel and complementary researches and the establishment of threshers,” said Franco.