M. Murshedul Alam

International Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Office

e-ag workshopDhaka, 03 Dec. 2014

BAB Project, IRRI

Rice Crop Manager (RCM)http://webapps.irri.org/bd/rcm/

What is Rice Crop Manager?

• A decision-making tool accessible on computers and smartphones

• Can be used by extension workers to interview a farmer and provide advice to a farmer

• Aims to provide management advice able to increase a farmer’s income by Taka 8000 per hectare per rice crop

Why we need Rice Crop Manager

Rice in Bangladesh is typically produced in small landholdings

• Farming practices vary among farmers and fields

• ‘Best bet’ management practices can vary among nearby fields

Rice farmers often do not properly apply fertilizer• Wrong times• Wrong amounts• Wrong sources

Factors affecting crop needs for nutrients vary among fields:

Field-specific nutrient management practices are needed for rice farmers

Farmers need an actionable management guideline matching their field and rice-growing conditions

• Yield of the crop• Management of crop residue• Nutrients in irrigation water• Past crop• Past fertilizer use• Nutrients in soil

The challenge: The best practices for growing rice differ among fields and farmers

Farmers vary in access to financial resources, inputs, and technologies

Farmers need information to increase income for their specific rice-farming situation

Fields vary in rice-growing conditions

RCM can provide a farmer with ‘field-specific rice production guidelines’ as recommended by BRRI

Our approach: Use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to

deploy information to farmers on optimal rice farming practices

• Effectively use results from research• Increase income of farmer• Use computers, Tabs, and smartphones

Operation of Rice Crop Manager

Actionable advice

Printed guidelines Image on

Smartphone

User interface: Obtain information

from farmer

Cloud based server

Databases, spatial information and models

• Variety traits • Variety- and management-

adjusted yield targets• Soil information

Smartphone Personal computer

How to use Rice Crop Manager (RCM)

Personal computer Tab or Smartphone

Bangladesh: http://webapps.irri.org/bd/rcm

located on a cloud-based server

SMS

Printout

• Used scientific principles from years of research

• Aimed to increase income of farmer by US$100 per hectare per crop

• Provided customized recommendation for a farmer’s field through mobile phone or computer

IRRI with NARES partners developed Nutrient Manager for Rice to provide

farmers with ‘precise’ fertilizer management

Collaboration with BRRI started from 2000

TNAU

GBPUAT

PDCSRPAU

BRRI

MAS SFRI

HUAF

CLRRI

ASISOV

ICRRICFORD

PhilRice

WVSU

NAU

YUHZAU

HAU

GAAS

ZU

CCAP

CAU

AFC

VAAS

ICATAD

ICALRD

2005: Collaboration led to site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) for ‘precise’ management of N, P, and K

• Used recent advances in ICT

• Incorporated recent developments in science

• Recommended by BRRI in October 2012

BRRI and IRRI developed Nutrient Manager for Rice (NM Rice)

Users requested a tool providing more than nutrient management. Nutrient Manager for Rice was upgraded to Rice Crop Manager

Rice Crop Manager was tested, recommended and released nationwide in the Philippines and

Bangladesh in November 2013

http://webapps.irri.org/bd/rcmhttp://webapps.irri.org/ph/rcm

Farmers received RCM guidelines

Season Total farmer (no.)

Boro 2013-14 2481

Aus 2014 155

Aman 2014 4755

Approaches tested for RCM dissemination Approach 1:

DAE – UIC: DAE staff interviewed farmers with NM questionnaire and submitted the completed questionnaire to a UIC operator. The UIC operator entered information on the questionnaire into NM and developed NM recommendations, which were distributed by DAE staff to the farmers.

Approach 2:

DAE – PE: Same as approach 1 but PE – computer operator instead of UIC operator made the NM recommendations.

Approach 3:

Farmer – UIC: Farmers encouraged went directly to UIC operator. UIC operator interviewed them, made NM recommendation, and provided a printout.

Approach 4:

Farmer – PE: Same as approach 3 but PE – computer operator instead of UIC operator interviewed farmers and made NM recommendations.

Approach 1:

BRRI – DAE: BRRI scientists with their own laptop and printer interviewed farmers, made the NM recommendations, printed and provided to the farmers.

In all cases DAE, UISC personnel were provided with training on RCM by BRRI and IRRI scientists

Boro 2013-14

Same variety type, RCM = raised bed; FP = flat bed, RCM = use pre-emergence herbicide; FP = non-use of pre-emergence herbicide, n=39

Treat Yield , t/ha

Total N

(kg/ha)

Total P

(kg/ha)

Total K

(kg/ha)

Total Zn

(kg/ha)

Total S

(kg/ha)

% N applied, first 20 days

%N applied, first 40 days

%N applied between 40-55

days

RCM 5.5 119.3 11.6 31 1.2 5.3 21% 67% 32%

FFP 5.1 129.3 20.8 30 0.6 7.1 35% 74% 25%

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.00.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

Farmer's practice yield, t/ha

Yie

ld w

ith

RC

M,

t/h

a

Boro season 2013-14

Summary table for average yield, average fertilizer use, and added net benefit in fertilizer use

Location N= Yield (t/ha) Total N (kg/ha)

Total P (kg/ha)

Total K (kg/ha)

Total Zn (kg/ha)

Total S (kg/ha)

Added net benefit, USD

RCM FFP RCM FFP RCM FFP RCM FFP RCM FFP RCM FFPAll 129 5.6 5.2 123 113 12 21 33 39 1.2 0.8 5.9 9.5 79

Dinajpur 31 6.0 5.9 123 106 10 26 35 56 1.4 0.9 6.7 12.7 54

Gazipur 34 5.7 5.3 125 109 12 16 36 31 1.3 0.5 5.8 6.6 93

Kishoreganj 64 5.2 4.9 122 119 12 21 32 34 1.1 0.9 5.5 9.4 83

Treatment

Yield, t/ha

Total N (kg/ha)

Total P

(kg/ha)

Total K

(kg/ha)

Total Zn

(kg/ha)

Total S (kg/ha)

RCM 3.5 ±0.3 94 ±14 10 ±2 12 ±2 0 0

FFP 3.1 ±0.3 84 ±17 14 ±3 30 ±13 0 5 ±4

TreatmentTotal

fertilizer cost ($/ha)

Gross return ($/ha)

Gross return -

Total fertilizer

cost ($/ha)

Added net benefit ($/ha)

RCM 61 ±9 680 ±62 620 ±61 97 ±58

FFP 74 ±16 596 ±64 522 ±57

Aus season 2013-14 (n=30)

Treatment

Yield, t/ha

Total N (kg/ha)

Total P2O5

(kg/ha)

Total K2O

(kg/ha)

Total Zn

(kg/ha)

Total S (kg/ha)

RCM 3.5 ±0.3 94 ±14 23 ±5 14 ±3 0 0

FFP 3.1 ±0.3 84 ±17 33 ±7 36 ±16 0 ±1 5 ±4

TreatmentTotal

fertilizer cost ($/ha)

Gross return ($/ha)

Gross return -

Total fertilizer

cost ($/ha)

Added net benefit ($/ha)

RCM 61 ±9 680 ±62 620 ±61 97 ±58

FFP 74 ±16 596 ±64 522 ±57

Potential partners in RCM dissemination through DAE

Union Information and Service Centre (UISC)• Persons skilled in ICT and ICT facilities (computers, printers,

internet) available at about 4500 UISC

Private entrepreneurs• Individuals with ICT facilities and skills could be engaged for

RCM dissemination

Agriculture Information and Communication Centre (AICC)

• Project with a mandate matching the goal of disseminating RCM

Farmers Information and Advisory Centre (FIAC)• Project of DAE which might be considered for disseminating

RCM

Any NGO working on agriculture having ICT support

What is needed to disseminate RCM

• Strengthening the existing collaboration among BRRI, DAE, and IRRI

• Ability to reach large numbers of farmers through ICT.

• Contact with farmers, expertise in extension, and access to ICT facilities

– Local extension workers in good communication with farmers - DAE block level officers

– ICT facilities (mobiles devices, computers, printers, internet connectivity) at the union or village

What is needed to disseminate RCM

• Field test, verify, and provide RCM recommendations to

farmers for use through DAE and NGO personnel in pilot

sites leading to large scale dissemination

• Logistic support for DAE and potential NGOs

• Training for DAE and NGO personnel

• Update RCM content

• Fund source

Thanks