As the saying goes: “It takes one to know one.”

From managing his family’s farm to becoming a certified farm service provider (FSP), Jonas Del Rosario’s 17-year experience in rice farming gave him the ability to understand and even anticipate what his clients need when it comes to rice production.

PIONEERING MECHANIZED FARMING

Modern machinery is Del Rosario’s game when it comes to rice farming. Coming from the town of Quezon, Nueva Ecija, his admiration for our neighboring Asian countries’ fully mechanized rice farming system gave him the idea of applying the same in his farm.

A neophyte ride-on transplanter owner by 2016, Del Rosario recalled that “there was very little knowledge about mechanized transplanting and mechanized sowing on seeding trays.” A hurdle he and his team faced drove them to do countless hours of research. They were able to make it work.

“Our goal is to offer mechanized services to almost all of the rice-growing activities. This includes (but is not limited to) land preparation, seedling production, transplanting, crop protection and analysis, harvesting, hauling and mechanical drying.”

Del Rosario saw the need for a professional, beneficial, and reliable service with rice farm activities due to our country’s outdated and lacking methods. In addition, a severe lack of labor during planting and harvesting seasons kickstarted his goal to become an FSP to his fellow farmers.

In 2018, Kubota Philippines Incorporated (KPI) identified Del Rosario and his crew as their potential first certified seedling center while training them to become mechanized farmers, who eventually would show other farmers the benefits of mechanization.

Trained by Japanese trainers from Kubota Japan, Del Rosario, and his crew was engaged in successful, season-long training, boosting their knowledge in mechanized seed sowing and transplanting.

On September 14, 2018, they became the first Kubota-certified Rice Seedling Center in the Philippines as certified by then KPI President Yoshiaki Onishi. Del Rosario was also able to establish the DR1 Farmtech Services].

From land prep to mechanical drying, Del Rosario also offers an innovative rice planting service package that his clients can avail of for a fixed service fee per hectare.

This hassle-free, innovative package uses certified inbred seeds (including mechanized sowing and seedling management); labor is supplied by Del Rosario, who will deliver the rice seedlings and mobilize the necessary equipment and personnel to his client’s rice field; and his laborer’s essential needs such as water and food are also covered.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE

The advantages of mechanization in rice farming aren’t short in mitigating the effects of climate change, according to Del Rosario.

DR1 uses mechanical rice transplanter. According to Del Rosario, this machine makes for accurate planting, and seedlings can be transplanted earlier (resulting in better tilling with the use of young seedlings, growth is uniform, and weeds can be managed easier).

Using this machine lessens lodging by creating sufficient space between rows and columns. Airflow is improved, thus decreasing lodging. Saving water, a seedbed for manual transplanting requires 400sq.m/ha, while seedling trays measures only 60sq.m.

They also use combine rice harvesters, which have higher reaping, threshing, and bagging efficiency. They can finish a job quickly (depending on the land size) – advantageous during the wet season. It can also be stopped mid-harvest if rain suddenly pours, keeping grains clean while preventing yield loss.

Rice straw expelled by the combine can be incorporated into the soil during land prep, lessening the need for commercial fertilizer. This also eliminates the occurrence of rice straw burning, which contributes to air pollution.

DR1 also uses a mechanical dryer, greatly reducing the time needed to dry rice. Not only does it clean rice grain, but it’s also favorable for unfavorable conditions, too, as dryers are not weather dependent.

To Del Rosario, yield can increase by as much as 10 percent as machines avoid transplanting shock while adhering to standard rice plant production per hectare and transplanting at an early age while saving time and resources as the climate changes.

“I share in the belief that mechanization is the solution to fight the ill-effects of climate change. In the years to come, it will be harder and harder to predict the weather. Also, droughts and at the other extreme, flooding, are possible scenarios that could restrict farm productivity.”

RAISING AWARENESS ON MECHANIZATION

Attracting more clients to avail of FSPs is a challenge in itself. While FSPs such as Del Rosario do their role in promoting the use of machines in rice farming, many farmers are still hesitant to use machines in their farms, opting for the traditional method of farming instead.

This is where Del Rosario believes PHilMech plays a large role.

“PHilMech has assisted FSPs such as myself in promoting the benefits of mechanization to all rice farmers. Through its website, social media, projects, and publications, PHilMech has boosted the popularity of farm machines and modern technology. Now that there is more awareness for the farmers, FSPs can attract more clients,” Del Rosario says.

Regardless of the negative effects brought about by the pandemic, Del Rosario’s still determined to provide his clients with the service that they need. As a farmer himself, he knows how crucial it is for a farmer to get the most out of their fields, especially during these times of uncertainty.