Dingle Farmers Adopt Promising Lines for Direct Seedings
Even before the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) could release a variety tested nationwide for commercial production, innovative farmers in Dingle, Iloilo have already planted on a large-scale four promising PhilRice lines for direct seeding.
The new lines were not yet included in the National Cooperative Tests (NCT), which study the field performance of promising rice lines nationwide, and whose results become the bases for recommending the release of new varieties. On the contrary, the new lines were part of 12 breeding lines from PhilRice that were being tested in a regional on-farm direct seeding trial at the experimental field of Western Visayas Integrated Agriculture Research Center (WESVIARC) in Jaro, Iloilo. The trial, which started in the 2007 dry season, is a collaborative project of PhilRice and WESVIARC.
Dr. Norvie L. Manigbas, lead scientist of the project, said five of the 12 breeding lines were selected and brought to a farmer’s field for further testing. Still tagged in coded numbers, the selected lines PR34159-13-1, PR31952-12-BB, PR35467-3-1-1-2-1, PR34712-101-1-3-2, and PR32220-16-13-1-2 were direct seeded in rows during the 2007 wet season (May to August) in the field of 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 and the succeeding fertilizer applications were based on LCC (leaf color chart) readings. The herbicide butachlor + propanil was applied six days after seeding at the rate of 1 liter a hectare and this was followed later by hand weeding.
Butsoy did not apply any insecticide. Instead, he followed other recommended cultural practices for irrigated lowland rice culture such as golden apple snail control, replanting, and monitoring of insects pests and diseases, according to a report of WESVIARC’s Virginia A. Agreda.
Line PR34159-13-1 produced the highest yield (6,429 kg/ha), while PR32220-16-B-1-2 produced the lowest yield (5,164 kg/ha). The yields of 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 and it also had many off-types during the vegetative to reproductive stages, 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 also filled and the grains germinate fast.
On the other hand, line PR32220-16B-1-2 is very aromatic. Even at 25 to 45 days after seeding, its aroma is still distinguishable. Its cooked rice is still soft and aromatic even when cold. Compared with other lines, it is also more resistant to diseases (bacterial leaf blight and blast) and stemborers. It has also a very good crop stand under Iloilo condition.
ADOPTION AFTER FIRST FIELD TRIAL
Butsoy and his cousin Ireneo Osano who lives in Brgy. Dawis, Dingle planted all the harvested grains of line PR3222016-B-1-2, but both of them transplanted it for seed increase. Butsoy transplanted it 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, Butsoy’s neighbors got stuck on the recommended varieties PSB Rc14 and PSB Rc138. These are farmers with a wait-and-see attitude; they will adopt a variety or innovation when a good number of other farmers have already adopted it.
Ireneo transplanted line PR35467-13-11-2-1 in a clay loam soil at a planting distance of 15 cm x 15 cm using 10-day old dapog seedlings. Simplicio Baro, on the other hand, followed a 13 cm x 14 cm plant spacing. He applied three bags of complete fertilizer and two 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 (4042 kg/bag) a hectare.
In like manner, Rommel Cahuya also transplanted line PR34159-13-1 in 7,000 sq. m. but he 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 two bags of 16-20-0 (ammonium phosphate) at 25 days after transplanting, followed by two bags 20-0-0 (ammonium sulfate) at 40 days after transplanting. In Brgy. San Jose, Bobong Fernandez planted line PR31952-12-B-B in 5,000 sq. m.
Although the promising lines are being tested for direct seeding, Dr. Manigbas said it is only natural for these innovators to transplant them since the seeds were still limited. The best way to produce more seeds, he adds, is to transplant the seeds at a wider planting distance.
