Direct seeding, a crop-establishment method where pre-germinated seeds are sown directly onto soil surface, can help minimize the labor cost in rice farming in the Philippines, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said.
PhilRice agronomist Myrna Malabayabas said direct-seeded rice matures earlier than transplanted rice, reducing the labor requirements and expenses for crop establishment, and the time spent on crop management.
Malabayabas said the direct-seeding method can be done wither by dry or wet seeding and does not require seedbed preparation. “The dry direct-seeding method is more commonly used in rain-fed and upland areas. It involves sowing of pregerminated seeds on dry soil surface and then incorporating the seeds either by ploughing or harrowing,” Malabayabas said in a statement.
“Wet direct seeding, on the other hand, is practiced during dry and wet seasons in irrigated and rain-fed areas. It is done either through broadcasting or drilling pregerminated seeds with the use of a drum-seeder on a wet, well-leveled paddy,” she added.
A study by the PhilRice, titled, Benchmarking the Philippine Rice Economy Relative to Major Rice-Producing Countries in Asia, showed that P4.42 is spent on the
labor cost for every kilogram of rice through the transplanting method, while only P3.28 is spent in the
direct-seeding method.
“In direct-seeding method, farmers can save up to P1.14 on labor cost for every kilogram of rice they produce and 23-man days for every hectare of their field,” the PhilRice said, adding that it only takes 2-man days per hectare required in direct seeding.
Dr. Vethaiya Balasubramanian, a former agronomist at the International Rice Research Institute, said managing weeds is one of the challenges farmers need to address in using the direct-seeding method.
Balasubramanian said weeds germinate simultaneously with rice due to the absence of water that suppresses their growth. However, she added that there are options available to manage the
problem.