Farmers in Barangay Duplas, San Juan, La Union, are gaining ground against destructive rice diseases through practical knowledge and hands-on experience from the PalayCheck Farmer Field School (FFS) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund–Rice Extension Services Program.
For farmer-participant Florencio Ancheta, the sudden yellowing and drying of rice leaves raised alarm. Nearly three-fourths of his 1,200-sqm plot had been struck by bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a disease that can reduce yields by up to 70% when left unmanaged.
Ancheta said the FFS sessions helped him identify BLB symptoms early and respond with practical, field-tested solutions.
Experts advised farmers on key disease management practices, including balanced fertilizer application—particularly proper nitrogen use—adequate field drainage, and regular field sanitation. Removing weed hosts and plowing under stubble, straw, ratoons, and volunteer seedlings were also emphasized to reduce sources of bacterial infection.
Another farmer-participant, Anthony Tubera, learned through FFS-based field monitoring that about half of his 1,500-sqm field was affected by sheath blight. With guidance from RCEF trainers and the PalaySikatan team, he was able to accurately diagnose the disease and adopt integrated management strategies that halted its spread.
Sheath blight, caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, initially appears as water-soaked, oval to elongated spots on the leaf sheath near the waterline, which later turn grayish white with dark brown or purplish borders.
“Before, we were groping in the dark. Now, we have guidance,” Ancheta said, noting that timely interventions boosted farmers’ confidence in addressing field problems.
Through FFS and support from PalaySikatan field specialists, farmers were taught to conduct proper field diagnosis, understand disease-favoring conditions, and apply appropriate control measures. The sessions also reinforced the importance of regular field monitoring, planting resistant varieties, applying recommended fertilizer rates, and maintaining clean fields.
To prevent disease escalation, experts prescribed integrated disease management practices, including judicious use of recommended fungicides, improved water management, and avoidance of practices that increase disease pressure—such as excessive nitrogen application.
With the PalayCheck FFS, farmers in Barangay Duplas are now better equipped to manage current disease challenges and anticipate future threats in their rice fields.
