The direct seeding, a crop establishment method where
pre-germinated seeds are sown directly onto the soil surface, can help address
high labor cost in rice farming according to experts.
PhilRice
Agronomist Myrna Malabayabas said that the method can be done either by dry or
wet seeding and does not require seedbed preparation.
“The
dry direct-seeding method is more commonly used in rain-fed and upland areas.
It involves sowing of pre-germinated seeds on dry soil surface and then
incorporating the seeds either by ploughing or harrowing. Wet direct-seeding,
on the other hand, is practiced during dry and wet seasons in irrigated and
rain-fed areas. It is done either through broadcasting or drilling
pre-germinated seeds with the use of a drum-seeder on a wet, well-leveled
paddy,” Ms. Malabayabas explained.
Direct-seeded
rice matures earlier than transplanted rice. Hence, labor requirements and
expenses for crop establishment and the time spent on crop management are
reduced.
A
PhilRice study titled Benchmarking the
Philippine rice economy relative to major rice-producing countries in Asia,
says that P4.42 is spent on labor cost for every kilogram of rice on
transplanting while P3.28 is spent on direct-seeding.
|
Crop
establishment method
|
Labor
cost
|
Labor
requirement (1 man-day = 8 hours of work)
|
|
Direct-seeding
|
P3.28/kg
of rice
|
2
man-days/ha
|
|
Transplanting
|
P4.42/kg
of rice
|
25
man-days/ha
|
In
direct-seeding method, farmers can save up to P1.14 on labor cost for every
kilogram of rice they produce and 23-man days for every hectare of their field.
In
a seminar titled Direct-seeded Rice:
Progress, Prospects, and Challenges at PhilRice, Dr. Vethaiya
Balasubramanian said that managing weeds is one of the challenges in using the
direct-seeding method.
The
former agronomist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) explained
that weeds germinate simultaneously with rice due to the absence of water that
suppresses their growth. Nevertheless, options are available to address the
problem.
“Among
the ways to manage weeds include narrow spacing and uniform plant population,
appropriate water depth and timing, use of weed-competitive varieties, and
herbicide rotation and combination,” Dr. Balasubramanian said.
Malabayabas
added that savings from the labor cost can offset the expenses in weed and pest
control.
“When
the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) is followed properly, the optimum
yield is comparable to that of transplanted method,” she said.
Experts
at PhilRice recommend varieties for the direct-seeding method. These varieties
are early maturing, resistant to drought, and can attain a maximum yield of at
least 6 t/ha.
|
Recommendation
Varieties
|
Days
of Maturity
|
Maximum
Yield
|
|
NSIC
Rc272 (Sahod Ulan 2)
|
110
DAS (days after sowing)
|
6.4
t/ha
|
|
NSIC
Rc348 (Sahod Ulan 12)
|
103
DAS
|
5
t/ha
|
|
NSIC
Rc346 (Sahod Ulan 11)
|
105
DAS
|
6.2
t/ha
|
For
more information about the direct-seeding technology call or text PhilRice Text
Center 0920-911-1398 or email prri.mail@philrice.gov.ph. (PhilRice
news)
Comments
Post a Comment