Rice Crop Manager: Innovative ICT

Approach for Food Security

PhilEASNet

Makati, Philippines

30 September 2015

Roland J. Buresh

International Rice Research Institute

Role of

scientist

Scientist

A scientist’s view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

A shopping

cart

Extension materials

Knowledgebanks

Courseware

Role of

scientist

Scientist

A modified view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Farmers require information precisely

matching their specific conditions

Farmers vary in access to

financial resources, inputs, and

technologies

Farmers need personalized farming advice to help make better

decisions, which lead to increased net income

Fields vary in rice-growing

environment and conditions

ICT-enabled

environment

Scientist

A modified view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Scientist

A modified view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Rice Crop

Manager (RCM)

ICT-enabled

environment

How Rice Crop Manager works?

Personal computer Smartphone1. Download from web site:

http://cropmanager.irri.org

2. Interview farmer, off-line or

online

3. Submit online for automatically

calculated recommendation

located on cloud-

based serverSMS

4. Provide recommendation

to farmer Printout

How Rice Crop Manager helps farmers?

• Provides farmers with

personalized information and an

actionable recommendation on:

• Improved nutrient management:

(N, P, K, Zn)

• Sources

• Rates

• Timing

• Seed rate for direct seeded rice

• Weed management

• Crop health management

• Controlled irrigation (AWD)

• Target yield adjusted for climate &

farmer resources

a. Printed

recommendation

before the crop

b. Reminders

and advise

during the crop

Use of Rice Crop Manager recommendations

increases yield and net income

• IRRI and PhilRice collaborative research

• Supported by DA National Rice Program through DA-BAR

Progress with Rice Crop Manager

The DA National Rice Program

has supported the deployment of

RCM throughout the Philippines

More than 500,000

recommendations

received by farmers

in 17 months

Rice Crop Manager helps increase the

effectiveness of extension services

• More farmers are reached faster

with personalized information to

meet needs and match local

conditions

• Technologies and information can

more rapidly reach the correct

farmers

A modified view of extension services

Scientist

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Rice Crop

Manager (RCM)

ICT-enabled

environment

Scientist

An enhanced view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Additional

personalized

advice

Decision-making

tools – crop health,

variety, etc

ICT-enabled

environment

RCM products coming soon with

additional personalized advice

Rice Health Care

• Diagnoses and solves rice

production problems during the

cropping season

• Beta version planned at end of 2015

Rice Variety Selector

• Identifies rice varieties with

preferred traits

• Under development with Next Gen

project

• Beta version planned for early 2016

Scientist

An enhanced view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Additional

personalized

advice

Decision-making

tools – crop health,

variety, etc

Services

SMS

ICT-enabled

environment

SMS-based advisory service

• Provides personalized reminders

and farming advice for farmer

• Established through DA in 2015

Status:

• SMS advisory service is now

operational

• Launched with farmer through phone

call by DA-ATI operators using RCM

Messenger

• Plan to incorporate RCM-based SMS

advisory service into DA-ATI

Farmers’ Contact Center (FCC)

Scientist

An enhanced view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Additional

personalized

advice

Decision-making

tools – crop health,

variety, etc

Services

SMS

DA

Farmer

monitoring

ICT-enabled

environment

Monitoring of farmer uptake of RCM

recommendations

Status:

• RCM Farming Monitor with on-line

operation released in August 2015

• Upgrade with off-line operation to be

operational in October 2015

• Training for DA in partnership with

IPaD in October 2015

http://webapps.irri.org/ph/rcmfm

• Survey farmers to determine actual

practices after receiving an RCM

recommendation

• Web-based survey tool developed

with DA

Reporting for DA and extension on usage

Number of printed RCM

recommendations provided to

farmers

2015

2014

http://cropmanager.irri.org/statistics

Scientist

An enhanced view of extension services

Extension workerFarmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Additional

personalized

advice

Decision-making

tools – crop health,

variety, etc

Services

SMS

DA

Farmer

monitoring

ICT-based

advisory

service

RCM with advisory

service

RCM with advisory service

Rice crop in field

Sowing or

transplantingHarvest

Messenger

Crop HealthVariety

Report for extension

and DA

Monitoring

Basic RCM

ICT can accelerate the flow of information from

research to farmers

ICT enables extension services to be more

personalized, effective, and efficient

ICT can help reach more farmers

with needed information

Poor internet

connectivity

in rural areas

remains a

constraint

Scientist

Enhanced entrepreneurial opportunities

Farmer

Publications

Scientific principles

Practical guides

Science-based

information

Personalized

profitable

farming advice

Decision-making

tools – nutrient and

crop management

Additional

personalized

advice

Decision-making

tools – crop health,

variety, etc

Services

SMS

ICT-based

advisory

service

RCM with advisory

service

Farmer leaders

AgRiDocs

Provide valued

professional services

for groups of farmers

Prepare people and business plans

that

tap the potential of the RCM with advisory

services

to

provide valued professional services for

groups of farmers

Enhanced entrepreneurial opportunities