Crop Establishment Key Check 3 Practiced Synchronous Planting

Crop Establishment Key Check 3: Practiced Synchronous Planting after a Fallow Period Part 1: Understanding the Palay. Check System

Key Check 3: Practiced Synchronous Planting after a Fallow Period

FALLOW PERIOD? Rest period of the field to be fruitful in the next cropping season FACTORS

WHY FALLOW PERIOD? Rest period of at least 1 month Breaks the insect pest cycle and destroys disease host Reduces inoculum in the field Allows good decomposition of the rice straw/organic materials that can serve as fertilizer

WHY FALLOW PERIOD? § It breaks the insect pest cycle and destroys disease host. INSECT PEST LIFE CYCLE Stem borer 30 -45 days Leaffolder 25 -35 days Most of the insect pests have an average life cycle of 1 month. By having a fallow period, these insect pests will not have any food and habitat for them to survive until the next cropping season.

WHY FALLOW PERIOD? § It reduces inoculum in the field. By leaving field idle, the source of diseases that developed during the previous cropping season will have died by the start of the next season. § It allows good decomposition of the rice straw/organic materials that can serve as fertilizer.

? ? ? Do farmers usually practice fallow period? Why or why not? The availability of irrigation water in the locality sometimes limits farmers from following this practice. Also, farmers tend to avoid the peak season to get higher price of palay so they plant earlier than the majority.

Key Check 3: Practiced Synchronous Planting after a Fallow Period

Synchronous

If this is a field in Brgy. Iya-iya, and each box represents a lot owned by a different farmer. Can you say the farmers in Brgy. Iyaiya practice synchronous planting? Why or why not?

What do you mean by synchronous planting? 14 days before 14 days after Planting in majority of the irrigation service area

WHY SYNCHRONOUS? Enables efficient use of irrigation Avoids overlapping incidence of insect and disease population availability of irrigation water in the locality farmers' avoidance of peak season to get higher price of palay FACTORS Avoid significant yield loss from pests

Imagine the Santos family of Brgy. Iya-iya preparing a feast for all residents to celebrate the wedding of their youngest daughter. What do you think will happen?

Now, imagine Brgy. Iya-iya celebrating their barrio fiesta and all houses prepared a banquet for the visitors. Can you imagine the difference?

The Barrio Fiesta Analogy What if? = Rice fields = Insect pests More houses means more rice fields as food source. Thus, insect pests and their damage will not be concentrated in one field only.

The practice of synchronous planting also entails that crops be harvested almost at the same time. When all crops are harvested, insect pests will have no food source to survive.

If farmers plant asynchronously, there will be a continuous source of food for insect pests to persist. Ex: tungro disease caused by GLH

ASSESSMENT OF KEYCHECK 3 Synchronous planting Planted 14 days before and 14 days after the majority of the irrigation service area has been planted.

ASSESSMENT OF KEYCHECK 3 Fallow period Allowed the field to have a fallow period of at least 30 days after harvest before the next cropping season.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACHIEVE KEYCHECK 3 § Allow a fallow period of at least a month from harvest to establishment of the next crop. § Follow the local planting calendar to maximize the use of irrigation within the community.

Make it a habit! After a fallow period of at least one month, plant synchronously!

INPUTS Planting 14 days before & after the majority of irrigation service area is planted Following the local planting calendar Allowing the field to rest for at least 30 days OUTPUTS practiced synchronous planting after a fallow period OUTCOMES Higher yield Good grain quality Minimal damage to environment & one’s health

Remember Key Check 3! Fallow period – allow the field to have a fallow period of at least _____days after harvest before the next cropping season. Synchronous planting – plant _____days before and ____days after the majority of the irrigation service area has been planted.

Crop Establishment Key Check 3: Practiced Synchronous Planting after a Fallow Period

CREDITS Instructional presentation designer: Ms. Ev Parac Sources of technical content/reviewers of presentation: Mrs. Alma Aguinaldo, Ms. Anne Limsuan Note: Adapted from powerpoint presentations developed by: Ms. Anne Limsuan You may use, remix, tweak, For more information, visit: & build upon this presentation non-commercially. However, always use with acknowledgment. Unless otherwise stated, the names listed are Phil. Rice staffers. Produced in 2011. Text: 0920 -911 -1398