Learning is never ending! Model Upland Rice Farming Using Pressurized Irrigation

Kidapawan City – Four weeks into the 5-Series On-Line Lecture on Modern Irrigation and Fertigation in Tropical Regions conducted by the Mashav of Israel where I am one of the students, I will establish today a demo area for upland rice farming using pressurized irrigation.

The experimental area for Upland Rice Farming using pressurized irrigation involves only 400-square meters in my farm in Barangay Paco, Kidapawan City which I am personally funding but with the technical support of PhilRice Midsayap.

Aside from the use of pressurized irrigation, I will also implement the fertigation technology of Israel where the fertilizer is mixed with the irrigation water instead of the conventional broadcast system.

I have asked PhilRice Midsayap head Dr. Sailila Abdula, former executive director of PhilRice, and a team composed of Dr. Abdulkadil Umal and technician Evelyn Tabenil to document the whole activity so that the findings could be shared later with other upland rice farmers.

For this demonstration farm, I will be using a hybrid rice variety produced by US Seedworks, the TH82 or the Tatag Hybrid, which in previous studies conducted in Central Mindanao posted harvests of up to 10-metric tons in rain-fed areas.

Upland rice farming is a seasonal activity in many areas of the Philippines, especially Mindanao, where the farmers observe a planting calendar timed with the onset of the rainy season to grow such high-value varieties as Dinorado and Hinumay.

The purpose of the demo farm which I will launch today is to establish whether it is viable for upland rice farmers to plant twice a year using pressurized or drip irrigation.

The results of this study could have tremendous impact on rural poverty, especially in the highlands of Mindanao, and on the country’s food sufficiency.

The Mindanao Development Auithority (MinDA), the agency which I head, will also be involved in the documentation of this study using video equipment and cameras.

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#GovernanceIsCommonSense!