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Dissemination of Natural Resource Management Technology for Irrigated Rice in the Philippines: On-Farm Validation to National Extension

Corales, A. M., Sibayan, E. B. and Palis, F. G.

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 38, Issue 2, May 2015

Keywords: Dissemination, extension, natural resource management, on-farm testing, adoption, upscaling

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Natural Resource Management (NRM) technologies, some of which include Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM), Ecologically-Based Rodent Management (EBRM) and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) for increased farm productivity and income in the irrigated rice ecosystem, have recently been generated through research. Guaranteeing that these technologies are properly disseminated and utilized by farmers is one of the challenges not only for researchers but for policymakers and various stakeholders as well. These need to be tested and evaluated on-farm to determine their appropriateness for wide-scale adoption of farmers, and the factors that may hinder their diffusion. In 2006, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) forged partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to implement a project enhancing the delivery of NRM technologies for irrigated rice ecosystem from adaptive research to nationwide implementation. Activities of the collaborative project included training of partners, stakeholders' workshop, establishment of demo farm cum learning field, information campaign and on-farm evaluation. Results revealed yield increases of 28.3% and 12.6% in the SSNM demo plots for DS and WS 2007, respectively; 3.17% yield increase in the EBRM field; and 18.8% reduction in production cost by utilizing the AWD technologies. These results encouraged farmers to continue using the NRM technologies and sharing them to others. Eventually, the NRM technologies were integrated into the National Rice Program through the PalayCheck system. Overall, the PhilRice-IRRI joint partnership has been proven to be a powerful instrument in facilitating delivery and adoption of NRM technologies, thus, improving the quality of life of Filipino farmers.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JTAS-0603-2014

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