International Rice Research Institute 140d ago

With the goal to scale drone technologies, the Drones4Rice project demonstrated how smarter tools can lead to better yields and higher incomes. IRRI recently conducted a drone techno-demonstration with farmers from Bay, Nagcarlan, Sta. Cruz, Los Baños, Pila, Pagsanjan, and Liliw, Laguna, together with researchers from UP Los Baños and municipal agriculturists. The activity featured an overview of the Drones4Rice project, drone uses in rice farming, and a live drone mapping and field demonstrations showing how farm inputs like seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides can be applied more efficiently and precisely. The project is a three-year initiative funded by the DA’s National Rice Program and DA-BAR, co-led by IRRI and DA-PhilRice, with partners DA-RFO 2, 4A, and 5. It aims to boost rice productivity and smallholder farmer incomes through drone-based precision agriculture. In its first year, the project focused on developing and testing protocols for using drones in direct-seeded rice, fertilizer application, and pest management, as well as precision nutrient management. “We saw that it (drone technology) is faster and less labor-intensive compared to doing it manually. Just now, it took less than 15 minutes to finish, and the work is much easier. For me, fertilizing would take me from morning until noon. Sometimes it takes an hour. I carry five kilos at a time because it’s not possible for me to carry 20 kilos at once," said Mr. Mamerto Hontiveros, rice farmer from Nagcarlan, Laguna.