by Vency D. Bulayungan

Kiangan, Ifugao (21 February) -- In order to reduce rice seed expenditures, the Save the Ifugao Rice Terraces Movement (SITMO) here introduced to the farmers the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

Cecilia Dulnuan of SITMO said under this method, the farmer will plant one to two seedlings at a given distance instead of the usual more than three seedlings per planting. This will also help in water management as it can thrive in a controlled water irrigation.

This system will increase the production of the farmer, and will also reduce fertilizer cost as it encourages the farmer to use organic fertilizer, Dulnuan added.

With the use of organic farming such as Indigenous Micro-Organism (IMO), fermented plant and fruit juice, the farmer is assured that the nutrient of the soil in enhanced and it will hasten the decomposition of compost.

Another benefit that the farmers can get out of this system is the conservation and improvement of soil and the safety of the food since there are no insecticides or pesticides being used.

According to Dulnuan, comparative study demo are being established this first cropping season in Barangay Duit here and Amduntog in Asipulo. These demo farms will showcase and will be the source of data on the performance of rice production of the applied farming practice.