World’s first mobile app for rice production unveiled

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) launched on Monday a new mobile initiative named “Nutrient Management for Rice Mobile (NMRiceMobile)" which allows Filipino farmers and their extension workers to get fertilizer information for free. Shown during the launch, held at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Quezon City, are (from left) IRRI deputy director for operations William Padolina, IRRI deputy director for research Achim Dobermann, Jose Luis Reyes of Globe Telecoms, DA undersecretary for special concerns Bernadette Romulo Puyat, and Ramon Isberto of Smart Communications. Laguna-based IRRI and the DA, through the Agricultural training Institute (DA-ATI), partnered with local carriers Globe and Smart to give agricultural workers toll-free access (2378 for Globe and *2378 for Smart) to expert advice on the optimal timing, amount, and type of fertilizer to apply to their rice fields, not only to maximize production and profit but also to reduce risks to the environment. NMRice Mobile is the first knowledge-based application for mobile phones that allow users to pull precision agriculture information from designated servers in a rapid, accessible, inexpensive and credible way. It provides crop advisors, extension workers and farmers a comprehensive site-specific fertilizer guideline for their rice fields. Nutrient Manager for Rice, the online decision tool which NMRiceMobile is anchored, puts into practice the principles of site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) that IRRI developed over the years as a result of extensive research in Asia’s major rice- growing areas. According to DA, the free service presents an immense potential to enhance, if not revolutionize, the way the agency delivers technical support and education to its clientele. “Today is a singular moment in the history of Philippine Agriculture as it marks the realization of one complete step towards giving farmers better access to proven, easy to use and cost effective rice technologies," said DA Secretary Proceso Alcala. “It is truly a milestone in our efforts to provide better service for the benefit of our farmers. This is the first of its kind application in the world. There are many applications for farmers and services thereon but there’s none that captures, process and translate inputs into recommendations and sending it back to the user without a human involved," said Dr. Achim Dobermann, IRRI deputy director for research. Doberman cited Smart and Globe, with their coming together as partners and even agreed to use the same access number for the service, save the asterisk for Smart, is also a milestone in the business industry. Nutrient Manager for Rice was first made available in CD format in 2008 but its distribution reach into rice-growing areas was limited. IRRI said that it made sense for the DA to use mobile phones as a way to communicate with farmers because many Filipino farmers do not have an access to computer but most have access to a mobile phone. Alcala said that with the state of the art and expansive network of Globe and Smart, DA is assured of serving the biggest possible number of farmers and extension workers. NMRiceMobile is designed for farmers and extension workers who do not have access to the internet. The launched of NMRiceMobile yesterday coincides with the 24th anniversary celebration of ATI. The NMRiceMobile is intended to become an additional service of the DA Farmers’ Contact Center manned by ATI. - Newsbytes.ph