Smart Rice Farming for the Future

by Roger F. Barroga

Overview of the Rice Situation in the Philippines

Rice is perhaps the most important food staple in the Philippines. However, its production faces serious challenges from the effects of climate change, globalization, increasing population, and dwindling land resources. The Philippines is ranked 3^rd most affected by natural calamities in the world. About 24 cyclones each year cause destruction of agriculture sector. 

In spite of these challenges, the Philippines has been able to keep up pace with population’s demand for rice through the efforts of rice research and development.  New modern rice varieties and hybrid rice varieties doubled the rice yields using the same land area. Importation has been kept to a minimum annually just to maintain a buffer stock during lean months but there have been no serious rice shortages in the last couple of decades. With this breakeven harvest, and high cost of production, the Philippines will face serious competition from cheaper rice of other countries when the trade barriers will be lifted in 2017.

The picture on the ground, however, is not so good. Heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides polluted the soil, water, and caused pesticides resistance, and loss of natural predators. Despite increased productivity of the rice fields, farmers’ real incomes and health have deteriorated – leaving them as one of the poorest sectors in society. With incomes below the poverty line, farmers and their children suffer from poor nutrition, and lack food security.

How research is creating smarter rice production system

At the national level, the Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are undertaking collaborative rice research and development under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) to address the issues self-sufficiency and food security, protection of the environment, adaptation to climate change, and enhance global competitiveness.  There are seven components:

1.       Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM) – use of satellite technology to map the total rice area, monitor crop growth, potential harvest, and area damaged by drought, landslides, and floods;

2.       Accelerating the development and adoption of next generation rice varieties for major ecosystems in the Philippines (NextGen) – using molecular biology to create tolerant rice varieties to abiotic and biotic stresses, such as salinity, drought, flood, and heat and cold temperatures, and new strains of pest and diseases.

3.       Rice Crop Manager – a decision support app for smart phones and tab, to enable farmers to get precise, location specific nutrient management recommendation – such as when to apply the right kind, amount and time based on the rice growth stage and farmers’ location.

4.       Associated technologies –development of location-specific water technology on water, weeds, pest, diseases, including farm labor and machinery.

5.       Heirloom rice - collection, characterization and preservation of traditional rice varieties for breeding work; creates value added products to provide new income opportunities for indigenous people who own the traditional varieties.

6.       IPaD – improving rice technology promotion and delivery by enhancing the capability of the next generation of extension professionals and other intermediaries. New learning modalities, use of modern ICT tools; exposure to successful agri entrepreneurs; shift from mere transfer of information to increase farm output towards change in values toward community transformation.

7.       Cross-country research – benchmarking the Philippine rice economy relative to major rice producing countries in Asia. This study looks into policies and investments made by neighboring countries that have strengthened their rice industry to guide our decision makers.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) adopts recasts its R&D program

In 2014, PhilRice adopted a new framework for its rice R&D to respond to the present and future challenges in rice production. It adopted a clean, green, practical, and smart rice R&D for competitiveness, sustainability, and resiliency of farming communities.

This marked a major shift in focus from merely increasing rice production to the sustainability of the rice environment, maximizing the use of rice and its by-products, increasing farmers’ incomes, improving their health, nutrition, and well being; and enhancing competitiveness and resiliency of rice farming communities.

The new R&D programs include:

1.       Integrated Rice Agri-BioSystems –developing crop integration with rice and crop intensification for additional income and food sources,  vegetables, livestock, fish, ducks to maximize space and time; developing community based food production and processing chain to localize food sources; waste and nutrient recycling;

2.       High value products from rice – exploring pharmaceutical and industrial products from the rice plant, developing new food products from rice, and mass production of beneficial microorganisms in rice;

3.       Farming without Fossil Fuel – alternative sources of fuel for farm energy, such as rice hull gasifiers, ethanol from plants, biodiesel from commercial oils, and use of compressed air, solar powered electricity, wind and hydro power.

4.       Coping with Climate Change – development of heat, drought, flood, and salinity tolerant rice varieties; monitoring and weather information services; development of mitigating measures for predicted climate changes.

5.       FutureRice - the outputs of the four research programs will be sent to the FutureRice program for systems integration in an actual farm conditions. The program tests and integrates other innovations from external sources such as industry, commercial agribusiness corporations, or global organizations. The integration process will address two scenarios, (1) peak oil scenario when there is no longer fuel for farm transport, energy, chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and (2) high technology global competition in rice production, including mechanization, precision agriculture, and farm automation.

How will smart rice farms of future be like?

We envision the farms of the future as rice based agri-enterprise with multiple income streams, using natural farming techniques and modern technology, climate resilient varieties, mechanized, using clean and renewable energy; and using ICTs for automation and precision farming.

1.       Multiple crops

2.       Water harvesting

3.       Renewable energy

4.       High tech sensing equipment

5.       Own weather station

6.       Connected to apps

7.       Farming machines

8.       Right kind of rice varieties

9.       Makes the most of extreme conditions

10.   Natural pesticides and fertilizers

We located our 5 hectare model farm near the farming communities in Munoz, Nueva Ecija, so we showcase clean GPS innovations.  They can be part of the innovation and transformation process. The farm is divided into high technology area, which showcases various hybrid rice varieties, machinery, and computer based crop management apps. We also have a natural farming area where reduced tillage technique, ecological engineering, organic rice culture, use of azolla and sesbania, vermicompost, soil humus and probiotics technology is showcased.  Other components of the farm include:

·         Farm Mechanization – use of mechanical rice planter and combine harvested;

·         Clean energy – use of biogas, solar power, and bioethanol to power small water pump engine

·         A water harvesting – a big pond was constructed to collect excess irrigation water and rainwater; it will be equipped with 4 stage filtration system to clean the water of sedimentation, heavy metals and nitrates.  A water recirculation system will be made to be powered by alternative energy sources to pump water from the main pond to the plots, triggered by sensors and water gates and switches

·         Traditional rice varieties; Korean varieties; submergence varieties, rice fish culture for protein

·         Assorted vegetables sprayed only with organic and plant based pesticide for additional income;

·         The now serves as a rice boot camp for the new breed of extension workers; we have also invited out-of- school youth around the community to grow and learn modern rice farming; an AgriKapihan – or coffee meeting/dialogue with farmers on important topics during the various growth stages of the rice crop.

·         The farm is now fully automated with Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic weather station, field water level sensors, and remote CCTV access in my mobile or tab.  A farm management software is under construction. New nutrient management apps such as the MOET are now being tested. The farm will also be using UAVs and ground sensors to monitor crop growth parameters, as well as test its application for nutrient and pest management.

·         Under construction are additional energy sheds for biodiesel, bio ethanol and rice hull gasifier systems.  Also under construction is the biomass processing and probiotics sheds. A greenhouse will also be erected for rice and vegetable seedlings production, including aquaponics technology.

We envision for the integration of these innovations into scale and modular, so that farmers can adopt a set or a combination of innovations that is applicable to their needs.  These innovations could be a the crop-livestock layer, or coupled with farm automation using practical ICTs and energy systems.

The final feature of the farm is farm tourism. We are creating a farm where people who visit will learn, earn, and have a different rice experience. Students can join the rice straw art competition, a campaign to stop burning of rice straw. Visitors can also enjoy rice paddy art – a famous hero’s face, Dr. Jose Rizal, is created using red rice plants. Finally, visitors may enjoy fishing and kayaking in the water harvesting pond.

Thus, the farms of the future will enable farmers to have multiple food sources and income streams, producing safer food, and preserving the environment.

Thank you very much.

 ¹Presented at the Forum 2015 COHRED Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health, 24-27 August 2015, Manila, Philippines. 
²Information Technology Officer III and Program Leader, FutureRice; rfbarroga@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/FutureRice. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, www.philrice.gov.ph

Writer: Roger F. Barroga
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