CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction
Rice is the primary staple food in the Philippines, and it plays a significant role in the
country’s economy and culture. However, rice production faces several challenges, including
pests, diseases, climate change, and low profitability. One of the most serious pests that threatens
rice production is the golden apple snail (GAS), which can cause severe damage to rice plants
and reduce yields by more than 50%. The control of GAS is often done by using chemicals
called molluscicides, which can have negative impacts on the environment and human health. To
address this problem, farmers need to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices that
minimize the use of chemicals and promote natural pest control methods such as cultural and
biological methods.
Review of Related Literature
Rice production
PalayCheck is defined by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice, 2022) as a rice
integrated crop management (RICM) system. Rice cultivation is recognized by RICM as a
production system composed of factors that are interdependent and interrelated in their impact on
rice growth, yield, and grain quality, as well as environmental sustainability. It believes that yield
improvement technology recommendations should be developed and distributed as a whole to
farmers, rather than as individual components such as integrated nutrient management (INM) or
pest management (IPM). PalayCheck addresses critical crop management components such as
seed quality, land preparation, crop establishment, and nutrient, water, pest, harvest, and
postharvest management.
AB Mataia et al. (2015) reported that rice farming economic improved due to the
adoption of PalayCheck, the adoption of PalayCheck increases in yield by 9% (0.33 tons per
hectare), reduces production cost by 2.82% (equivalent to PhP 0.23 per kilogram), which resulted
to a net income increase by 25% (amounting to PhP 3,907 per hectare) and a returns on
investment (ROI) increased by 18%.
Malonzo et. al. (2021) found that the perceived usefulness of key check 7 (No Significant
damage due to pests) is deemed “very useful” by farmers, while perceived “ease of use” of
“Applied insecticides or molluscicides as a corrective measure” is considered as “very easy to
use”. This means that farmers recognize the importance of proper pest management in rice
production however using pesticides is preferred due to the convenience of spraying chemical
pesticides rather than using cultural and biological means.
Furthermore, Golden Apple Snail (GAS) is a major pest of rice crops in the Philippines
and other parts of Asia. Although, it was introduced to Asia from South America in the 1980s as
a potential food source for people, it became a major pest of rice. The golden apple snail feeds on
young and emerging rice plants, cutting the rice stem at the base and destroying the whole plant.
GAS can spread during flooding events, through natural water distribution channels, and through
irrigation canals. Apple snails may burrow themselves in the soil and hibernate for up to six
months in the absence of water. When water is introduced to the fields, either through rain or
irrigation prior to land preparation, GAS emerge out of the soil (International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) – Rice Knowledge Bank). Therefore, as GAS can damage direct wet-seeded rice
and transplanted rice up to 30 days old, it is important to control the GAS population prior to
transplanting or seed sowing.
Additionally, Corales et. al. (2014) stated that when it comes to institutionalization of
PalayCheck system among farmers is still at the moderate stage which means the long-term
adoption of this system among farmers aren’t being sustained particularly due to their practice of
PalayCheck system is spearheaded by government programs rather than their own initiatives.
Therefore, for farmers to fully adopt the PalayCheck system, the importance of such system must
be instilled and supported by technology development such as introduction of machineries that
could lessen manual labor for labor intensive tasks which could reduce the barrier in technology
adoption. This includes the laborious physical collection of GAS which is harder to follow than
using of molluscicides. Hence, this study aims to develop a snail collector machine that could
facilitate easy mechanical collection of GAS on rice paddies.
Schneiker et al. (2016) reported that the use of molluscicides to control golden apple
snails is a common practice in rice production. However, the use of these chemicals can have
adverse effects on the environment and human health. The molluscicides can contaminate water
sources and harm non-target organisms such as fish and other aquatic life. Moreover, the overuse
of molluscicides can lead to the development of resistance in snails, making them harder to
control. Therefore, the use of molluscicides is not sustainable solution to GAS problem.
While
Conceptual Framework

Input Process Output

PalayCheck System Design Snail Collector
GAS Behavior Fabrication Machine
Design Considerations Evaluation User Manual
Materials Modified Land
Evaluation Parameters Preparation

The input-process-output (IPO) model is a conceptual framework that can be used to

develop a solution to the problem of golden apple snails in rice farming by designing a machine
that mechanically collects golden apple snails and modifying the land preparation in accordance
with the PalayCheck system.
The IPO model consists of three components: input, process, and output. The input
component includes the PalayCheck system, GAS behavior, design considerations, materials,
and evaluation parameters. The process component includes design, fabrication, and evaluation.
The output component includes the snail collector machine, user manual, and modified land
preparation.
The PalayCheck system is a set of guidelines for rice farming that includes
recommendations for land preparation, seed selection, planting methods, and pest management.
GAS behavior refers to the behavior of golden apple snails in rice fields and their impact on rice
production. Design considerations include the physical characteristics of the snail collector
machine such as size, shape, and weight. Materials refer to the components used to build the
machine such as metal sheets, bolts, and nuts. Evaluation parameters refer to the criteria used to
evaluate the effectiveness of the machine such as forward speed and drum siever speed in field
conditions.
The design process involves creating a detailed plan for the snail collector machine based
on design considerations and materials. Fabrication involves building the machine according to
the design plan. Evaluation involves testing the machine under different conditions to determine
its effectiveness.
 The output of this study includes a snail collector machine that can be used to
mechanically collect golden apple snails from rice fields. The user manual provides instructions
on how to use the machine effectively. The modified land preparation refers to changes made to
land preparation in accordance with the PalayCheck system to reduce the population of golden
apple snails in rice fields. By using the IPO model as a conceptual framework for this study,
researchers can develop a comprehensive solution to the problem of golden apple snails in rice
farming.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to design and fabricate a snail collector machine as a solution to the
Golden Apple Snail (GAS) problem in rice production. Specifically, these questions will guide
the researchers to achieve the objective:
1. What are the design considerations that will be needed to develop a snail collector
machine that can collect snails from rice field?
2. How to integrate the use of snail collector machine to the existing land
preparation program prior to planting of rice?
3. How does the snail collector machine perform in terms of forward speed (m/s)
and drum sieve speed (rpm)?
Significance of the Study
This study seeks to develop a sustainable and effective solution to the problem of GAS in
rice production. The results of this study may benefit the following:
To the Philippine Government, this technology could help in the promotion of
PalayCheck system as it revolutionizes the physical control of the GAS which laborious task by
mechanizing the collection of GAS from the rice fields.
To the Rice Farmers, this technology could be adopted to lower the production cost in
rice production by eliminating the need to apply chemical pesticides which could also cause
health risks to the farmers.
To future researchers, this study could serve as a reference for related research endeavors.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
This study will focus on the physical collection of Golden Apple Snails (GAS) from the
rice fields after the first harrowing and before final levelling prior to seed sowing or
transplanting. The machine will not be intended to be used when the field is already planted with
rice. The study will not involve in any other means of GAS management, and only GAS will be
gathered by the machine.
Definition of Terms
Palaycheck. It refers to the integrated rice crop management system being promoted by PhilRice
consists of nine key checks for each important component of rice production and post-harvest
handling.
Integrated Pest Management. It refers to the pest management system that is systematically
designed to prioritize prevention of pest occurrence using cultural and management practices on
rice crops such as choosing resistant varieties and emphasizing the importance of natural pest
control such as maintaining a balance between beneficial organisms and pests, and use of
chemicals is the last resort in pest control.
Snail Collector Machine. It is a machine designed to physically collect the snails in the rice
field by passing through a small waterway made by the farmer to make sure that the snails
accumulate to these waterways making collection faster and easier.
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Malonzo, A.M., Aveno, J., Vargas, D., Dollente, J. (2021). Usefulness and Adoption of Palay

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