Understanding the contents of

RCM recommendation
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation

Recommendation from RCM

• Content of RCM recommendation is science-based and originates

from collaborative research between IRRI and PhilRice
Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide
• Content within RCM recommendation is periodically improved as
new information becomes available from research
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommendation from RCM
Personalized information and
a. Printed
actionable recommendation on: recommendation
• Improved nutrient management: before the crop
(N, P, K, Zn)
• Sources b. Reminders and advise
• Rates Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide sent as text message
• Timing during the crop

• Seed quality and seedling age

• Weed management

• No early spray of insecticide

• Water management such as safe alternate https://phpapps.irri.org/ph/rcm
wetting and drying (AWD)
• Management adjusted for climate
Each farm lot gets a unique recommendation
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Reference number is the number of RCM
recommendation generated
Date generated is the date when the RCM
recommendation is generated

Information for farmer and farm lot obtained from

interview of farmer:
Farm lot ID number (for registered RCM farmer with
RCM Farmer and Farm Lot Registration)
Lesson 3. RCM InterviewName
Questions Guide
of farmer
Farm lot name
Location of the farm lot
Water regime
Crop establishment method
Variety
Sowing date (in the nursery if transplanted; in the farm
lot if direct seeded)

Each recommendation applies to one cropping

season.
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Why should an RCM recommendation be provided to the farm
lot of a farmer every cropping season?
• Variety can change

• Farming practices of farmer, such as the following, can change

- establishment Lesson
method 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide
- date of sowing
- straw management
- input use

• Farming condition, climate, and constraints during the season can

vary and affect
- attainable yield
- required inputs
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Target yield is the calculated yield attainable for
a farm lot based on the following information:
-Historical climate at the farm lot location
-Month of sowing
-Variety and growth duration
-Expected water availability
-Typical yield obtained by the farmer from the
farm lot in previous seasons
Lesson 3. RCM Interview -Questions
Quality of previously
Guide used and upcoming season
rice seed

-Normal value is within:

3 t/ha at 14% MC to 11.25 t/ha for rainfed
3.5 t/ha at 14% MC to 11.25 t/ha for irrigated
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation

Illustration of recommended farming activities

based on the growth duration of the variety.
No early spray of insecticide
Fertilizer management
Weed control before fertilizer application
Safe alternate wetting and drying (AWD)
Keeping floodwater
Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide at optimal level during
early stage when there is submergence
Good snail control with use of younger
seedlings
Use of quality seeds
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended management practices for
direct seeded rice:
“Use 40 to 80 kg of certified or good quality
seeds with good snail control after sowing for 1
hectare farm lot.”
Optimal seed rate is recommended when:
- Farmer has not yet sown in the farm lot,
- Crop establishment method is direct seeding, and
Lesson 3. RCM Interview -Questions Guide uses less than 40 kg or more
Farmer currently
than 80 kg seeds per hectare

Use of too much seed results to less tillers, and high

competition for space, water, light, and nutrients.

Use of good quality seed contributes to grain yield

increase. Quality seed has less weed contaminant
and produces more uniform and vigorous seedlings.

Ensure good snail control to obtain an optimum plant

population.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended management practices for
direct seeded rice:

“Use certified or good quality seeds with good snail

control after sowing for 1 hectare farm lot.”

Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide

Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended management practices for
transplanted rice:

“Use certified or good quality seeds for 1 hectare

farm lot.”

Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide

Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended management practices for
transplanted rice:

“Use 21 days old seedlings with good snail control.

Younger seedlings can increase vigor and yield.”

Use of 21 days old seedlings is recommended when:

- Farmer plans to use short duration variety and
Lesson 3. RCM Interview-Questions Guide
Farmer plans to use 23 days old or older seedlings

The optimal number of days after transplanting for

fertilizer application depends on seedling age:
Optimal dates for fertilizer application are compared for
two ages of seedlings, when the farmer plans to use
seedlings of 23 days old or older.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:

“Do not spray insecticide within 30 days after

transplanting, sowing, or emergence in the field .“
Plants compensate for early damage caused by
defoliators; no spray also conserves beneficial
organisms.

No early spray is recommended when all the following

Lesson 3. RCM Interviewoccur:
Questions Guide
- Farmer typically applies insecticide within 30 days after
transplanting, sowing, or emergence;
- Farmer plans to synchronously transplant or sow within
2 weeks before or 2 weeks after that of the neighboring
fields; and
- Crop in the previous three months was either rice, corn,
legume, or no crop

Note: AEW should know farmers in a cluster of

neighboring farm lots. No early spray should also be
advised to other farmers in the cluster.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:

“Ensure weed is controlled before fertilizer

application.”

Weed control is recommended before

application of fertilizer in either of the
Lesson 3. RCM Interview following
Questions conditions:
Guide
- Rice is rainfed,
- Rice is irrigated with yield of 3.5 t/ha or less
typically obtained by farmer

It is important to control weeds before

fertilizer application to avoid competition of
weeds for fertilizer.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:

“When there is risk of rice submergence during

early growth stage, keep floodwater below 5 cm
depth”

‘Keep floodwater below 5 cm depth is

Lesson 3. RCM Interview recommended
Questions Guidewhen:
- Farmer indicated in RCM interview that farm lot in
the past experienced submergence of rice crop
during early growth stage resulting to yield loss

This recommendation is intended to avoid

submergence stress at early stage of rice.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:

“Irrigate your farm lot at flowering when there is no

standing water on farm lot.”

Irrigate farm lot at flowering is recommended when

Lesson 3. RCM Interview both
Questions Guide occur:
of the following
- Rice is rainfed and
- Farmer has access to water pump

Drought at flowering has a high risk of loss in crop

yield.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:

“Practice safe alternate wetting and drying (safe

AWD). Irrigate to 3-5 cm water depth; monitor water
in observation well; allow water to decrease down to
15 cm below the soil surface before the next
irrigation. Ensure good management of weeds when
water level is decreased. Keep the soil flooded during
Lesson 3. RCM Interviewheading
Questions Guide
and flowering.”

Safe alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is

recommended when:
-Farm lot is irrigated with pump powered by gasoline,
diesel or electricity

Safe AWD is a water-saving technology to reduce

irrigation water use in rice farm lots without
penalty on yield.
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation

Three key components of Site-Specific Nutrient

Management (SSNM) that benefit a farmer:

1. Adjust timing of fertilizer to match critical growth stages of a rice

crop Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide

2. Adjust fertilizer rates to match a field-specific attainable (target)

yield

3. Adjust K fertilizer for inputs from crop residues (straw) and

irrigation water
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:
Improved nutrient management is calculated based on
Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM) principles:

a. Fertilizer rate is determined using

- Target yield
- Major crop before rice
- Crop residue (straw) management
- Water source
Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide (irrigated or rainfed)
- Input of organic fertilizer

b. Time of fertilizer application is determined using

- Growth duration of the variety
- Crop establishment method
- Seedling age

c. Source of fertilizer to apply is determined using

- Target yield
- Crop residue (straw) management
 Adjust timing of fertilizer for critical growth stage

Active Panicle
Nursery tillering initiation
Early Heading Maturity
Transplanted

-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

Direct DAT
seeded

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 days

Early Active tillering and panicle initiation (PI)

• Apply only moderate amount of • Apply N at critical growth stages
N • Typically apply N as urea
• Apply P and K • At high yields, K can be added at PI
• Can use NPK fertilizer source • PI application is at 55 to 60 days
such as 14-14-14 before harvest
• Increase fertilizer in proportion
to yield
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
RCM recommends 4 applications of N fertilizer for
hybrids in high-yielding situations

Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide

• RCM recommends 4 N applications when hybrid variety is used and target yield is 7.5 t/ha or higher:
- basal or at early stage,
- active tillering,
- panicle initiation, and
- heading
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation

How is the level of soil fertility determined from

the RCM questions to farmers?
Very high soil fertility – farm lot is fallow with no crop in the wet season.
• The farm lot is inundated in the wet season, which prevents planting of rice
during the wet season,
• The flooding in wet Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide
season typically results in deposition of sediment rich in
nutrients, and
• Only one rice crop is grown per year

High soil fertility – the farm lot is at a location identified to be high fertility.

Standard fertility – all other farm lots that do not fit into very high and high soil
fertility
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended management practice for transplanted
rice:
“Apply zinc to seedbed. Broadcast 1 kg zinc sulfate per 40
kg of seed within 10 days after sowing.”

Zinc application is recommended when farmer

observed one or more of the following in the farm
Lesson 3. RCM Interviewlot:
Questions Guide

- Standing water in the field for 3 weeks or more

before land preparation in the upcoming season

- Profuse growth of water lettuce in the past same

season

- An oily film on water or wet soil surface in the past

same season

- Dusty brown spots on upper leaves of rice at 2 to 4

weeks after transplanting in the past same season
 Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Recommended crop management practices:
Delay topdress application of fertilizer when there is overflow of water or drought at critical
growth stage

Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guide

• Fertilizer can be applied when the soil is moist or covered with standing water, but not when water is overflowing
the boundaries of the farm lot.
• Do not apply fertilizer when the farm lot is overflowing with water or under drought conditions in order to avoid
nutrient loss or fertilizer wastage.
Understanding the contents of RCM
recommendation
Added information in the output page:

The planned application of organic fertilizer

as indicated by the farmer in the interview is
reported on the output page.

The input of organic fertilizer, when greater

than 400
Lesson 3. RCM Interview Questions Guidekg/ha, is used to reduce the rate of
P and K fertilizer in the RCM
recommendation.

Link to Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank

 For updates/events about RCM
Advisory Service
https://www.facebook.com/rice.crop.manager

Rice Crop
Manager