www.irri.

org/irrc

Volume 10, Number 1, 27th issue January-June 2015

Swiss Agency for Development

and Cooperation

Irrigated Rice Research Consortium

Rice Research for Intensified Production and Prosperity in Lowland Ecosystems

CORIGAP updates center on sustainability

By Jean Claire Dy and Lanie Reyes

Dr. Singleton also emphasized the

outcomes for 2014. One is that component
crop production technologies will be
integrated into sustainable cropping
and this can be done through alignment
with national policies. He cites the case
of Indonesia-GP PTT where there is an
acceleration of best management practices
Continued on page 2

Whats inside
CORIGAP in Guangdong: the
potential of natural resource
management....3

Photo by Lanie Reyes

Newsbits....4
Close partnership in Indonesia with
their national strategy for food
crop development....5
GDRRIs Xuhua Zhong shows guests around rice plots in Gaoyao county, Guangdong, where the
three controls technology was used.

t is great to see more and more the

integration of yield and sustainability,
and finding ways of optimizing
the whole production system in order
to reduce the ecological footprint of
rice as much as possible, said Carmen
Thnnissen senior advisor for the Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation
(SDC).
Thnnissen shared this observation
in Guangzhou during the review and
planning meeting of the Closing Rice
Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced
Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP)
project held last 12-15 May. The event
was attended by rice scientists, extension
specialists, and other key partners from
five countries who gathered to discuss the

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progress and plans of CORIGAP, which is

funded by the SDC.
In his opening remarks, CORIGAP
coordinator Grant Singleton reiterated
the targets for the projects phase 1,
which is to generate improved food
security and livelihoods for 500,000
farmers with reduced environmental
footprint for rice. In the past, Dr.
Singleton has mentioned that CORIGAPS
objectives are aligned closely with
the mission of the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI). We aim to
reduce poverty, improve health, and
reduce environmental footprint for rice
production through strong partnerships
with national agricultural research and
extension systems.

CORIGAP farmer field day receives

wide media coverage in
Indonesia....6
Myanmar: Stepping up toward
increased rice productivity....7
Sri Lanka - a country of historic
irrigation and abundant wildlife...8
Sustainable rice production through
CORIGAP in Thailand....9
A Rei of Sunshine....11
Sustainable rice production show
promise in the Mekong Delta....12
Sustainable rice production through
CORIGAP in Thailand....14
CORIGAP highlighted on World
Environment Day and Philippine
Environment Month....16

2015-09-15 3:28:31 PM

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CORIGAP updates center on sustainability

for rice. Dr. Hasil Sembiring of

the Directorate of Food Crops
(DFC) is keen to incorporate
CORIGAP technologies after
Balai Pengkajian Teknologi
Pertanian or Assessment
Institute for Agricultural
Technologys AIAT approval.
There is potential to reach 10
million farmers because of this
new development.

provincial government, Jiang

reported.

Most of the presentations

during the four-day meeting
took into account the concept
of sustainability at the heart of
CORIGAP.

The CORIGAP project has been

an excellent platform for the
collaboration between GDRRI and
IRRI, Jiang said further.

Photo by Jean Claire Dy

In recent years, GDRRI has been

working with IRRI to develop a lowcarbon and high-yielding technology,
which aims to further reduce fertilizer
use. The new technology, a set of crop
management practices, is expected to
lessen water use and greenhouse gas
emissions.

Peter Bieler, Head of the

Corporate Domain Global
Cooperation of the Global
Programme Food Security
of SDC, said, I was quite
Grant Singleton, CORIGAP coordinator, presents highlights of the
pleased to see the concept of
progress in 2014.
sustainability embedded in the
presentations I have seen. He urged the
participants to be agents of change. Food Institute (GDRRI) of the Guangdong
security is in the agenda. Gender is in the
Academy of Agriculutral Sciences.
agenda. Sustainability is in the agenda,
he said.
The 10% increase in yield from the use
of 3CT is equivalent to an added 0.6 ton
We have a crucial year in climate change per hectare, on average. 3CT could help
negotiations. This conference of party
China increase rice production in the face
has already pinpointed agriculture as
of multiple challenges. Since the 1990s,
one of the bad boys of climate change
China has experienced low and unstable
and rice production is on the dark side.
yields, excessive use of chemical fertilizers
And I would like to encourage you to use
and pesticides, environmental pollution,
CORIGAP and say how you contribute to and low profits, according to Zongyong
this climate-smart agriculture. Convey
Jiang, president of the GDRRI. These
the message and share how this can be
problems have become increasingly
implemented, Dr. Bieler further said.
serious, Jiang added.
One of the highlights of the meeting
is the visit to a farmers field day in
Gaoyao county where participants
witnessed a demonstration on the use
of Three Controls Technology (3CT) in
Guangzhou.
By using Three Controls Technology,
rice farmers can decrease their nitrogen
fertilizer and pesticide use by up to 20%
and increase yield by 10%, said Xuhua
Zhong of the Guangdong Rice Research

In 2012, the Chinese Ministry of

Agriculture (MOA) recommended 3CT
for use in rice farming, in line with MOAs
move to reduce chemical fertilizer and
pesticide use.
3CT is now widely adopted by rice
farmers, according to Jiang. Because
of what has been achieved through 3CT,
the research team headed by Dr. Zhong
was awarded the first-class Science and
Technology Prize by the Guangdong

Pieter Rutsaert presented a summary

of the results of focus group
discussions with women in rice
farming in five countries. He shared
that with labor-saving technologies,
drudgery of rice farming is reduced
and women have more leisure time,
more time for children and the
household, and additional income.
Additionally, with the mechanization
efforts in South Sumatra, Dr. Rutsaert
mentioned that most of the women
interviewed found that their livelihood
had improved over the last 10 years,
thanks to mechanization and changes
in farming practices. He added that one
farmers wife in South Sumatra said
that one of the main advantages of the
combine harvester is that we dont have
to wake up at 2:30 in the morning to cook
for all the laborers.
During the annual meeting, presentations
from key IRRI scientists and national
partners from China, Indonesia,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam
focused on key results and activities
for 2014 and plans for 2015. Included
in the presentations are challenges and
opportunities faced in carrying out
project objectives.
The key presentations also covered
progress on the development of the
field calculator, market chain issues,
women in agriculture, communication
developments, and learning alliances.

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CORIGAP in Guangdong: the potential of

natural resource management
By Ruben Lampayan

uangdong, one of the southern

provinces of China, has a
population of about 100 million.
The 2 million-hectare total rice area is
producing only 40% of the provinces rice
needs. More than 90% of food produced
in Guangdong is from rice, but the
average rice yield is among the lowest in
the country, which is about 15% lower
than the national average.
Majority of the farmers in the province
are into small-scale rice farming,
typically 300400 sq. m. per household
of four people. The aging population of
farmers has been a major issue in the
farming areas, as younger people prefer
to work in the factories and industries
in the surrounding counties. Recently,
mechanization is expanding to address
labor scarcity, especially during harvest
season. Combined harvesters for custom
hiring are common sights in the area
during the harvesting season.

Renhua, and Zencheng counties).

To achieve the overall objective of
CORIGAP, a number of activities have
been conducted since 2013. These include
a review of the baseline survey conducted
in 2012, focus group discussions (FGD)
with key farmers in four villages, onstation field experiments to develop and
validate production technologies, and
farmer-participatory demonstration trials
of these technologies.

Highlights of results
Results of the baseline survey conducted
on more than 200 farmers and the FGD
in four CORIGAP villages in Guangdong
suggested a great potential to increase

grain yield and reduce nitrogen (N) and

phosphorus (P) fertilizer inputs through
improved crop and nutrient management
at the farmers fields. Main constraints
identified by the farmers were: (1) rat and
bird damages; (2) plant lodging during the
early season; (3) lack of storage facilities;
(4) low income from rice production due
to high input and labor costs; and (5) lack
of available labor.
Reducing water consumption and cutting
greenhouse gas emissions from paddy
fields with no yield losses are important
for sustainable rice production in South
China. There are two on-station field
experiments in the GDRRI experimental
farms--one involved examining the

The need for natural resource

management
Natural resource management for rice,
including rice management technologies,
have the potential to increase yields and
farmers net income. Estimated rice
yield gap in the irrigated systems in the
province is high at 3 t/ha.

A farmer explains to his felow farmers how his innovative drum seeder is used in his field.

Phot o by Ruben Lampayan

Four CORIGAP sites were selected in

Guangdong, namely Yangxi, Gaoyao,
Renhua, and Meizhou counties. The
main partner for implementation is
the Guangdong Rice Research Institute
(GDRRI) of Guangdong Academy of
Agricultural Sciences (GAAS). Other
partners include the Guangdong General
Station for Crop Technology Extension,
Agricultural Bureau of Gaoyao City,
Agricultural Bureau of Quijiang District,
Extension Center for Elite Varieties of
Yangjiang City, and Extension Centers
for Agricultural Technologies (Leizhou,

January-June 2015

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CORIGAP in Guangdong: the potential of natural resource management

interaction of alternate wetting and

drying (AWD) and rice varieties on
yield performance and greenhouse gas
emissions, and the other examining
coupling effects between N fertilizer
and water. Under the AWD and varietal
experiment, higher grain yields were
achieved in safe AWD (AWD15) for both
inbred and hybrid varieties tested in
the experiment. AWD also reduced the
number of irrigations by more than 50%
compared with farmers practice (FP).
The total amount of methane emissions
in AWD15 decreased by 68.6% compared
with continuous flooding, and by 46%
compared with FP. These findings
suggest that AWD15 could be used in
maintaining a stable yield while reducing
water consumption and cutting down the
emission of greenhouse gas in the lowland
region of South China. Under the AWD
and nitrogen experiment, the grain yield
increased with the N rate in AWD15;
whereas the amount of irrigation water
decreased by 24% compared with farmers
practice while maintaining same yield
levels.

Farmer participatory demonstration trials

were also conducted in three counties
(Gaoyao, Renhua and Yangjiang) within
the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong
province to validate and popularize the
Three Controls Technology (3CT) with
farmers and partners. The 3CT operates
on three basic principles: (1) control of N
fertilizer, especially at basal and tillering
to improve nitrogen-use efficiency and
reduce cost and pollution; (2) control of
unproductive tillers to reduce lodging and
high yields; and (3) control of diseases and
pests by reducing pesticide use, leading to
better food safety. In the demonstration
trials, the integration of the 3CT and
AWD were compared with solely
practicing 3CT and with farmers practice.
Results indicated that 3CT and AWD
yields were better than 3CT alone and FP.
The economic returns of practicing both
3CT and AWD were enhanced on average
by 13% than that of FP.

The way forward

In the next two years (2015-2016), farmerparticipatory trials on 3CT and AWD

will be conducted in more sites in the

Pearl River Delta. An ex-ante assessment
of profitable rice system approaches
(3CT and AWD) with reduced ecological
footprint using a field calculator will
be carried out using initial results from
the trials and from the baseline survey
conducted. The impacts from adopting
new practices across Guangdong will
then be assessed. These approaches
will be packaged to make them more
understandable to farmer groups.
Learning alliances will be established
and dialogues with policy advisers will be
continuously facilitated. Capacity building
is always a central activity of the project.
Academic scholars, local technicians,
and private agronomists will be trained
onWorkshop
field calculators
and
practices,
participants
arebest
guided
on how to
set up
rodentstakeholders
traps in the field.
and
general
training will
be conducted, including exchange visits
across countries. To capture changes in
farmers behaviors, another FGD and
household survey will be done in 2016. A
provincial-level standard for low-carbon
and high-yielding technology will also be
developed as one of the final outputs of
the project.

News Tidbits
The CORIGAP Project bids Dr. Takahiro Sato
farewell and good luck. Taka was a postdoctoral
fellow at the Crop and Environmental Sciences
Division at IRRI headquarters from April 2012 to
2015. As a fellow, he worked on developing a field
calculator for CORIGAP.
The field calculator is a computer-based decisionsupport tool for comparing farmers current practices
with a new technology and determining the trade-off
among their various aspects. It will help researchers
visualize the economic and environmental impacts
of a new technology for rice production if the farmer
decides to adopt it.
Taka brings his extensive experience back to Japan.

Takahiro Sato (second from right, blue-striped shirt) discusses the concept
of a field calculator during a Participatory Impact Pathway Analysis
workshop in Can Tho, Vietnam.

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Close partnership in Indonesia with their

national strategy for food crop development
By Grant Singleton and Reianne Quilloy

he CORIGAP team in Indonesia

is working closely with our
counterparts in different agencies
under the Indonesian Agency for
Agriculture Research and Development
(IAARD) to further their national
strategy (GP-PTT) for food crop
development. Rice is the main focus. The
emphases of GP-PTT are technology
adoption and innovation and increasing
sustainable production. The national rice
production target for 2015 is 73.4 million t
from 71.4 million t in 2013. And the target
for rice production by 2017 is 83 million t.
The pillars of GP-PTT include increased
productivity, institutional strengthening,
and securing sustainable production.
CORIGAP activities in Indonesia are well
aligned with GP-PTT.

Direct seeding using the drum seeder is one of the well-adopted technologies in
Indonesia. It was introduced to help manage weeds and reduce labor cost.

Sudarmaji, Director of the AIAT, that is

under the stewardship of Ms. Arleyna
Budi. This team has worked closely with
IRRI scientists led by Alex Stuart, Pieter
Rutsaert, and Martin Gummert.
Activities in the extensive tidal swamp
rice lands of South Sumatra build on
outputs from the IRRC, particularly post
harvest activities, and implementation
of best practices for rodent and weed
management. CORIGAP scientists,
complemented by a Give2Asia project
focused on capacity building of graduate
students, continues to conduct activities
that will help intensify rice production in
the lowland areas of South Sumatra. One
of the priority areas of this partnership

January-June 2015

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Photo by Anna Salvatierra

The progress of CORIGAP activities

in Indonesia over the past year have
been impressive. Our first activites in
Yogyakarta only began in March 2014,
but we already have completed needs
assessment, household surveys, field
trials for two seasons on best practices
for lowland irrigated rice production
(using an adaptive research approach),
and developed plans for postharvest
technologies. Overarching this work
have been focus group discussions with
womens groups on issues of concern
in gender equity by using the Womens
Empowerment in Agriculture Index
(WEAI) framework. The rapid progress
has been possible because of a dedicated
high-quality team assembled by Dr.

Photo by Alex Stuart

In January 2014, a CORIGAP team met

with the Director General of IAARD to
finalize site selection in the Indonesian
archipelago. The decision was to work in
Yogyakarta and South Sumatra. In 2015,
there would be spillover to East Java.
Our main partners are the Assessment
Institute of Agricultural Technologies
(AIATs) in these provinces plus the
Indonesian Center for Rice Research
(ICRR). The planned activities and
outputs of our research are monitored
closely by the Indonesian Center for Food
Crops Research and Development, and
the Directorate of Food Crops. Since
March 2015, the latter is led by Dr. Hasil
Sembiring, a long-time supporter of
the IRRC and CORIGAP. He is eager to
facilitate the adoption of key outputs from
our project. Under his management is an
impressive team of extension specialists in
35 rice-growing provinces that can reach
more than 10 million farmer households.
Therefore CORIGAP is well positioned
through GP-PTT to have quick uptake
of outputs by millions of rice farmers in
Indonesia.

2015-09-15 3:28:35 PM

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Close partnership in Indonesia with their national strategy for food crop development

is to identify training and education

collaborations that will bring new skills
to the Indonesian rice sector on the
latest rice production technologies and
practices. One innovative approach
relates to improved postharvest
management of rice through the use of the
Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD), a technology
that enables farmers to dry grains during
unpredictable weather conditions.
In February 2015, Ms. Shinta Ardhiyanti,
ICRR Postharvest Division, organized
an SBD operation training for 34 ICRR
staff members (22 males, 12 females).
Christopher Cabardo, IRRI postharvest
specialist, gave lectures on the principles
of drying and storage and conducted

hands-on exercises with the ICRR staff

on the SBD operation. Afterwards, the
participants gained hands-on experience
in the assembly, setup, and operation of
the SBD.

The CORIGAP and Give2Asia projects

in South Sumatra collaborate with three
major rice institutions in Indonesia: The
University of Sriwijaya (UNSRI), ICRR,
and the AIAT in Palembang.

The participants also conducted a drying

experiment wherein they measured the
moisture content of the paddy being dried
at different areas inside the dryer. Paddy
should be dried to safe moisture content
within 24 hours after harvesting to avoid
damage and deterioration. They measured
the relative humidity and temperature
inside and outside the dryer, and were also
taught how to dismantle, clean, and pack
the SBD unit after using it.

The CORIGAP project is well positioned

to improve the countrys rice sector
by involving the next generation of
Indonesian scientists, and by focusing
on key research areas to improve the
productivity and sustainability of pre-and
post-production of irrigated rice. Together
the outcome from our strong local,
provincial, and national partnerships will
enable strong progress toward improving
Indonesias rice self-sufficiency.

CORIGAP farmer field day receives wide media coverage in Indonesia

A farmer field day that started with a harvest ceremony was held at
the CORIGAP site in Jogotirto, Yogyakarta, Indonesia on March 4.
The field day was attended by about 150 farmers from two CORIGAP
sites in Yogyakarta (Jogotirto and Madurejo) and several regional and
national government officials as well as staff from Balai Pengkajian
Teknologi Pertanian (BPTP). The event received extensive media
attention resulting in coverage on television, in regional and national
newspapers, and news websites in the country.
Speeches were given by the head of Sleman district (Bupati) Dr. H. Sri
Purnomo and the Ir. Azis Hidayat, Inspector General of the Indonesian
Ministry of Agriculture. Both expressed their appreciation and hope for
continued collaboration with IRRI in testing technologies to increase
rice production and achieve rice self-sufficiency, a priority of the current
Indonesian government.
Drs. H. Sri Purnomo praised CORIGAPs efforts to introduce and
disseminate alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and drum seeder
to solve the problems of shortage of transplanter groups based on the
integrated crop management (ICM) concept to the farmers. He also said
he is expecting an increase in paddy production and farmers income as
an output of CORIGAPs research.

Drs. H. Sri Purnomo, M.Si, the Bupati of Sleman speaking in

front of farmers, extension workers, and scientists, expressed
his appreciation of CORIGAPs efforts to introduce introduce
technologies to farmers in the area.

After the event, a drum seeder that was fabricated by BPTP Yogyakarta
was donated to the local farmer group of Jogotirto.

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Myanmar: Stepping up toward increased

rice productivity
By Reianne Quilloy

hermetic storage, the Solar Bubble Dryer,

and operating flatbed dryers.

Learning Alliances

Photo by Reianne Quilloy

LA members developed communication

materials that would help disseminate the use
of a flatbed dryer in Bogale Township

ice is a very important crop in

Myanmar. Boosting the countrys
rice productivity is part of the
agenda of the CORIGAP project, which
are aligned with other significant
projects in Myanmar (Livelihoods and
Food Security Trust Fund, coordinated
by the United Nations Office for Project
Services, and the Australian Centre for
International Agricultural Research).
These projects include research on
natural resource management, best
practices for reducing postharvest
losses, mapping of different rice
domains for crop stress management,
and participatory varietal selection.
Activities of the CORIGAP project
in Myanmar builds on the research
outcome out of these projects.

Capacity building

The LA also tried to link farmers to

wholesale and export markets in Yangon.
From this activity, farmers were able to
establish contact with traders and learn
how markets pay premium price for
good-quality rice. The learning activities
also encouraged the farmers to try new
varieties, use the flatbed dryer to dry
their grains, and sell in bulk. It also led
to more activities that aim to strengthen
the linkages initiated by the alliance and
allow more farmers to learn about good
management practices which will improve
their rice quality and enable them to sell
at a higher price.

These findings formed part of the

CORIGAP project team agenda for 2015
to conduct extension activities that target
both men and women. The team will also
monitor the progress by obtaining gender
disaggregated data.
Through IRRI and key NGO partners, the
CORIGAP project team will continue to
demonstrate good management practices
with strong emphasis on gender equity,
use of suitable technologies, and the
development of innovative outreach
mechanisms. As these collaborative
initiatives take shape, the team aspires
to bring Myanmar a step closer in
increasing rice productivity with reduced
environmental impact.

Gender studies
CORIGAP also aims to help achieve
gender equity among rural men and
women, in which women empowerment
plays an important role. In 2014, focus

Farmers give their feedback after seeing how a

lightweight thresher works.

January-June 2015

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Photo by Reianne Quilloy

The group conducted training and

demonstration activities on best
management practices and rice
postproduction technologies to help
farmers raise the quality of their rice
and minimize postharvest losses. These
activities were conducted in townships
located in the Ayeyarwaddy and Central
Dry Zone. About 188 male and female
researchers, extension professionals, and
project partners were trained on using

Bringing suitable technologies for

improved rice production with a strong
network support mechanism is the goal of
the Learning Alliance (LA). LA members
identified learning topics on varieties,
rice quality, and markets in Maubin and
Bogale townships and are continuously
participating in activities and discussions.
Farmers who joined the activities of the
alliance have seen that using new suitable
varieties, threshing immediately, and
using a flatbed dryer can help achieve
good-quality rice. To disseminate the use
and benefits of flatbed dryers to other
potential users, the LA group in Bogale
conducted a participatory workshop to
design user-friendly communication
materials. Farmers, with the help of
technical experts and graphic artists,
developed locally suitable and relevant
posters, flyers, and leaflets for different
target groups.

group discussions were conducted in

Myanmar to help understand the current
situation of rural women and identify
key areas that need to be strengthened.
Based on this, the CORIGAP team
aims to address issues of concern in
gender equity by using the Womens
Empowerment in Agriculture Index
(WEAI) framework. Through a series of
focus group discussions, it was found that
Myanma women have very little access to
information and there are few initiatives
among them to organize themselves into
active groups.

2015-09-15 3:28:36 PM

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Sri Lanka - a country of historic irrigation

and abundant wildlife
By Grant Singleton

Polonnaruwa district has high potential

to be a major rice-growing area. Rice
is grown twice a year in both the
maha (10,000 ha) and yala (3,000 ha)
seasons. Irrigation for rice lands in
the Polonnaruwa District is provided
by four major irrigation schemes. The
productivity of these rice lands has been
declining significantly over the years. The
mean rice yield in the area is around 5.5
t/ha.
Kilinochchi District is also a highpotential major rice-growing area where
rice is cultivated under both irrigated
and rainfed conditions. Kilinochchi was
affected by the civil strife experienced in
the 2000s and the smallholder farmers
in the district are keen to learn about
new technologies given they had limited
development of their cropping systems
during the social conflict. Some 9,118 ha
or 40% of the irrigated area in the district

is fed by the Iranamudu

irrigation scheme. The
entire command area of
this irrigation scheme is
cultivated in maha. The
extent of cultivated land
in yala depends on water
availability in the reservoir
and is generally about 2,000
ha. The mean rice yield in
the area is around 3.9 t/ha.

Case study for 2015:

Polonnaruwa District
In the Polonnaruwa
District, Dr. RSK
Keertisena is overseeing
field demonstrations that
An impressive array of birds are found near vegetation in the crop
have been established in
margins. Here is An Indian Pond Heron often seen somewhere near
Kalingaela and Jayanthipura the rice fields in Sri Lanka.
villages. In 2014, his team
completed an impressive range of
the recommended fertilizer applications
activities in the maha and yala seasons.
returned a mean yield of 5.8 t/ha versus 5
These included baseline household
t/ha in the farmers fields. All the farmers
surveys of 30 households, testing of
were impressed with the results of the
row seeding by the multi-crop seeder
application of best practices for herbicide
under dry conditions and by drum
use at seeding. All farmers adopted this
seeders under wet conditions, testing of
practice in the maha 2014/15 season.
fertilizer requirements for site-specific
nutrient management, and activities that
Alternate wetting and drying sites were
demonstrated best practices for herbicide
established in Kalingaela in 15 fields
use and water management.
and daily water level measurements
were collected. However, the irrigation
The multi-crop seeder was not successful.
authority has a set schedule that enforces
Handling the machine in small and
partial AWD. Logistically, it will be
irregular plots created major problems.
difficult to apply complete AWD because
The farmers were more interested in the
the irrigation authority needs to be
drum seeder; 5 fields were established
convinced of the value of the technology
using drum seeders in the 2014 yala
before they change their current
season and 7 in the 2014/15 maha season.
practice. Further demonstrations of
In both seasons, omission plots for
AWD are planned primarily to showcase
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were the benefits of AWD to the irrigation
planted and monitored for a target yield
authority. Similar field demonstrations
of 6 t/ha. The demonstration site with
were completed in Kilinochchi district.

Photo by Grant Singleton

ice is grown under both irrigated

and rainfed conditions in the
Dry, Intermediate, and Wet
Zones of Sri Lanka during two cropping
seasons; maha (October to March) and
yala (April to August). Maha is long
and receives ample amount of rains
in all climatic zones. Yala is short and
considered as the dry season for the
Dry and Intermediate zones where
our two study sites, Polonnaruwa and
Kilinochchi districts, are located. Most
of the irrigation schemes are large tanks,
which are, in effect, large reservoirs.
Associated with these tanks is an
amazing feat of engineering conducted
hundreds of years ago. In the olden days,
engineers developed an irrigation system
that is gravity fed with a gradient that
simply cannot be improved upon even
given our modern surveying approaches.

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Abundant wildlife in the rice
ecosystems

many butterflies and dragon flies, and

an impressive array of water birds. In
a recent visit, two IRRI scientists were
n important focus of CORIGAP
particularly impressed by a magnificent
is to promote the ecological
lime green snake, and the abundance
benefits associated with promoting of large herons and storks that you can
biodiversity around the margins of the
approach to within a few meters before
crop. In most other countries in Asia
they reluctantly take flight. When the
this requires a concerted campaign to
scientists spoke with the farmers they
encourage farming communities to
said that they rarely use insecticides
promote growth of vegetation along
because insect pests are not a big issue
the crop margins and to reduce their
for them. We need to learn more about
use of chemical pesticides. Visitors to
the human dimensions involved in
the CORIGAP study sites in Sri Lanka
maintaining these diverse lowland
will quickly see that the rice fields have
rice environments and document the
abundant growth along their edges. And
economic and health benefits that accrue
if one looks closely you will see small fish
to these rural communities.
and tadpoles in the flooded rice fields,

Photo by Grant Singleton

A lime green snake found in the rice fields, a

sign of biodiversity in the area.

Sustainable rice production through

CORIGAP in Thailand
By Ruben Lampayan

hailand has about 9.2 million

ha of rice land and is the largest
exporter of rice in the world.
However, the Thai rice industry is
looming with threats, such as increasing
competition in the international market,
growing competition with other economic
activities, and degradation of ecological
conditions.

The drum seeder is a labor-saving technology for direct seeding of

rice. It is currently being widely used in Southeast Asia.

Led by the Rice Department of Thailands

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,
CORIGAP activities have been established
in the Central Plains of Thailand to
improve farmers rice production, reduce
production cost and therefore increase
profit with minimized environmental
impact.

Photo by Ruben Lampayan

In recent years, Thailand has

been undergoing rapid structural
transformation. Factors such as labor
scarcity caused by farmers migrating
to urban areas, and increasing rural
wages, drive a process of mechanization.
Increasing the income from the
agricultural sector has always been the
focus of different national economies, and
closing the rice yield gaps with increasing
resource-use efficiency are two of the
main solutions. Likewise, environmentally
sustainable rice production became a
government imperative in Thailand
in early 2012, hence, the government
requested to be part of the Closing
Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced
Environmental Footprints (CORIGAP)
project.

Dr. Zhong (center) holds an imprompto meeting with farmers in

Yangdong Country, Guangdong China.

To implement the activities in Thailand,

the CORIGAP team collaborated with the
four major rice bureaus in the country
(Bureau of Rice Product Development,
Bureau of Rice Seed, Bureau of Rice
Research, and Bureau of Rice Product
Promotion), as well as the provincial-level
bureaus, community, and farmers groups
Nakhon Sawan Rice Seed Center; Chainat

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Sustainable rice production through CORIGAP in Thailand

Photo by Ruben Lampayan

Mr. Yod, a farmer-cooperator in Ban Nong Jikree, passionately talks about

the benefits of the technologies being introduced. He demonstrate s that
fertilizer rates were reduced by over 40% in cost reduction treatment
fields compared to his farmer practice fields and that the drum seeder
treatment reduced seed rates from around 125 kg/ha to 50 kg/ha, with
no overall difference in yield between treatment plots and neighboring
farmer practice fields.

Rice Research Center, Land Development

Department, and the Community Rice
Center farmers groups in Nakhon Sawan:
Project activities conducted were (1) focus
group discussions, (2) a baseline survey,
(3) environmental indicator workshop/
discussions, (4) establishment of field trials
of integrated technologies, (5) monitoring
environmental health indicators, and
(6) facilitation of the development and
adoption of Thai Rice Good Agricultural
Practices (GAP) among farmers groups.
A Participatory Impact Pathway Analysis
workshop was organized to discuss
and understand how various actors can
work together to gather and use data on
ecological indicators towards sustainability.
A communication audit was also
conducted to identify suitable and relevant
information materials that can be produced
for various audiences.
Focus group discussions (FGD) and
baseline surveys were also conducted
in CORIGAP project sites to assess the
existing problems and needs of the potential
target groups of the project. An FGD
was conducted in Nong Jik Ree and Ban
Sapan Song, on 13-14 May 2013. Farmers

were interested
in increasing
their efficiency of
production (reduce
their expenses on
input costs) and
access to better
storage facilities
to improve grain
quality. They
also said the
yield gap ranges
from 15 to 25%.
Baseline surveys
were conducted
using computerassisted personal
interviewing
(CAPI) software, or
Surveybe.

Based on the
initial results
of the FGD and
baseline survey,
a set of best management practices
based on Cost Reduction Operating
Principles or CROP were introduced and
established using farmer participatory
demonstration trials to reduce yield
gaps and to increase farmers production
efficiency. CROP practices is an initiative
of the Thailand Rice Department to
reduce production cost and increase
yields, and includes: 1) applying
fertilizer rates based on soil analysis,
2) using certified seeds, 3) reducing
seed rates, and 4) reducing chemical
applications. Farmer participatory
demonstration sites were selected in the
2004 dry season (3 sites) and the 2004
wet season (8 sites), respectively. Four
treatments were implemented in each
farmer demonstration site: (i) CROP +
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD);
(ii) CROP; (iii) CROP + drum seeder;
and (iv) farmers practice (FP).
The 2014 dry season results showed
reduced seed rate and fertilizer-use
rate in fields using the CROP treatment
compared with the farmers practice.
Using the combination of CROP and
drum seeder reduced the seed and

fertilizer cost. Less pesticide was also

applied in fields treated with CROP.
Moreover, the 2014 wet season result
also indicated reduced fertilizer rates
in CROP treatments and reduced seed
rates with drum seeding, with no yield
penalty.

Collecting farmers initial

feedback
A Farmers Field Day was held on 6
October 2014 in Nong Jikree to showcase
the different technologies used in
the demonstration trials, including
CROP, AWD, and the drum seeder.
Other associated technologies were
also presented during the farmers
field day, such as community rodent
management, hermetic storage bags, and
even the potential use of biofertilizers
as a nitrogen fertilizer source. Farmers
were actively engaged during the
presentations and a great deal of interest
was shown toward a mechanical drum
seeder, locally fabricated by one of the
farmers participating in the CORIGAP
field trials. Further need for training in
rodent management and community rat
campaigns were expressed and many
farmers volunteered to test out the super
bags.
In February 2015, the analyzed results
of the 2014 dry and wet season trials
were presented to the farmers in the
CORIGAP sites. Overall, farmers were
happy with the progress and results of
the field trials. However, weed problems
were reported by a few farmers because
of poor land leveling.

Expected final output

Cognizant of the overall target of the
project, the Thailand-CORIGAP project
aims to generate improved food security
and livelihoods for farmers in Central
Thailand, with reduced environmental
footprint of rice.

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A Rei of Sunshine

posters, and other communication

materials.

By Rona Nia Mae Rojas-Azucena

In the thick of things

ardworking. Reliable. Amiable.

These are just three of the words
to describe Reianne Quilloy,
IRRI knowledge management and
communication specialist.

Reianne believes that her academic

background in (BS) agriculture and in
(MSc) development communication
combined perfectly for her current
breadth of work.

Within the IRRI campus in Los Baos,

Philippines, one would likely see Reianne
(or Rei, as her friends fondly call her)
walk past, her strides purposeful, off to a
meeting or some errand for an upcoming
activity. Her thoughtful expression would
easily give way to a bright smile, and one
cannot help but admire her energy and
passion for work, all bundled up within
her petite frame.

Shared problems, shared

solutions

Reianne manages her time as part of the

IRRI Postharvest Unit and the CORIGAP
Project. Her task with CORIGAP focuses
on implementing the Learning Alliance
or LA, which is a platform for multiple
stakeholders to share and exchange
information and experiences in adopting
certain postharvest technologies and/or
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

We started the LA to help reduce

postharvest losses by bringing together a
diverse group of actors in the rice value
chain. The LA is a venue for various actors
or stakeholders to learn and share their
knowledge about a particular topic,
explains Reianne. We needed a way
for them to gather and discuss strategic
solutions to postharvest issues.
The Alliance mostly includes people
from government research institutes,
universities, private companies, and
farmers. Through Reiannes help in
facilitating the discussions, the members
were able to identify a shared problem
(i.e., low rice quality), and identify
suitable project strategies
and document the
learning process. Right
now, the LA members
are exploring ways to
expand to other topics,
such as environmental
sustainability and rice
straw management.

Photo by Rey Quilloy

Visiting Batanes, an island group in the northernmost part of

Luzon, Philippines, has been a long-time dream of Reianne. In
this photo, she relaxes against the beautiful backdrop of the
mountains.

She considers her work

in helping launch the
Learning Alliance in
Myanmar and Vietnam
as one of her important
achievements with
CORIGAP. She has done
her share in raising the
profile of the project
through the development
and maintenance
of the website and
the production and
distribution of brochures,

Reianne hopes to further strengthen

the Learning Alliance and share the
lessons and innovations from it by
capturing the outcomes. Im right
where the action is. Its like having
the best seats in a game, she says.
For her, the concept of LA is a
beautiful marriage of innovation and
communication.
Its like a chameleonit can be
a tool used in project monitoring
and evaluation, needs assessment,
stakeholder analysis, and process
documentation. It uses various
communication mechanisms to
support the innovations done by
the stakeholders on a technology or
(GAP) practice, expounds Reianne.
The interdisciplinary and crosscultural nature of her work excites
her. Her experience in Myanmar,
in particular, made her appreciate
the value of her work even more,
such as the moment they were able
to empower the farmers from the
villages to speak their mind.
Another aspect of her work that
shes very passionate about is
participatory communication. She
is proud of the time she was part
of a video production team using a
modified Digital Green approach
in documenting the adoption of the
IRRI Super Bag in the Philippines.
The modified approach entails that
the farmer himself develop the story
board, demonstrate how to use
the IRRI Super Bag, and provide
information about the benefits.

Good company
Reianne has always had a lust for
traveling and experiencing new
adventures. Just recently, Reianne
traveled to Batanes, a picturesque
group of islands in the northernmost

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CORIGAP updates center on sustainability

tip of the Philippine archipelago.

Visiting Batanes was in her bucket list,
and being able to travel with her father
was a dream come true for her.
A relaxing day is when she gets to have
a good conversation with friends over
coffee or a meal. A good conversation
for her is anything that is related to
ideas, from development issues to pop
culture.

With all of Reiannes various interests,

it is reassuring to know that there is

Photo by Rey Quilloy

She also likes to maintain a balanced

lifestyle. I run. Its a thinking activity
since I like reflecting a lot and running
is a noncompetitive sport; youre just
competing with your personal record.
But I also like playing badminton,
boxing, and swimming. During
weekends, I mostly stay home. I
sometimes bake. I also help my sister
coordinate weddings.

Reianne helps facilitate discussions during a Learning Alliance meeting in Myanmar.

someone like her, willing to go the extra

mile and determined to see things through.

(Read more on the Learning Alliance

in RIPPLE issues Vol. 9, No. 1 and Vol. 9,
No. 2)

Sustainable rice production practices

show promise in the Mekong Delta
By Anthony Malabanan, Alex Stuart, and Pieter Rutsaert

espite being one of the biggest

exporters of rice, the Vietnamese
government recently announced
the imperative for rice farmers to further
improve their crop management practices
to optimize rice productivity and income,
improve the quality of their rice, and
minimize the environmental footprint
of rice production. To help the rice
farmers achieve these goals, CORIGAP
began farmer participatory field trials
in Can Tho Province, Mekong Delta, in
2014, in collaboration with the Can Tho
Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development (DARD). The aim of the
research is to demonstrate 1 Must Do
5 Reductions (1M5R) and measure its

effectiveness as a platform for two new

approaches for rice production: Good
Agricultural Practices, and Small Farmer
Large Field. The IM5R approach was
developed during collaborative research
under the IRRC umbrella.
1M5R, or Mot Phai, Nam Giam, is now
a national policy for best management
practices in lowland rice cultivation
that recommends using good-quality
seeds (the 1 Must Do), and reducing
seed rate, pesticides, fertilizer inputs,
water use, and postharvest losses. Field
demonstration sites of 1M5R, with an
emphasis on reducing pesticide inputs,
were established in Than Loi and Thanh

An communities of Vinh Thanh

district in November, the start of the
Dong Xuan (winter-spring) season.
Alternate wetting and drying and drum
seeding, currently promoted by Can
Tho DARD, were also demonstrated.
Data from these trials will then be
used for the development of the field
calculator, a decision-support tool
being developed under CORIGAP. By
assessing sustainability performance,
this tool will be used to examine the
relationships between approaches to
close yield gaps and sustainability.
Initial results from Can Tho household
survey data are positive. Analysis by
Dr Takahiro Sato revealed that the rice

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farmers with higher yields used more
environmentally sustainable management
practices than lower yielding farmers. In
February 2015, two farmer field days were
held at CORIGAP demonstration sites
in Than Loi and Thanh An. It was the
culminating event of the cropping season
where farmers, DARD, and IRRI staff
presented and discussed the results of the
experimental field trials. The farmer field
days were organized by Ms. Nguyen Thi
Kieu (Deputy Director), Ms Hieu (Deputy
Director of Plant Protection Division),
and staff from Can Tho DARD. The
events were attended by 108 participants,
including 50 farmers, Dr. Nguyen Thi
My Phung (Deputy Director of An Giang
DARD), and IRRI staff members Alex
Stuart, Carlito Balingbing, and Anthony
Malabanan.
The field days involved a visit to
a CORIGAP demonstration field,
presentations by Can Tho DARD
about the recommended practices and
preliminary results, and presentations
by farmers on their farming experience
(both treatment and control farmers)
as recorded in their diaries, including
a breakdown of input costs. This was
followed by an open-forum discussion.
Farmers were shown that profits can be
increased by optimizing farm inputs,
thereby reducing costs. Demonstration
farmers reported a cost savings of 35% in
Than Loi and 60% in Thanh An, which
were mainly attributed to a reduction
in pesticide use. Yields are yet to be
determined as fields have not yet been
harvested.

Adoption of contract farming in

Vietnam
Vietnamese rice exporters are increasingly
adopting business models based on
contract farming as an institutional

innovation in order to govern rice

production and value chains more
effectively. Contract farming can be
depicted as a form of vertical coordination
in which downstream companies
coordinate with upstream farms by
providing input packages (seed, fertilizers,
pesticides, credit, and extension) and
directly buying the paddy from farmers
without intermediaries. A survey was
conducted in collaboration with Helene
Ba, PhD student from the University
of Paris-Crteil France, to make an
inventory of the business models that are
currently being deployed to source rice
and to assess the determinants of adoption
of contract farming by Vietnamese rice
exporters. Based on a published list of
rice exporters in the Mekong River Delta,
20 rice export companies that are using
contract farming were randomly selected
for face-to-face interviews. Additionally,
contract farming was covered in focus
group discussions (FGDs) with farmers in
Can Tho and An Giang.
Rice exporters in Vietnam deploy
different models of contract farming
depending on their technical and financial
capacity, presence in high and premium

Photo by Caling Balingbing

The field demonstrations and

presentations sparked an interest in
the farmer participants to consider the
profitability and long-term sustainability
of farming. Many acknowledged the
benefits of adopting the recommended
practices, particularly the economic and
environmental benefits; but some were
concerned about possible reductions
in yield. Although there is a slight
hesitation, many are willing to adopt
the recommendations to improve their
livelihood.

After the field day, Carlito Balingbing,

Alex Stuart, and Ms My Phung trained
16 Can Tho DARD staff on harvest loss
assessments and the use of the IRRI Rice
Quality Assessment Kit. This training will
serve as a guide for extension workers in
assisting farmers to make better decisions
in postharvest management and minimize
losses during harvest and postharvest.
With the initial results from the
demonstration field trials, CORIGAP
partners are confident that yields
will show that profits are higher in
the demonstration fields because of a
reduction in inputs. Demonstration
farmers look forward to increased
adoption of the technology as interest in
the project grows. With the next cropping
season, everyone is hoping for positive
results to further highlight the benefits
of the recommended practices that focus
on the long-term sustainability of rice
farming and the environment.

Vietnamese rice farmers inspecting a CORIGAP demonstration field during a field day
in Can Tho province.

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Sustainable rice production practices show promise in the Mekong

quality markets, previous relationship

with farmers, and experience in contract
farming, as well as the needs and
preferences of the farmers community.
The models can be represented on
a continuum from zero investment
(marketing contract) to high investment
(resource-providing contract).

Evaluation of farming practices

and adoption of 1M5R

Best adoption use

certified seed, reduce
seed rate
Average adoption reduce
pesticide and fertilizer
use
Least adopted reduce
water usage
Not applicable
postharvest (trend of
selling wet paddy)

Eight FGDs were carried out in Can Tho

and An Giang to evaluate farmer practices
and the adoption of 1M5R. Each FGD had
6 to 12 farmers who were (1) participating
in contract farming (under Global GAP,
VietGAP and SFLF) and (2) who sell to
individual traders. Besides these FGDs, a
stakeholder workshop was organized and
interviews were carried out with three
different companies who are involved in
contract farming.
The different FGDs showed that farmers
who were properly trained adopted 1M5R.
Adoption of the different practices were as
follows:

Farmers have been part

of the 1M5R program for
several years and they
Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, an IRRI-VietGAP farmer reports the results
do not need higher yields
of the dry season cropping from his field.
because they see the benefits
of savings from reductions
of inputs. However, higher returns were
were becoming familiar with the practices
necessary in the first years to convince
promoted by 1M5R. If they see that
them to change their practices. The
something new works for a neighbor, they
farmers related that it was not easy to
are willing to try it. But if they cannot see
change at first and heavy training was
the proof, it will be harder to convince
necessary for consecutive years. Therefore
them to change practices.
both intensive training and some
monetary benefits are required to change
practices. We also talked to farmers who

Pan Junfeng: finding solutions in the field

By Jean Claire Dy

Jun Feng is passionate about working with farmers in

Guangzhou in increasing their rice productivity.

t was in 2010 that Pan

Junfeng charted his
steady course in rice
research. For his doctoral
study on plant physiology at
the Huazhong Agricultural
University, he chose to
focus on researching
the accumulation and
translocation with yield
formation of non-structural
carbohydrates in rice
stems, and its their genetic
mechanisms under different
nitrogen conditions. He
would later publish his
research with five co-

authors in 2011 with follow-throughs in

2013 and in 2015.
These studies formed the backbone of his
career but his fieldwork in the countryside
of Guangdong strengthened it.
After finishing his doctoral degree, he
started working as an assistant researcher
in 2010 at the Rice Research Institute
Guangdong Academy of Agricultural
Sciences (GDRRI). Knowing that there
is still a wider field in rice research that
would benefit millions of rice farmers in
China, Pan Junfeng pursued studying
technologies that increased yield with
lesser environment impact.

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It was in 2012, when he studied
alternate wetting and drying (AWD)
technology for three months in the
International Rice Research Institute,
which opened doors for him as a
scientist. In the same year, he became
the principal investigator of two
projects funded by the Science and
Technology Program of Guangzhou
and the general director of GDRRI.
The projects research thrust focused
on the physiology of and high
yield and nutrient-use efficiency in
rice, and water-saving and related
technology extension activities.
But fieldwork had its share of
challenges. When Pan Junfeng
started working in the extension
of technology in Guangdong
Province, he found the language
barrier crippling his data gathering.
He couldnt speak and understand
Cantonese. Without a solid grasp
of the language, he couldnt catch
on with the local farmers concerns
and knew little of the issues in the
countryside.
Determined to turn these
circumstances around, Pan Junfeng
studied Cantonese in his free time.
He also closely coordinated with his
colleagues, Dr. Xuhua Zhong and
Ms. Zhanghui Huang. He considers
closer communication with the
extension staff and experienced
farmers in the countryside as
very important in enriching his
extension experience. Now, he is able
to converse well with the farmers
in Guangdong, and has a better
grip of the realities they are facing.
Knowing how to communicate
using the language farmers use
plays an important role especially in
extension work, he says. Successful
communication is key.
In May 2014, he worked with Drs.
Ruben Lampayan and Romeo
Cabangon in processing research
data gathered from AWD and
low-carbon collaborative field
experiments in China.

After working as an assistant researcher

for 4 years, from 2010 to 2014, at the Rice
Research Institute Guangdong Academy
of Agricultural Sciences, Pan Junfeng was
promoted to associate scientist in the Rice
Physiology and Ecology Department in
2015.
Now, working with the Closing Rice
Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced
Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP)
project, he is responsible for establishing
the farm/field trials in Guangzhou
Experiment Station where he conducts
on-station research and data analysis
on AWD and low-carbon technology
(greenhouse gas
emissions), about which
he has written papers
for publishing in peerreviewed journals.

Seeing how their technology is already

widely used and is getting good reviews by
farmers, Pan Junfeng is optimistic about
the impact of the CORIGAP technologies
in Guangdong and in the Chinese rice
industry.
I hope that more and more farmers can
use high-yielding varieties, less fertilizer,
cultivate less greenhouse gas emissions,
and use management techniques in the
near future. These techniques can achieve
the development of low-carbon rice
production in China, he enthuses.

He also works with

Dr. Grant Singleton,
CORIGAP project
coordinator and
IRRI scientist, in
disseminating knowledge
on the Three controls
technology (3CT) and
AWD technology in
Guangdong Province.
While conducting his
field investigation and
research, he uncovered
a pressing issue in the
Guangdong countryside
paddy fields: serious
rodent damage. He
aims to work toward
introducing and
developing rodent
prevention and control
techniques in the paddy
fields.

Jun Feng enjoys playing table tennis during his free time. It is his
favorite form of exercise.

He foresees another
5 years of intensive work to make
substantial achievements in the
completion of the development of a new
low-carbon technology in 2015, as well as
in finishing papers and implementation of
new technology in Guangdong Province.

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CORIGAP highlighted on World Environment Day and Philippine

Environment Month
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) highlighted the importance of safe,
sustainable, and environment-friendly rice production as it joined the celebration of
the World Environment Day (5 June) and Philippine Environment Month (June).
A mini campaign was launched featuring various IRRI farming technologies and
practices that reduce the environmental footprint of rice farming and contribute to
sustainability, which continued throughout June, the Philippine Environment Month.
Graphic media such as memes and banners were proliferated on the IRRI social media
sites for the entire month.
Environmental sustainability has always been the goal of the institute, said Dr. Grant
Singleton, IRRI principal scientist and coordinator of Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia
with Reduced Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP). It has been articulated decades
ago in the Institutes mission statement: to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the
health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure environmental sustainability of rice
farming.
One of the myths is that environmental protection is a negative for economic
development and food security, says Dr. Singleton. CORIGAP is an example of
what IRRI is doing. We are looking at how we can promote environmental protection
without compromising the increase in production, particularly in lowland intensive
cropping systems.
For example, through the three controls technology developed under CORIGAP,
rice farmers in China have reduced nitrogen fertilizer and pesticide use by 20% but
increased their yields by 10%.
Another example is the 1 must do, 5 reductions, a package of technology, where one
must do is for farmers to use certified seeds, while the five reductions means farmers
must reduce the amount of seed, nitrogen application, pesticide use, water use, and
postharvest losses.
The 1 must do, 5 reductions technology aims to improve rice yield and quality,
reduce the production cost, and increase the profit of farmers while reducing
environmental pollution, says Dr. Singleton. As a result of this technology, 240,000
farmers from the Mekong Delta increased their yields by 10%.
CORIGAP is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Now, a team led by IRRI scientist Sarah Beebout is working on developing indicators
to quantify environmental sustainability in lowland rice wetlands to track how we are
progressing, says Dr. Singleton. As of now, IRRI, in partnership with the United
Nations Environment Programme, has developed eight indicators to assess the
environmental health of rice fields.

Volume 10, Number 1

January-June 2015
This newsletter is produced by the
CORIGAP Project under the Irrigated
Rice Research Consortium (IRRC)
with support from the Swiss Agency
for Development and Cooperation
(SDC) and IRRI. The IRRC promotes
international links among scientists,
managers, communicators, and farmers
in lowland irrigated rice environments.
Materials in this newsletter do not
necessarily reflect the official views of
IRRI, SDC, or collaborating institutions
of the IRRC.
EDITORS
Grant Singleton, Jean Claire Dy,
Rona Nia Mae Rojas-Azucena
COPY EDITORS
Priscilla Grace Caas
LAYOUT
Jean Claire Dy
CIRCULATION
Jennifer Hernandez
Please direct further correspondence,
comments, and contributions to
Jean Claire Dy
Communication Specialist
International Rice Research Institute
DAPO Box 7777
Metro Manila, Philippines
Email: j.dy@irri.org
Web: www.irri.org/irrc

Quoting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Dr. Singleton says, Lifting people from
poverty and protecting the planets resources are two sides of the same coin. Both
must be at the heart of any framework.

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