Impact of technology bundling on rice productivity: Insights from participatory on-farm trials in the Philippines

Context

While the individual benefits of technologies like alternate wetting and drying (AWD), site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), mechanical transplanting, laser-guided land leveling (LLL), and herbicide application are well-documented, limited information exists on their combined effects on rice productivity and profitability.

Objectives

This study hypothesized that integrating resource-use efficient technologies could offer compounded benefits in yields and reduced production costs. The study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness and grain yields of bundled technologies for rice, evaluating whether bundling could enhance yields, reduce production costs, and improve gross margin under farmers' field conditions.

Methods

On-farm participatory field trials were conducted over two dry seasons in the Philippines. Technology combinations were grouped as treatments (T) to reflect increasing bundling levels: T1 (farmers' practice (FP) with continuous flooding or CF), T2 (CF with mechanical transplanting, SSNM, and pre-emergence herbicide or PH), T3 (T2 with LLL), T4 (FP with AWD), T5 (AWD, mechanical transplanting, SSNM, and PH), and T6 (T5 with LLL).

Results

Bundles involving LLL (T3) significantly increased the unit cost of production (P < 0.05) but did not result in proportional yield or gross margin increases. The outcome was attributed to exposure to less fertile soil after cut-and-fill operations and the high rental fee of LLL. However, the AWD in T6 with LLL mitigated these effects, resulting in no significant impact on yield. T5 balanced production costs and yield, offering a more economically viable approach than T3. The variability in yields and gross margins across treatments suggests that the expected benefits of higher yields and reduced costs from bundling technologies were inconsistent, with some treatments showing no advantages over farmers’ practices.

Conclusion

The bundles combining AWD, SSNM, mechanical transplanting, and pre-emergence herbicide offered a balanced approach to cost-efficiency and productivity. Bundles involving LLL have increased production costs without corresponding yield or gross margin gains.

Implications of the study

The results underscore the complexity of bundled agricultural technologies, particularly in the context of smallholder systems. Benefits vary significantly depending on the technology combination, environmental conditions, and management practices, emphasizing the need for site-specific approaches when introducing new technologies. The findings provide valuable insights for bundling rice farming technologies with similar agroecosystems like the study site to enhance resource use management.