Irrigation personnel are being trained to respond to rice farming concerns as farmers increasingly ask them not only about water delivery but also about seeds, fertilizer, pests, diseases, and crop management.
Through a partnership between the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), NIA personnel were trained on the PalayCheck System to help them provide more practical support to rice farmers in the field.
Ruel V. Nazar, senior water resources facilities technician at NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) Division VI, said farmers often raise concerns that go beyond irrigation schedules.
“Farmers often ask us questions about farming. Now, I can recommend or suggest practices based on what I learned from the training,” Nazar said.
The training combined classroom discussions and hands-on field activities on crop establishment, water management, nutrient management, pest and disease management, and field assessment.
One lesson that stood out for Nazar was that pesticide application should not be the first response when insects are found in the field. During a field activity, participants counted insects and assessed whether pest populations had reached damaging levels before deciding on control measures.
Gilbert V. Dimas Jr., irrigators development officer of NIA-UPRIIS Division I, said the training also changed how he explains irrigation to farmers.
“Before, my focus was only on monitoring their activities based on the irrigation schedule. Now, I’m more confident giving advice to irrigators’ association members, especially on the right timing of water application and why water management is important at every stage of the rice crop,” Dimas said.
Dimas said the training helped him explain practices such as alternate wetting and drying and respond better to farmers who ask about crop problems such as leaf yellowing, which some farmers mistakenly link only to irrigation.
Participants also learned through field activities such as seedbed preparation, use of seed trays and drumseeders, and identification of nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases.
The training is also expected to help NIA personnel assist farmers preparing for possible water supply challenges, especially in areas vulnerable to dry conditions.
Melyn Timbreza-Jover, NIA central office coordinator, said the partnership began under the Farming Support Services Program after NIA recognized that many field implementers from its operations sector had limited farming experience.
“The partnership began under the Farming Support Services Program. Many field implementers from the Operations Sector had little farming experience, prompting us to seek PhilRice’s assistance in building basic rice production knowledge,” Timbreza-Jover said.
After seeing how the training helped irrigators’ associations from production to marketing, NIA requested additional batches, including for personnel outside the program.
Now in its third year, the PhilRice-NIA partnership has trained 269 NIA personnel through 10 batches on crop management, crop establishment, field assessment, pest and disease management, and other practices under the PalayCheck System.
The PalayCheck System is an integrated rice crop management approach that guides farmers and field workers in making better decisions from crop establishment to postharvest.
