(Part 2 of 4) Delivering rice science to farmers
In a slaughterhouse-turned-warehouse in Abucay, Bataan, a steady stream of farmers continues to arrive. Some look for a comfortable position, others swarm in a line with urgency, and some are patient enough to wait for their cue.
Farmer Jose A. Dela Rosa, 62, arrived before 8:30 a.m. “It was announced in the Abucay farmers’ group chat that free rice seeds would be distributed today,” he began.
According to Dela Rosa, the seeds he will receive would be a huge help since it would eliminate a major item from his long list of farming inputs. A sack of seeds in Bataan costs P1,650, farmers say. He also narrated that he had to borrow money first as capital before he could plant rice. For his half-hectare farm, he loans at least P10,000 every cropping season to purchase the farm inputs.
This narrative isn’t unfamiliar to many farmers. A research study about the needs of Filipino small-scale rice farmers identifies capital sufficiency as the most common need in rice farming. The capital is used to buy seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel, as well as paying for rentals of machines, labor, and irrigation costs. Due to rising costs of inputs and insufficient capital, farmers couldn’t buy and follow recommended farm inputs, which pulled down their yield and income.
“I borrow money for capital, then pay it back after harvest. The same cycle recurs in the next planting season. It just keeps rolling over. When the weather isn’t good, I only break even,” Dela Rosa lamented.
Dela Rosa is looking forward to receiving either the NSIC Rc 160 or 218 rice variety because of its higher price among traders.
“That’s really what we plant here, so we can pay off our debts. We prefer it because it sells for a higher price, P19 per kilo, compared to other varieties that only go for P15 at most,” he complained.
Meanwhile, sisters-in-law Lolita and Adoracion J. Buensuceso specifically want NSIC Rc 160.
“We usually plant NSIC Rc 160 because it performs better during the wet season. Then in the dry season, we use NSIC Rc 218,” the senior ladies said. Apart from their consistently high yield, they proudly say that NSIC Rc 160 and 218 are soft and aromatic when cooked.
They have been planting it for several years now, and they picked it because of the traits suitable to cope with their everyday farming challenges. However, they noticed that its aroma is not as strong as before, and its yield is not as high as it was when they first planted it.
“Rc 218 is fading. It used to be very aromatic, but not as much anymore. The fragrance is waning. The yield seems to have also slightly decreased, maybe depending on the weather,” the ladies noticed.
Replacing varieties
Thelma F. Padolina, a PhilRice breeder and consultant, explained that after five or ten years, varieties might no longer be adapted to changes in environment and climatic conditions. Loss or weakening of resistance to pests and diseases can also be observed, where a variety that was once resistant to a certain pest or disease may suddenly become susceptible. This could lead to an increase in expenses for farmers, as they would need to use pesticides and insecticides to combat these pests.
She also emphasized the importance of educating farmers about the new rice varieties of seed being released in the market. “When a farmer likes a variety, they’ll keep planting it, so it’s really important to introduce the new ones to them. Although in the past, farmers would look for new varieties even if they didn’t know much about them, just from hearing about them,” Padolina said.
Rice breeding is like making new models of cellphones. Breeders work on existing varieties, improve their traits, and add new genes to help them survive in today’s environment. After 8-12 years of breeding new varieties, preferred varieties such as NSIC Rc 160, released in 2007, and 218 in 2009 may soon be replaced by newer ones.
There are a myriad of rice varieties developed in the past years, and each has its characteristics and performs differently based on location. Some varieties that excel in some provinces may not be suitable for others, due to different conditions. Some areas struggle with salinity, mountainous conditions, and lowlands; some don’t have irrigation and only depend on rainfall, while others are hotspots for certain pests and diseases. Choosing a variety also considers market prices, as seen in Dela Rosa, and seasonal production performance and its eating quality, such as the Buensuceso grandladies.
“That’s why we test a variety in an actual field environment to see if it can truly resist a specific pest or disease. It needs to be exposed; otherwise, it won’t develop resistance. Breeding can’t be done entirely inside the laboratory. You may see all the characteristics at the DNA level, but you still have to go out and observe how it interacts with the environment,” Padolina emphasized.
Farmers’ and stakeholders’ choice
The RCEF Seed Program also showcases newly bred varieties by PhilRice and IRRI, as part of the Varietal Field Trials (VFT) project conducted across 180 locations in 78 provinces. Farmers, seed growers, local government units, rice millers, and other stakeholders are partners in this project.
In these trials, varieties are evaluated in actual seed growers and farmers’ fields instead of controlled test stations. These on-the-ground trials consider diverse realities, including variable soil types, inconsistent water supplies, pest challenges, climate shifts, and the farmers’ practices.
“By testing varieties in farmers’ fields, we can see how they grow and perform in different locations. This helps us find out which varieties are most suitable for specific areas and are more likely to be accepted and used by farmers,” VFT focal person Justine P. Ragos said.
Farmers also get to assess the performance of varieties among the latest released—those in the 500 to 700 series and above to identify which ones grow best under actual farm conditions. Farmers play an important role in the field trial process. They provide their land, take care of the rice using their usual practices, and help monitor the growth of the varieties.
“They provide feedback based on the agronomic characteristics they observed in the varieties. They also look into the health of the crops, how easy they are to manage, how good the grains are, and whether they want to plant the variety again. Their opinion is very important in choosing which varieties are best for farmers in their area,” Ragos reiterated.
The performance of new inbred rice varieties will be rated based on their yield, which reflects adaptability, resistance to insect pests and diseases, and response to farmers’ management practices, as well as farmers’ preferences based on the crop stand, grain quality, and maturity.
“This initiative ensures that selected rice varieties truly match farmers’ needs by testing them directly in farmers’ fields, not just in research stations. Farmers grow the rice using their usual practices, allowing us to see how the varieties perform under actual conditions. This way, the selected varieties are not only high-yielding but also practical and acceptable to farmers,” Ragos explained.
Quality seeds
Farmers attested that they value the quality of the RCEF seeds they received; that’s why they patiently wait for their turn to claim the seed subsidy. “Kaya nga kami nagpapakahirap pumila dito kasi tiwala kami sa binhing ipinamimigay,” Lolita Buensuceso said.
They added that, unlike other seeds, which are much more expensive, the seeds given to them undergo a delicate process in laboratories and examinations from different certification bodies—an assurance they won’t exchange for any seeds in other stores.
Aside from savings, PhilRice experts confirm that certified seeds could help increase yield by at least 10% due to high seedling vigor, purity, and strict limits on weeds and disease-infected seeds. The use of these seeds also maximizes the effects of other inputs such as land, water, and fertilizer, contributing to lower costs. The purity of certified seeds also enhances uniformity of crop stand and the timely harvest period, which minimizes postharvest losses and likely improves marketing efficiency.
Buensuceso has been farming for 25 years, and she admitted that every time there’s inclement weather, she gets nervous. As her heart palpitates, she feels like she’ll have a heart attack because of too much care and worry that her rice crops will fail.
“When a storm is coming, we start getting nervous and panicking. It’s stressful, especially when the crops are at the reproductive stage. Some even suffered attacks,” Buensuceso narrated.
Since she is using NSIC Rc 160, which is resistant to lodging, somehow, she feels safe and relieved that her crops won’t be grossly damaged.
Seeds in sacks may feel like they are all the same. But beyond physical characteristics, their genetic traits are meticulously bred, tested, and examined before being released to the public. This is the kind of science that serves and pleases the Filipino farmers.
Like the Buensuceso and Dela Rosa, other farmers are aware that the success of their crop is anchored on the kind of seeds they plant. They are looking forward to the new varieties to be distributed after the Varietal Field Trials are finished. The RCEF Seed Program assured that stronger and newer varieties will help Filipino rice farmers produce a bountiful yield.
“We are expecting rice seed varieties that are resilient to insect pests and diseases that pester rice crops, such as the notorious rice blast, blight, and tungro, rice bug, brown planthopper, rice black bug, and stem borer. Inbred seeds that can yield up to a maximum of 11 tons will also be released to the public,” Ragos said.
A year after trials, high-quality seeds will be delivered nationwide. But this is not a usual seed delivery and distribution. They will deliver rice science forged with hard work, intended to serve rice farmers right in front of their fields.
