Farmers adopt promising lines for Direct Seeding

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

TIMES HAVE CHANGED as many farmers are becoming more and more innovative.  In the case of selecting varieties that they would plant, a good number of farmers are already planting promising lines in a commercial scale even before the National Rice Varietal Improvement Group could test them nationwide.

Such is the case of four PhilRice breeding lines for direct seeding that are still undergoing on-farm testing in Dingle, Iloilo with the collaboration of WESVIARC (Western Visayas Integrated Agriculture Research Center) starting in the 2007 dry season.  After the second season, the farmer-cooperator and four other farmers already started to grow them in a wide scale.

Dr. Norvie L. Manigbas, lead scientist of the project, said five breeding lines were brought to a farmer’s field for further testing.  These were lines PR34159-13-1, PR31952-12-B-B, PR35467-3-1-1-2-1, PR34712-10-1-1-3-2, and PR32220-16-13-1-2 were direct seeded in rows during the 2007 wet season (May to August) by Virgilio “Butsoy” Guanga in Brgy. Pandan, Dingle. 

Direct seeding was done with a drum seeder at a distance of 20 cm between rows.  The seeding rate was 46 kg/ha.  Basal fertilizer (one bag of 16-20-0 and one-half bag of complete fertilizer for 4000 sq m) was applied at 14 days after seeding.  Succeeding fertilizer applications were based on LCC (leaf color chart) readings.  The herbicide butachlor + propanil was applied 6 days after seeding at the rate of one liter a hectare.  This was followed later by hand weeding.

Butsoy also followed the other recommended cultural practices for irrigated lowland rice culture such as golden apple snail control, replanting, as well as monitoring of insects pests and diseases, according to a report of WESVIARC’s Virginia A. Agreda.  However, he did not apply any insecticide.

Line PR34159-13-1 produced the highest yield (6,429 kg/ha), while PR32220-16-B-1-2 had the lowest yield (5,164 kg/ha).  The yields of the other lines ranged from 5,479 kg/ha to 5,452 kg/ha.

Although line PR34712-10-1-1-3-2 yielded 5,164 kg/ha, Butsoy discarded it because its grains had purple off-types.  This line also had many off-types during the vegetative to reproductive stages, most especially during the heading stage.

Butsoy noted that line PR34159-13-1 has long slender grains.  Although its plant height and eating quality are similar to IR64, this line has more grains in its panicle than IR64.  All the grains in its panicle are filled.  In addition, the grains germinate fast.

Line PR32220-16-B-1-2 is very aromatic.  Even at 25 to 45 days after seeding, its aroma is still distinguishable.  Even when already cold, its cooked rice is still soft and aromatic.  Compared with the other lines, it is also more resistant to diseases [bacterial leaf blight and blast] and stemborers.  It has a very good crop stand under Iloilo condition. 

Butsoy and his cousin in a nearby barangay – Ireneo Osano – planted all the harvested grains of line PR32220-16-B-1-2.  However, both of them transplanted it for seed increase – Butsoy in 3,000 sq m and Ireneo in 1,200 sq m.  Ireneo applied two bags of urea at 15 days after transplanting and bag of complete fertilizer at 45 days after transplanting.

Line PR35467-13-1-1-2-1 was the most popular, as it was planted by four farmers – Butsoy in 11,000 sq m [two locations], Ireneo in 5,000 sq m, Rommel Cahuya in 7,000 sq m, and Simplicio Baro in 23,000 sq m or 2.3 hectares. 

Amazingly, the neighbors of Butsoy got stuck to the recommended varieties PSB Rc14 and PSB Rc138.  These are farmers with a wait-and-see attitude; who will adopt a variety or innovation when a good number of other farmers have already adopted it.

Ireneo transplanted line PR35467-13-1-1-2-1 in a clay loam soil at a planting distance of 15 cm x 15 cm using 10-day old dapog seedlings. 

On the other hand, Simplicio followed a 13 cm x 14 cm plant spacing.  He applied 3 bags of complete fertilizer and 2 bags of ammonium sulfate at 47 days after transplanting. He hopes to get a much better harvest than PSB Rc14 in the previous crop, which yielded 72 bags (40-42 kg/bag) a hectare.

In like manner, Rommel Cahuya also transplanted line PR34159-13-1 in 7,000 sq m but used 40 kg of seeds.  He could have planted a wider area if he followed the 40 kg/ha recommendation.  He transplanted dapog seedlings at 18 cm x 18 cm plant spacing and applied 2 bags of 16-20-0 (ammonium phosphate) at 25 days after transplanting, followed by 2 bags 20-0-0 (ammonium sulfate) at 40 days after transplanting.

Bobong Fernandez planted line PR31952-12-B-B in 5,000 sq m.

Dr. Manigbas said it is only natural for these innovators to transplant them since the seeds were still limited.  He said the best way to produce more seeds is to transplant the seeds at a wider planting distance.

It should be noted that the kind of Butsoy, Ireneo, Bobong and Rommel is no longer an isolated case; many others like them can already be found in many parts of the country. 

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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