500 Rice Farmers Train Palay Check System

by James Earl E. Ogatis

"I am very glad that I enrolled in the School on the Air (SOA) on Palay Check System where I learned much the basic requirement and information from field pre-paration to postharvest handling which are necessary to increase palay production", said Mr. Louie Banias of barangay Aglusong, Concepcion, Iloilo .

A total of 500 rice farmers graduated the SOA on Palay Check System aired over DYRI-RMN 774 khz. Iloilo City from 4:00 to 4:30 in the morning on Sept. to December 2008.

Banias on his testimony said, he got 91 sacks net produced from his one hectare riceland through the use of compost fertilizer. According to Director Larry P. Nacionales of DA 6, PalayCheck System implies precision farming technologies and information necessary to increase yield per hectare.

He pointed out to the farmer-graduates the importance of frequent field visitation and to know the relationship of soil to plants specifically the nutrients needed during specific growth stages.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ildefonso Toledo, provincial agriculturist of Iloilo said that the Iloilo provincial government is doing all efforts to train farmers and increase their production. It also ensures that the usage of farm inputs is decreased.

Dr. Toledo cha-llenged the farmer-graduates to become potent partners of the government in pursuing agricultural development in their respective areas.

The province of Iloilo was number two in palay production in the whole country with the total production of 900,000M metric tons in 2008 compared to 823,000M metric tons in 2007.

The eight KeyChecks emphasized during the four months SOA were: use of certified seeds of recommended variety, no high and low soil spots after final leveling, practice synchronized planting after a fallow period, sufficient number of healthy seedlings, sufficient nutrients at early panicle initiation to flowering, avoid excessive water or drought stress situation, no significant yield loss due to pests, and cut and thresh the crop at the right time.

The SOA is hosted by Ms. Juvy Silario Gaton, OIC-Chief, RAFID 6 and Mr. Edgar Oyson of the Crop division. The professors/specialists of the programs are Ms. Ylimea I. Olanday, Mr. Victorico Nabor, Mr. Edgar Baylon, Mr. Manuel Olanday and Ms. Roselyn Curioso. /MP