Through the adoption of a web-based decision-support tool, farmers in Tarlac have demonstrated the potential of digital agriculture services to transform traditional farming practice.
Sixty-four farmers in the villages of Sembrano and San Bartolome revitalized 101.5ha, significantly improving their yields and reducing costs through the Rice Crop Manager Advisory Service (RCMAS) introduced via the Scalable, Modern, and Adoptive Rice ICM Technologies for Increased Yield and Reduced Production Cost (SMART-ICM) Protocol.
Following RCMAS guidelines, 52-year-old Warlito V. Viernes of Brgy. Sembrano increased his yield from 4 to 5.5t/ha. He also noted that his fertilizer use dropped from 12 to 6 bags.
In Brgy. San Bartolome, father and son Danilo and Jayson Galleon shared similar success. Both managed to cut their input costs by PhP5,000 while increasing their harvests.
“My yield increased from 1.7 to 2.4t on my half-hectare, and my father now harvests 5.2t/ha, compared to the 4.2-4.5t/ha he used to get,” Jayson G. Galleon said.
Meanwhile, Danilo P. Galleon said that they will continue to apply the RCMAS recommendations.
“We intend to still use RCMAS as its recommendations are effective. I highly recommend it to fellow farmers seeking to reduce costs and enhance yields,” he said.
Since the last quarter of 2023, farmers in the said villages have been adopting innovative farming practices and exploring additional technologies offered by Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Erlinda D. Ingcad, 70, also from Brgy. Sembrano emphasized the support provided by PhilRice.
“Throughout my six years of farming, I had always relied on traditional methods. However, with PhilRice’s assistance, I’ve gained valuable knowledge, from land preparation to effectively managing factors influencing plant growth. I’m pleased with the improved results my fields are now yielding,” Ingcad said.
RCMAS, a free digital agriculture service developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and PhilRice, is deployed by the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Offices, the Agricultural Training Institute, and local agricultural extension workers.
RCMAS’ site-specific crop and nutrient management recommendations are available at https://rcm.da.gov.ph/home.
