PROGRESS REPORT 2012
Rice-based Systems Research program:
food security in Lao PDR, Cambodia
& Bangladesh
INTRODUCTION:
This is the second annual progress report for
the Rice-based Systems Research (RSR)
program: food security in Lao PDR,
Cambodia and Bangladesh. It comprises
three parts: an outline of the program;
progress against the program framework;
and program impacts. A list of acronyms and
abbreviations is appended.
both rainfed and irrigated agriculture, and
are typically integrated with livestock
production.
ABOUT THE RSR PROGRAM:
1.
The RSR program is one of four new
programs developed by ACIAR under the
Food Security through Rural Development
initiative announced in the 2009 federal
budget. The program invests almost
A$15 million over a five-year period (200914) in the target countries of Lao PDR,
Cambodia and Bangladesh.
ACIAR is a statutory authority that operates
as part of the Australian Government's
development cooperation programs. The
Centre encourages Australia's agricultural
scientists to use their skills for the benefit of
developing countries and Australia. ACIAR’s
2011-12 Revised Corporate Plan identifies
improving food and nutrition security as a
core goal; to be achieved by targeting
productivity gains in smallholder agricultural
systems of developing country partners.
The RSR program explores opportunities to
alleviate poverty through improving the
productivity and profitability of rice-based
farming systems. These systems comprise
1
The program’s portfolio comprises the
following five large-scale farm productivity
projects, together with a suite of smaller
policy-focused projects:
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Developing improved farming and
marketing systems in rainfed regions of
southern Lao PDR.
Improved rice germplasm for Cambodia
and Australia.
Improved rice establishment and
productivity in Cambodia and Australia.
Improved irrigation water management
to increase rice productivity Cambodia.
Introduction of short duration pulses
into rice-based cropping systems in
western Bangladesh.
Policy projects:
(a) Agricultural policies affecting ricebased farming systems in
Bangladesh, Cambodia and Lao
PDR;
(b) Developing agricultural policies for
rice-based farming systems in
Cambodia and Lao PDR; and
(c) Policy constraints in rice-based
farming systems in Bangladesh.
An overview of the physical setting of the
projects is provided in Table 1.
Collectively, the projects span crop and
livestock development; best-practice
management; technological advances; new
cropping niches; targeted marketing and
extension; and alternative evidence-based
policy options. The policy work will both
inform and draw from the relevant farm
productivity projects.
PROGRESS AGAINST THE
FRAMEWORK
This section summarises project highlights
and issues arising in the 2011-12 reporting
period according to the five core strategies
of the program – intensify crops, boost
yields, improve livestock, strengthen policy
and build capacity. Table 2 indicates which
projects contribute to each of these five
strategies.
Program structure and project design reflect
the differing research needs of the
collaborating programs operating in each
partner country, including related ACIAR and
non-ACIAR research programs. The major
collaborating programs are the AusAIDfunded Cambodia Agriculture Value Chain
(CAVAC) program, IFAD-ADB program in
southern Lao PDR, and the Gates
Foundation/USAID Cereal Systems Initiative
for South Asia in Bangladesh.
This is the first reporting period for which
projects 4, 5, 6(b) and 6(c) have been
contractually required to submit an annual
progress report.
For acronyms and abbreviations, please
refer to the last page of this report.
Table 1: Summary of the physical setting of each project
Farm productivity projects
Policy projects
1
2
3
4
5
6(a)
6(b)
6(c)
L
C
C
C
B
L, C, B
L, C
B
Physical setting
Irrigated
Rainfed
Lowlands
Uplands
L = Lao PDR; C = Cambodia; B = Bangladesh
Table 2: The contribution of individual projects to the program strategies
Farm productivity projects
1
2
3
4
Program strategies
Intensify crops – rice
– other
Boost yields – rice
– other
Improve livestock
Strengthen policy
Build capacity
2
Policy projects
5
6(a)
6(b)
6(c)
Project 5 contributes to this strategy
primarily through targeting the integration of
short duration pulses (lentil, mungbean and
field pea) into rice-based systems.
The Strategies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Intensify crops
Boost yields
Improve livestock
Strengthen policy
Build capacity
Findings and products 2011-12
Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems

A practical typology of farm households
and their crop and livestock
productivities, livelihood strategies and
decision-making has been developed.

A preliminary report analysing social
and economic networks, and market
and value chains is now available.

Six core demonstration sites are being
established in contrasting typologies,
and will act as a focus for delivery of
research findings and extension
materials, outreach and farmer training,
and linkages to and out-scaling with
external partners.
Promising lines with the Sub-1 gene
(sourced from IRRI) have been
identified and will be used in the six
core demonstration sites.
Intensify crops
The program aims to intensify rice-based
production systems by increasing the
number of crops grown on the same land
each year following the main rice crop.
Approach
The approach is to use shorter season
varieties, improve on-farm water and soil
fertility management (e.g. water harvesting
practices, minimium tillage, supplementary
irrigation), and introduce rotation crops
(such as legumes, which can catalyse
multiple cropping options).

Contributors
Project 2 – Rice germplasm
Project 1 contributes to this strategy
primarily through developing management
options for rainfed transplanted and directseeded rice and post-rice crops (e.g. pulses,
vegetables, forages).
Project 2 contributes to this strategy
primarily through developing and enhancing
access to improved rice varieties.
Project 3 contributes to this strategy
primarily through looking at matching
production systems to soil type and water
availability/quality and at alternative
mechanisation options, including for reduced
and zero-tillage practices.

The main themes of quality that all
members of the rice value chain
consider important are grain shape,
translucence, softness of cooked rice
and aroma.

The testing of rice varieties in Cambodia
is yielding panels of germplasm that suit
the country’s different environments.
No location effect on agronomic traits,
such as yield and duration, has been
found following testing of all promising
lines by GDA and CARDI in several
locations (shown in Table 3).
Yunlu 29 has been identified as a robust
variety across all sites, but tends to
lodge; late testing results show some
promise for Tachiminori, Viet 4 and
Viet 1.
Data from completed trials in Australia
(Qld, NT and WA) on emergence, yield,
blast tolerance, nutrition and flowering
date suggest out-performance by a rice
variety from Vietnam.


Project 4 contributes to this strategy
primarily through examining how to increase
water productivity and reduce yield
variability.

3
Table 3: Improved germplasm with desired quality for direct-seeded aerobic rice, including those with early
vigour and weed competitiveness, and drought tolerance.
Lines (selection traits)
No. of
lines
Source
Timing
Activity description
Location
Aerobic and rainfed
274
IRRI and
Australia
Y1M6
Evaluated under both aerobic
and lowland conditions
CARDI
Aerobic and rainfed
(agronomic and grain
quality)
63
Selections
from 274
Y1M12
Evaluated in replicated trials
CARDI, Bati, Polors
Aerobic and rainfed
(agronomic and quality)
45
Selections
from 63
Y2M6
Y2M12
(repeated)
Evaluated in replicated trials
CARDI, Bati, Prey Pdau
Notes: Y=project year; M=project month; IRRI=International Rice Research Institute; CARDI=Cambodian Agricultural Research
and Development Institute

Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity



Preliminary findings from field studies
on salinity and rice varieties conducted
in 2010-11 support existing
recommended maximum bay water
salinity of 2 dS/m, and indicate
tolerance in Reiziq and Illabong.
Best-bet chemical weed control
approaches (rotary/cone weeder and
available herbicides) from elsewhere in
Asian rice-growing areas have been
adapted and incorporated into field
experiments.
Khmer language publications on ricegrowing practices, weed control and
machinery manuals have been
produced for use in promoting best-bet
technologies to Cambodian farmers.
Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses


Project 4 – Irrigation water management



Pilot sampling of groundwater wells for
irrigation have found higher than
expected levels of salinity and some
high iron levels; however, laboratory
results are not finalised and only a small
sample was taken for the purpose of
establishing protocols.
Project activities have triggered the
uptake of laser-levelling, including the
establishment of a 30 ha demonstration
site by CAVAC.
New scientific advances have been
made in the approaches to measuring
rice crop water-use, including
adaptations to lysimetry and micrometeorology.
Automatic weather stations that deliver
data direct to the internet (a first for
Cambodia) have been established in
three provinces, and historic weather
data have been collated for all of
Cambodia.
4
The research has demonstrated that
early-maturing lentil lines, including
super-early lines sown under relay
conditions, will not fit into the window
between a T. aman rice crop and
transplanting of the spring T. boro rice
crop.
Lentil production can benefit from relay
sowing into late T. aman crops, so the
project is now targeting the introduction
of lentil into the T. aman–aus rice
rotation rather than into the T. aman–
boro rice system.
Other highlights
Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity
Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems



On-farm experiments for dry season
rice, post-rice crops, and forages have
been conducted over two years,
including exploring access to small
pumps, channels, on-farm storage and
surface water.
Data on plant-available water are being
recorded in a number of experiments,
and have been used to inform best-bet
options.

Cooperative production and marketing
arrangements are being assessed in
selected villages.

Active monitoring of farmer perceptions,
and their adoption of selected
technologies and the nature of related
impacts, is a current project priority.

Project 2 – Rice germplasm






A series of farming system and weed
control experiments has been initiated
by Cambodian partners at research
stations and at district sites.

Use of drum seeders has been
promoted to farmers in Kampong Thom
province to achieve re-sowing of rice
crops destroyed following serious
flooding in 2011.
Additional novel machinery has been
purchased for the evaluation of dry and
wet direct seeding approaches.

Promising lines of rice varieties in
Cambodia are being tested to ensure
that further selection for quality follows
the important traits identified in the
earlier survey of the germplasm needs
of Cambodian farmers and traders.
Baseline data have been collected on
weed management practices and
constraints, and weed-related yield
losses for different establishment
options have been recorded in three
provinces.
Field experimentation has been
conducted in both wet and dry season
rice crops by all collaborating
Cambodian agencies.
Project 4 – Irrigation water management

Phka Rumduol (aromatic, good grain
quality) x Thmar Krem (non-aromatic,
poor grain quality) were planted in the
2010 wet season to generate a
population for identifying qualitative
trait loci (QTLs) for the eating qualities
of Phka varieties in Cambodia; the
derived F2 population of 600 plants was
grown at CARDI in the 2011 dry season.
Progress on germplasm improvement is
summarised in Table 4 for earlymaturing photoperiod insensitivity with
desired quality for irrigated dry-season
and supplementary irrigated rice.
A new set of data to explain the flavour,
taste and aroma of good quality rice
varieties will result from metabolomic
profiling of a selection of good and poor
quality types at the University of
Queensland (as an additional project
activity).
A quality evaluation program was
implemented at CARDI during the
reporting period.



5
Five field demonstrations for current
best-practice land levelling and the
management of water and fertiliser are
in place in Takeo (three by CARDI and
two by MOWRAM-TSC); data analysis
nears completion.
On-station water-use measurements for
rice crops at CARDI (2012 dry season
and 2012 wet season) will be used to
calibrate and verify the APSIM-ORYZA
rice modelling for Cambodia in
conjunction with ACIAR project no.
LWR/2008/019.
Potential interventions in the value
chain for improved early season water
management have been discussed with
CARDI and the likely outcome will be to
trial ‘alternate wetting and drying’
(AWD).
Groundwater sampling will be expanded
next dry season, together with
monitoring of rice crops grown with
groundwater continuously for a number
of years.
Table 4: Improved germplasm having early maturing photoperiod insensitivity with desired quality for irrigated
dry-season and supplementary irrigated rice.
Lines (selection traits)
No. of
lines
Source
Timing
546
IRRI
Y1M6
Imported and evaluated
CARDI
423
(50)
IRRI
Y2M6
Imported and evaluated
CARDI
117
IRRI
Y1M12
Evaluated in replicated
trails
CARDI, Polors, Bati, Ankor Borey,
Chhumkiri
2 groups
70
IRRI
Y2M6
Y2M12
(repeated)
Evaluated in replicated
trails
CARDI, Bati, Prey Pdau, Takeo,
Chhumkiri, Santuk
from 423 set (above)
200
IRRI
Y2M12
Evaluated in replicated
trails
CARDI
BPH set (above)
50
IRRI
Y2M12
Evaluated
CARDI
early
8
IRRI
Y2M12
Evaluated on-farm
Six sites in three provinces
Lowland lines
BPH tolerant
Selected lines
2 duration groups
Activity description
Location
Notes: Y=project year; M=project month; BPH=Brown Plant Hopper; IRRI=International Rice Research Institute;
CARDI=Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute
Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses
Issues and learnings

Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems



Sixty-three field sites (25 pea and 38
lentil) were sown with seven lentil and
ten pea on-farm demonstrations and
on-station experiments across the
western districts of Bangladesh in the
2011-12 rabi (dry) season.
From a total of 438 accessions of pea
germplasm from national and
Australian-introduced collections, 30
short-season and disease-resistant
accessions have been selected for
further testing.
About 3.4 tonnes of mungbean seeds
were produced in 2011, and distributed
in March 2012 to 50 farmers for kharif 1
(wet) season by BARI, DAE and NGOs.
New opportunities for men and women
to work locally are anticipated to
emerge from introducing kharif 1
mungbean cultivation in the fallow
period in parts of western Bangladesh.


Collaboration with ADB-IFAD’s
Sustainable Natural Resource
Management and Productivity
Enhancement Program (SNRMPEP) has
been hampered by that program’s
delayed start-up.
Cancellation of the World Bank’s Rice
Productivity Improvement Project (WBRPIP) has required adjustments to the
project’s outreach plans.
Project 2 – Rice germplasm


6
IRRI and UQ are awaiting breeding
material and varieties from CARDI for
high level phenotyping of quality.
Detailed phenotyping requires larger
samples than for quality evaluation, and
the destructive nature of the techniques
involved means that no samples may be
retained for further phenotyping.

Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity

Importation of agricultural machinery
from China, India, the Philippines and
Thailand has been difficult and slow;
some machinery continues to remain
within Cambodian Customs control.

There have been delays in getting the
necessary range of machinery (dry and
wet tillage/dry seeders) in place.
Controlling site selection and trial
management by host farmers is
constrained (e.g. poorer treatments
reportedly row-filled, high manure
application before the nutrition trial,
and poor land levelling in the water
management trial).
Partner institutions have limited
expertise in weed and pest
management at both provincial and
national levels.




In Australia, corellas and poor field site
preparation have affected replicated
field experiments that investigate the
use of a range of seeding and fertiliser
rates in areas with adverse soil
conditions.
Project 4 – Irrigation water management

There are too few wells to produce a
map of groundwater quality and
usage; however, a report will be
produced that incorporates detailed
analysis of the quality of bore water,
soils and crops grown with
groundwater.
Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses

Loss of experimental sites due to direct
flooding impacts and migration of rats.
A significantly higher level of direct
engagement with Cambodian
collaborators will be required following
cessation of interactions with CAVAC.
7
A severe outbreak of blight
(Stemphylium sarciniformis) adversely
affected lentil production in 2011-12
across Bangladesh, especially in
Jessore and Faridpur regions, and
has since spread to India and Nepal.
Project 5 contributes to this strategy
primarily through focusing on new supershort duration cultivars, relay cropping and
minimum tillage.
Boost yields
The program aims to boost yields by
improving the efficiency of water and
nutrient use.
Findings and products 2011-12
Approach
Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems
The entry point for yield enhancement is to
improve the crop water-use efficiency of
both irrigated and dryland components of
rice-based systems. Water productivity gains
will need to be underpinned by sustainable
soil fertility. This will necessitate targeted
research to develop site-specific nutrient
management systems, including more
efficient use of fertilisers, soil ameliorants,
green and animal manures and residues.
Tailoring agronomic practices (e.g. weed
management, planting methods) to local
conditions will further enhance water and
nutrient efficiency.

Best-bet management options for
evaluation at key demonstration sites
have been developed using data from
previous experiments, together with
preliminary information on farmers’
preferences.

‘Rice-Check’ proved unsuitable for
smallholder rice farming and is no
longer being applied; it was continued
to a limited extent under irrigation only
in the 2010-11 dry season, and the
2011 wet and dry seasons.
Contributors
Project 2 – Rice germplasm
Project 1 contributes to this strategy
primarily through developing best-bet
options for crop and livestock management
options, and looking at opportunities for
supplementary irrigation through water-use
efficiency.

Project 2 contributes to this strategy
primarily through accounting for the
increasing variability of seasonal conditions
and greater use of direct seeding in its
extensive rice germplasm improvement
work.
Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity

Project 3 contributes to this strategy
primarily through exploring how to better
match production systems to soil type and
water availability, with a particular focus on
direct seeding.

Project 4 contributes to this strategy
primarily through developing a greater
understanding of crop water requirements
and how to plan, schedule and manage
water and fertiliser at the field scale to
maximise production.

8
Progress on germplasm improvement is
summarised in Table 5 for desired
quality for rainfed lowland systems
exhibiting submergence tolerance
carrying the Sub-1 gene and/or drought
tolerance.
The CLEAR (Cambodia Land and
Environment Atlas and Resource)
spatial database, released in June 2011,
has been well promoted and
enthusiastically received by Cambodian
government agencies, teaching
institutions and NGOs, and has more
than 350 registered users.
Baseline surveys have been conducted
of 450 farmers (in 3 provinces, 3
districts, 3 communes, 3 villages) on
current practices, trends in rice
establishment methods, agricultural
machinery use, production constraints,
cropping systems, rotations, land access
and productivity.
Farmer survey data have been analysed
for the three provinces at the districtlevel only, and draft results have been
circulated to district project team
members.
Table 5: Improved germplasm with desired quality for rainfed lowland systems exhibiting submergence
tolerance carrying the Sub-1 gene and/or drought tolerance.
Lines (selection traits)
No.
lines
Source
Timing
Submergence tolerant
122
IRRI
Y1M6
Evaluated under
submergence conditions
CARDI
Drought-tolerant rainfed
113
IRRI
Y1M6
Evaluated under lowland
rainfed conditions
CARDI
Rainfed (agronomic and
quality)
72
IRRI
Y1M12
Evaluated under lowland
drought conditions
CARDI, Bati, Polors
Crosses for Sub-1
introgression
CARDI
Y1M12
F1 seeds from 4 crosses
introgressing Sub-1 gene
CARDI
PRDxCAR3, CAR3xPRD
population
CARDI
Y1M12
Screened for DT under
drought
CARDI
CARDI
Y2M12
Screened 2nd part of
population for DT under
drought
CARDI
CARDI
Y2M6
Screened for agronomic
traits in lowland
CARDI
CARDI
Y2M6
16 crosses made for DT,
Subm T, lodging T, and
aroma
CARDI
CARDI
Y2M12
Advanced F1s
CARDI
Derived from
PRDxCAR3, CAR3xPRD
population
Crosses for earliness,
quality and anti-lodging
49
Activity description
Location
Notes: Y=project year; M=project month; DT=drought tolerance; Subm T=submergence tolerance; T=tolerance;
IRRI=International Rice Research Institute; CARDI=Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute
Project 4 – Irrigation water management



The potential for land levelling in
Cambodia to increase yields is
significant according to initial literature
reviews and assessments.
Laser-levelling technologies are costeffective within the Cambodian
context, and should provide significant
economic benefits to rice producers.
Field experiments are showing that
water management can be improved
considerably through laser-levelling to
achieve uniform water application,
and that improved water depth
management will potentially reduce
herbicide needs and the potential for
environmental issues.
Yields for lentil were about three times
greater for project-recommended early
relay sowing into standing T. aman and
management practices compared to an
adjacent field using traditional practices.

An economic analysis of mungbean trial
results comparing three sowing
methods in two locations (Jessore and
Pabna) identified line sowing at 30x10
cm as the best method at both sites.
Imidacloprid treatment on mungbean
was found to have the greatest efficacy,
yield and economic benefit following
on-station pest control testing of six
combinations of insecticides at Ishurdi.
On-station trials at Ishurdi and Gazipur
applying five fungicides for Cercospora
leaf spot (CLS) and five different
combinations of insecticides for yellow
mosaic virus (YMV) produced the lowest
CLS score with Secure 600WG®
treatment at both sites and the lowest
YMV score with the combined Furadan®
+ Admire® treatment.


Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses


Yields for mungbean were up to 2.6
times higher for farmers using projectrecommended management practices
and sowing methods compared to
traditional approaches.
9
Other highlights
Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity
Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems







Research continues on crop water
requirements and supplementary
irrigation/water balance, especially for
dry season crops and forages.
The knowledge sharing component will
demonstrate some mature water
management technologies (AWD,
aerobic, submergence tolerant rice) onfarm.
The water component was delayed, but
now has a work plan and
implementation protocols in place for
assessing seasonal water availability
(rain, surface water and groundwater),
and identifying and mapping areas
prone to drought, flooding and salinity.
Available data for producing maps of
drought, submergence and salinity have
been sourced and sent to scientists in
Australia for analysis, and plans are in
place to address major data gaps.




Budget has been allocated to install
bores and meteorlogical stations.
A Postdoctoral Fellow will be appointed
to assist the water component from
November 2012.

Project 2 – Rice germplasm


In Australia, all varietal screens have
been conducted under aerobic growing
conditions, except in the case of one
trial in Western Australia (WA).
The aerobic trial in WA has been tested
during cold minimum temperatures,
while the summer trials at Coastal
Plains (NT) have been tested under
rainfed conditions, which included some
drought stress during anthesis (the
period during which a flower is fully
open and functional).

10
Literature and secondary data on
production practices and households
have been reviewed and shared among
project partners.
The farmer survey on practices and
activities has been subject to review
and correction, and is approaching
completion and reporting.
Planning is in-progress for farmer
discussion groups to clarify survey
trends, and for a specialist group to
interpret results.
Controlled temperature room studies
have been conducted on seed
coating/priming, and slant-board
studies have been initiated on
Australian and available Cambodian
varieties.
Glasshouse studies to quantify the
impact of water quality on the growth
and yield of current and potential rice
varieties approached maturity in
2011-12.
15 semi-dwarf rice varieties are being
assessed for salinity tolerance at
vegetative and reproductive stages:
eight current Australian varieties, two
unreleased Australian lines, two
Cambodian lines (IR 66 and Sen Pidao)
and three IRRI checks.
A mid-term project review in March
2012 found that the project was
progressing satisfactorily.

Project 4 – Irrigation water management






A review of literature on current
irrigation water management practices
and research found no information or
publications for Cambodia and some
relevant data for Lao PDR and
Vietnam.
180 household surveys have been
undertaken, and CARDI is entering
the results into the Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
database.
Household survey data will be linked to
surveys undertaken by MOWRAMTSC on infrastructure, land size and
land level, and when combined will
provide a unique database to
investigate the impacts of irrigation
water availability on livelihoods.
The linking of surveys for irrigation
infrastructure with socio-economic
data has been completed for nine
villages across three districts, and will
be analysed following the completion
of specific mapping and surveying of
around 220 farmers’ fields.
Preliminary sampling for groundwater
usage and quality surveys has
commenced in Takeo province, with
full-scale sampling to occur in the
coming dry season.
Researchers are exploring the depth of
soil that is safe to cut for different soils
and crops, together with the
comparative cost-effectiveness of
remediation options.
Issues and learnings
Project 3 – Rice establishment and
productivity

A review of literature and industry
practice on rice crop establishment and
rice seeding machinery has been used
to inform experimental treatments, but
is not yet written up.

The analysis of farmer survey data has
been hampered by coding variations
between survey groups, missing data to
some questions, and low response
rates.
Survey analysis is incomplete at
provincial, commune and village levels,
and impeding progress of the project.



Staff turn-over at CARDI is a barrier to
developing the human capacity needed
for improved accuracy of soil analyses
for the CLEAR spatial database and for
agronomic and germplasm
interventions.
Project 4 – Irrigation water management


Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses

Useful variation in disease reaction of
mungbean for Cercospora leaf spot
(CLS) and yellow mosaic virus (YMV)
was observed among advanced lines
evaluated on-station at Ishurdi, Gazipur
and Madaripur.
Due to a national epidemic of blight,
lentil crops sown after mid-November
and unprotected by a fungicidal spray
yielded almost nothing compared to
reduced yields of about 10-25% for
early-sown unprotected crops.
Local integrated disease management
research on fungicidal application has
been strengthened as a short-term
project-response to blight risk,
including testing other chemical
groups and existing levels of cultivar
partial resistance.
Household surveys now focus on
Takeo province only (in line with
CAVAC) across three agro-ecological
zones; the total number of surveys
remains the same.
‘Case studies of success’ that feature
benchmark farmers and irrigation
areas are behind schedule due to
delays in completing the farmer
surveys.
Project 5 – Introduction of short
duration pulses

11
ICARDA has been encouraged to
strengthen its lentil breeding program
for improved levels of blight resistance
over the longer term.
Improve livestock
Strengthen policy
The program aims to improve livestock
production by integrating animals more
effectively with rice-based farming systems.
The program aims to strengthen policy
settings by improving understanding of the
linkages with and impacts on food security.
Approach
Approach
Livestock production is highly dependent
upon feed sourced from crops – grains and
tubers, stover, green forage, and processing
by-products – together with weeds within
and beside crops. The transformation of
poor farmers from livestock keepers to
active market-oriented producers will require
improvements in livestock reproduction and
nutrition coupled with better access to
markets.
Food security is affected by the mix of policy
settings at local to international scales.
Achieving more productive and sustainable
rice-based farming systems will necessitate
better understanding of and integration
across formal and informal policies,
especially in the arenas of agricultural
industry and trade, land and water resources
management, agricultural extension
systems, and marketing systems for rice and
related products.
Contributors
Contributors
Project 1 is the only project in the portfolio
with a core focus on livestock improvement.
Project 1 contributes to this strategy
primarily through analysing alternative policy
settings (using farm survey data, including
social and economic metrics) to remove
bottlenecks and facilitate opportunities that
improve farming systems and rural
livelihoods.
Findings and products 2011-12

Bracharia is showing promise as a
wet season forage grass, and Arachis
is showing drought tolerance in harsh
dry season conditions.
Project 6(a) contributes to this strategy
primarily through reviewing key national
government policies and programs affecting
the development of rice-based farming
systems in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Lao
PDR, and seeking evidence of their current
and likely future impacts. This project led to
project 6(b).
Other highlights


Experiments to identify potential
livestock feeding and management
options have been successfully
conducted in year 2 at a wide range of
sites, and data analysis is in-progress.
Farmers have responded positively to
forage evaluation and livestock
feeding activities.
Project 6(b) contributes to this strategy, in
the case of Cambodia and Lao PDR,
primarily through analysing policies
(strategies, processes and settings), using
case studies to demonstrate policy benefits,
examining regional policy trends and crossborder implications.
Issues and learnings


Some root disease problems affected
some forage grass species.
The initial problems of seed
availability and viability, and lack of
experience in forage management
and seed harvesting techniques, have
been addressed by training and site
visits, including greater engagement
of provincial and district staff.
Project 6(c) contributes to this strategy
primarily through reviewing key national
government policies and programs affecting
the development of rice-based farming
systems in Bangladesh, and seeking
evidence of their current and likely future
impacts.
12
Findings and products 2011-12
Other highlights
Project 6(c) – Policy constraints,
Bangladesh

The environmental footprint of
agriculture in Bangladesh is increasing,
especially unsustainable rates of
groundwater usage.








Project 1 – Farming and marketing
systems

Feasible policy options to improve
farming systems and rural livelihoods
are being analysed on the basis of
project evidence gathered to-date.
Project 6(b) – Agricultural policies,
Lao PDR & Cambodia

An Inception Workshop in Luang
Prabang, Lao PDR, in August 2011
identified two phases for the research
conduct:
o Phase 1: Rice policies in Cambodia
and Lao PDR (in the context of
Thailand and Vietnam), and;
o Phase 2: Policies regarding
agribusiness investment and contract
farming for non-rice crops (maize,
sugarcane, cassava, rubber, etc.);
and policies regarding livestock
production and trade (cattle,
buffaloes, etc.).
Prospects for pulse crops in Bangladesh
are constrained by their lower financial
attractiveness to farmers relative to
other crops, notably maize and boro
rice.
Reduced import dependence on staple
food grains (rice and wheat) is a
significant achievement for
Bangladesh’s food security; however,
import dependence for non-cereals has
increased, notably for pulses and edible
oils.
Price stabilisation and fair returns for
growers are long-term hurdles.
Apparent pent-up demand from the
urban middle class is a likely driver of
value chain industry development.
A majority of the farmers surveyed in
drought-prone areas perceived an
increase in annual temperature and a
decline in annual rainfall over the last
two decades.
The key determinants of adaptation
decisions by farmers are severity of
drought, access to climate information,
farm-size, and access to electricity for
irrigation.
The main adaptation strategies adopted
by farmers include supplementary
irrigation for T. aus and T. aman rice,
short duration and drought-tolerant rice
varieties, and water-saving non-rice and
horticultural crops, and additional
irrigation for T. boro rice.
Barriers to climate change adaptation
are lack of knowledge regarding
appropriate adaptation, access to credit,
lack of information and knowledge
about drought-tolerant varieties, and
available technologies.

In Cambodia, specific studies being
undertaken during 2011-12 are: supply
chain of fertiliser for rice in south-east
Cambodia; farm credit for rice
production and other annuals (e.g.
maize); rice value chain in south-east
Cambodia and southern Vietnam; and
rice and maize contract farming.

In Lao PDR, specific studies being
undertaken during 2011-12 are: a
review and case study of irrigated and
rainfed rice-based farming systems in
southern Lao PDR (techniques of rice
production, production costs and
returns, and diversification of farm
activities); small case studies on supply
of inputs and services to rice farmers
(seeds, fertiliser, water, credit); and
two case studies of rice value chain and
cross-border trade (Lao PDR–Vietnam
and Lao PDR–Thailand).
In Thailand, four reviews are being
conducted during 2011-12 on
intensification of crop production
(fertiliser use, mechanisation);
agricultural commercialisation (entry to
input and output markets, role of
credit); crop diversification (risk
management); and contract farming in
Thailand (growth of agribusiness).

13


In Vietnam, reviews are being
conducted during 2011-12 on food
security and crop intensification; and
farmer organisations and local services
(including credit), together with case
studies on Cambodia–Vietnam crossborder trade in Mekong rice value
chain, and rice value chain across the
Lao PDR border in central Vietnam.

Project 6(c) – Policy constraints,
Bangladesh

Varietal development and grain quality
for widespread adoption in a range of
agro-ecological zones in Bangladesh are
the most significant area of
achievement for rice research, moreso
for rabi (dry) season than kharif (wet)
season.

30 pulse varieties with high yield
potential and adaptability to a range of
environmental conditions represent the
most significant achievements in pulse
research.


Challenges remain for short-maturing
pulse varieties between two rice crops,
and for adaptability to stresses caused
by variability in weather conditions such
as winter severity and high fog
incidence.
Transforming Bangladesh from a
predominantly semi-subsistence
agricultural base to a broader
commercial base with a booming value
chain industry is a key challenge.
Data on farm-level adaptation to
climate change in drought prone areas
have been analysed for more than 800
farmers in two regions, with analysis of
a further 1000-1200 observations from
another four regions in-progress.
Issues and learnings

Stand-out future challenges in rice
research are the development of
drought and salinity tolerant varieties,
short-maturing varieties with lower
water requirements, and future climateproofed varieties with higher
temperature tolerance.
14
Nothing to report at this stage.
Build capacity

The program aims to build capacity of
individuals and institutions by establishing
effective collaborative relationships and
facilitating knowledge sharing.
Approach
Other highlights
Effective and lasting results for food security
will depend upon developing strong incountry capacity for framing, conducting and
extending R&D. This capacity extends from
individual researchers to the broader
institutional arrangements. The principal
mechanism for capacity building is through
partnering of Australian and in-country
institutions to jointly deliver project
outcomes.
Equipment

All instruments have been purchased by
IRRI, and sent to Cambodia (a small
sample polisher, a spectrophotometer
for analysis of amylose, and an
instrument for physical quality)
(project 2).

Cambodian researchers have been
exposed to IRRI-designed hydrotillers,
Chinese two-wheel tractors and
seeders, and Thai seed drills; this
machinery is now available for research
experiments and for demonstrating and
extending to farmers (project 3).
RoGro® drills were presented to rice
growers, the machinery industry and
politicians at the Agricultural Machinery
Fair at RUA (project 3).
The project has lined up a manufacturer
for laser equipment in Cambodia, and
an importer for the laser from Vietnam
(project 4).
Opportunities are being scoped for
lending/hiring laser equipment to
private contractors for trial before
investing (project 4).
Contributors
All projects.
Findings and products 2011-12

Six key demonstration sites will be
developed as an outreach tool for
integrating and showcasing project
research findings (project 1).

CARDI has developed the capability to
measure the grain shape, chalkiness,
amylose content and aroma of breeding
lines they develop (project 2).
CARDI has the capacity to keep track of
the performance of its equipment with
the ring tests and proficiency tests
carried out by the International Network
for Quality Rice (INQR), of which it is a
member (project 2).
An increasing range of Cambodian
agencies are contributing data to the
CLEAR spatial database (project 3).
Participation of research staff (CARDI,
GDA and RUA) in herbicide/sprayer and
machinery training programs has
enhanced their capacities to conduct
field experiments and demonstrate
technologies to farmers (project 3).
Farmer awareness of drum seeders and
rotary/cone weeders has increased in
target provinces, including the potential
to undertake rice sowing operations
with reduced labour resources and to
achieve line sowing (project 3).




Capacity building has focused mainly on
developing skills related to the
understanding and measurement of
field-based water balance components,
laser-levelling, water quality analysis,
automatic weather stations, and socioeconomic surveys (project 4).



Training and workshops



15
Training events for district staff have
been held regularly in Savannakhet and
Champassak to share experience and
build expertise in experimental
management, data collection, and
financial reporting (project 1).
Forage and livestock training was
conducted with DAFO and PAFO staff in
Xieng Khuang province in October 2011
(project 1).
Training of CARDI staff, including at
IRRI's Grain Quality Laboratory in the
Philippines, has enabled the conduct of
quality evaluation of breeding lines, and
testing for fragrance using a genetic
marker (project 2).











One CARDI scientist has completed
several months on-the-job training at
IRRI for marker application and grain
quality analysis (project 2).
PDA staff have been trained and
resourced to grow demonstration trials
in dry and wet seasons (project 2).

Training in the use of the CLEAR spatial
database has been provided via the
CAVAC program (Project 3).
Training courses for researchers and
field staff have been undertaken on
weed identification, weed management,
herbicide selection, and sprayer use
(project 3).
A course to up-skill research staff on
the operation, calibration and use of
mechanised seed drill technology for
dry direct seeding has been conducted
(project 3).

An implementation workshop on the
rabi (dry) season pulse (lentil and pea)
program was attended by 30 staff from
BARI and DAE (project 5).
Training programs have been
conducted at six locations in the
mungbean growing regions of Pabna,
Natore and Kushtia for 150 farmers and
30 SAAOs (project 5).
260 farmers and 40 SAAOs participated
in farmer training programs in 20
locations in the lentil and pea growing
regions of Ishurdi, Jessore and Rajbari
(project 5).
Participatory field work, field days and
visits

Team members from across the project
partners attended and participated in an
ACIAR project impact assessment
workshop in Phnom Penh in May 2012
(project 3).
Three undergraduate students from ITC
have been involved in the rice wateruse trial (project 4).

Agreement has been reached with the
Adaptation to Climate Change in Asia
(ACCA) project to hold a training
session on APSIM-ORYZA in Phnom
Penh before 2013 (project 4).
Training has been provided to
researchers/professionals in the
technique of laser-levelling, including
benefits and drawbacks, equipment
(construction, set up, calibration, field
methods and operation), field survey,
and financial analysis (project 4).
Specific laboratory techniques for water
quality measurement have been
transferred to project partners,
including collecting groundwater and
surface water samples, using low cost
spectrometer kits, detecting water
quality parameters in agricultural
settings, and calibrating and operating
laboratory equipment (project 4).





16
Four field visits were conducted in 2011
to develop a comprehensive work plan,
confirm implementation protocols, and
devise a reporting strategy for the
project’s water component (project 1).
Field-based exercises to promote new
material have been implemented by the
Department of Rice Crop (DRC) of GDA
in collaboration with Tonle Bati
Agriculture Development Center and
Polors Agriculture Development Center
in the provinces of Takeo and Prey
Veng (project 2).
GDA has conducted nine season-long
farmer field schools in Kampong Thom
province (project 3).
CARDI has conducted rice experiment
field days, and RUA has delivered field
events on rice mechanisation
(project 3).
400 farmers and 20 SAAOs took part in
field days in six locations in the lentil
and pea growing regions of Natore,
Kushtia, Jessore, Jhenaida, Chuadanga
and Faridpur (project 5).
A 7-day study visit to lentil production
areas of Nepal was conducted for BARI
scientists, DAE personnel and an IRRI
coordinator (project 5).
A 6-day travelling workshop for BARI
pulses scientists, DAE personnel and
UWA researchers visited field sites in
western Bangladesh (project 5).

Extension and other materials






A project brochure and summary have
been developed, and will be translated
into Lao (project 1).

A 16-page instruction booklet on Best
Management Practice (formerly Good
Agricultural Practice) has been
developed, and is being translated into
Lao for distribution to farmers
(project 1).

A training manual has been developed
for the CLEAR spatial database
(project 3).
Weed identification and management
guidelines have been made available on
the internet (project 3).
Training protocols for laser-levelling
have been developed to enable CARDI
to train prospective users (project 4).
Technical publications
A full set of experimental protocols has
been produced by NAFRI, in English and
Lao (project 1).
A poster on a rice variety called ‘TDK1Sub-1’ has been produced by IRRI and
NAFRI, in English and Lao (project 1).
Publications have been produced in
Khmer language on rice-growing
practices, weed control, and machinery
manuals (project 3).
Khmer language publications have been
used for farmer field schools, training of
agricultural technicians and extension
workers, and lecturing in agricultural
schools and university, as well as
distributed to all PDAs and relevant
organisations (project 3).

Working Paper #1 released, entitled
‘Developing a typology of farming
systems in southern Laos’ (project 1).

Technical report by NUoL entitled:
‘Analysing the marketing chain in
Savannakhet province’ (project 1).

Honours thesis by Ms Xaysomnuk
Souvannavong entitled: ‘Local
institutional arrangements for irrigation
management in lowland rice-based
farming systems in Savannakhet, Lao
PDR’ (project 1).
A full inventory of experiments, data
return, analysis and reports has been
compiled, and is available from Prof.
Len Wade (CSU) (project 1).

17
Collaborations and networks







Linkages with the Cambodia Society of
Agricultural Machinery Network
(CaSAMNet) are being developed
(project 3).

Laser-levelling and establishment trials
will be combined through collaboration
with RSR project 3 (project 4).
Field trials may be used as verification
sites for an IRRI project on satellitebased rice monitoring (project 4).
A joint concept note has been
submitted for collaboration with an
ACIAR SRA project on Cambodian
irrigation systems (project 4).
A meeting with IRRI’s Deputy Director
General (Research) emphasised the
capacity of existing IRRI projects in
southern Bangladesh to integrate and
extend new technologies arising from
the project in areas outside western
Bangladesh (project 5).
A Project Advisory Group (PAG) has
been formed, comprising two senior
government policy-makers in Lao PDR
and two in Cambodia (project 6b).
Media and press releases




A press release was issued to promote
‘The Cambodia Rice Research Forum’
convened in Phnom Penh on 30 April
2012 (project 2).
Issues and learnings

Significant investment in training to
build research capacity and ensure
project outcomes has been essential,
especially in the districts and provinces
(project 1).

CARDI staffing constraints allowed only
one (rather than two) of its scientists to
attend training for marker application
and grain quality analysis at IRRI
(project 2).
CARDI has experienced an ongoing
issue with the commissioning of one
piece of equipment, and
communications with the supplier have
been hampered by internet issues
(project 2).
Unanticipated delays have hindered the
purchasing and commissioning of
equipment for CARDI’s Soils Laboratory
(project 3).
The quality and efficacy of much of the
recent material in Khmer language is
difficult for non-native speakers to
assess (project 3).
Internet access and downloading of
material is sometimes difficult for
Cambodian partners (project 3).
Materials for training and
communication about potential
interventions in the value chain for land
levelling have been progressed, but not
for improved early season water
management and fertiliser management
(project 4).

Meetings, conferences and presentations

BARI Divisional Heads convened a
progress meeting in February 2012 to
discuss project progress and future
directions (project 5).
Dr Imran Malik presented a seminar at
UWA on the project’s progress and
direction (project 5).
Contributed paper entitled ‘Rice and
Remittances: the impact of labour
migration on rice intensification in
southern Laos’ presented at the 56th
AARES conference in WA, February
2012 (project 1).
A large international workshop, ‘The
Cambodia Rice Research Forum’, was
convened in Phnom Penh on 30 April
2012, arising from earlier discussions
about the project with the Minister of
Agriculture (project 2).
Presentations by project team members
have been made on more than a dozen
occasions, including at two international
events (project 3).
Annual project review and planning
workshop was held on 9-10 August
2011 at BARI, Joydepur (project 5).




18
PROJECT IMPACTS
National/regional level
This section summarises project impacts
arising during the 2011-12 reporting period
with reference to the impact scales identified
in the program’s framework (see Table 6).
Ten impacts (and highly probable impacts)
have been identified at this mid-stage of the
research program. Although some impacts
occur at multiple scales, the points listed
here are categorised under the primary scale
of the impact.

The identification of varieties with
submergence tolerance may generate
early economic impacts in flood-prone
areas, such as near the Mekong River
and other lowland waterways
(project 1).

The introduction and screening of
perennial rice lines from China has the
potential to lead to releases of new
varieties in the foreseeable future
(project 1).
Equipment installation and training of
CARDI staff for quality evaluation has
had immediate impact on its rice
improvement program (project 2).
MOWRAM has added ‘orphan’ weather
stations from ceased aid projects to its
network following the demonstration of
feeding weather station data direct to
the internet, and is likely to use this
approach for its new weather stations
(project 4).
MOWRAM-TSC now has the ability to
build, source and operate laser-levelling
equipment in Cambodia, and has
undertaken field demonstrations and
trials of the equipment (project 4).
Green pea production is performing well
with good prospects as a major market
opportunity, including for job creation in
green pod harvesting and produce
preparation and marketing for transport
to urban areas (project 5).
Household/village level


Farmers have used project-supplied
drum seeders to re-sow rice crops
following the severe flooding in
Kampong Thom in late 2011, and have
expressed interest in ongoing access or
equipment purchase (project 3).
Farmers made a 50% profit from the
sale of their mungbean harvest in
kharif 1 (wet) season 2011 as a result
of using project-recommended
management practices and sowing
methods (project 5).



District/provincial level


The project is likely to be able to
advance the understanding of nitrogenmoisture interactions in crop production
in the diversifying rice-based systems of
Savannakhet and Champassak
(project 1).
The typology of households developed
by the socio-economic component has
novel elements that will be useful not
only for the project but also for the
region (project 1).

Table 6: Summary of scales at which projects are anticipated to have impacts
Farm productivity projects
1
2
3
4
Impact scales
Household/ village
District/ provincial
National/ regional
19
Policy projects
5
6(a)
6(b)
6(c)
NUoL
ORYZA
PAFO
PAG
PDAs
Acronyms and abbreviations
AARES
ACCA
ACIAR
ADB
APSIM
AusAID
AWD
BARI
BPH
CARDI
CaSAMNet
CAVAC
CLEAR
CLS
CSU
DAE
DAFO
DRC
ICARDA
INQR
F2
FAO
GDA
IFAD
IRRI
ITC
Lao PDR
MOWRAM
NAFRI
NGOs
NT
Australian Agricultural and Resource
Economics Society
Adaptation to Climate Change in
Asia
Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research
Asian Development Bank
Agricultural Production Systems
SIMulator
Australian Agency for International
Development
Alternate wetting and drying
Bangladesh Agricultural Research
Institute
Brown plant hopper
Cambodian Agricultural Research
and Development Institute
Cambodia Society of Agricultural
Machinery Network
Cambodia Agriculture Value Chain
Cambodia Land and Environment
Atlas and Resource
Cercospora leaf spot
Charles Sturt University (Australia)
Department of Extension
(Bangladesh)
District Agricultural Field Officer
Department of Rice Crop
(Cambodia)
International Center for Agricultural
Research in the Dry Areas
International Network for Quality
Rice
The second filial generation
comprising offspring resulting from
a cross of the members of F1
generation
Food and Agriculture Organization
General Directorate of Agriculture
(Cambodia)
International Fund for Agricultural
Development (United Kingdom)
International Rice Research
Institute
Institute of Technology of
Cambodia
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Ministry of Water Resources and
Meteorology (Cambodia)
National Agriculture and Forestry
Research Institute (Lao PDR)
Non-government organisations
Northern Territory (Australia)
Qld
QTLs
RPIP
RSR
RUA
SAAOs
SNRMPEP
SPSS
SRA
TSC
UQ
USAID
UWA
WA
WB
YMV
National University of Laos
A rice model
Provincial Agricultural Field Officer
Project Advisory Group
Provincial Departments of
Agriculture (Cambodia)
Queensland (Australia)
Quantitative trait loci (stretches of
DNA containing or linked to the
genes that underlie a quantitative
trait)
Rice Productivity Improvement
Project
Rice-based Systems Research
Royal University of Agriculture
(Cambodia)
Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers
Sustainable Natural Resource
Management and Productivity
Enhancement Program
Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences
Small Research Activity
Technical Service Center
University of Queensland (Australia)
United States Agency for
International Development
University of Western Australia
Western Australia
World Bank
Yellow mosaic virus
Further information
Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
38 Thynne Street, Fern Hill Park
Bruce ACT Australia
GPO Box 1571 Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
P: +61 2 6217 0500 F: +61 2 6217 0501
E: aciar@aciar.gov.au
aciar.gov.au
20