BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

How about the King of Rice for dinner?
by Ma. Lizbeth J. Baroña

October-December 2003
Volume 5 No. 4

In the hinterlands of Abra grows a rare rice variety of high quality. Its reputation of being non-adaptive to growing conditions other than the upland conditions where it is being currently grown, makes it a rarity, but not for long. A study conducted to test the adaptability and productivity of this rice variety in lowland conditions will soon change that.

Ballatinaw, is an indigenous rice raised in the uplands of Abra. It is called "King of Rice" and "Rice for Kings" for the right reasons. This indigenous rice is scarce, is of high quality, and commands a high market price. Truly, Ballatinaw is rice fit for royals.

A study conducted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) will make Ballatinaw adaptable to the lowland farming conditions, and increase its yield, as one of the problems with Ballatinaw is that it is low yielding.

The distant and elusive Ballatinaw
The local and international markets are showing signs of an increasing demand for this rare rice variety. But the low-yielding characteristic of the rice hinders this market opportunity.

The researchers sought to develop a technology for growing Ballatinaw in the lowlands. However, developing the technology to make this possible proved to be tricky as farmer cooperators (FC) in Abra reported that the aroma and good eating characteristics of Ballatinaw will be lost the moment fertilizer is applied, or if it is planted in the lowlands. In other words, Ballatinaw has to be planted the indigenous way to be able to preserve its good qualities. Farmers claimed that Ballatinaw prefers abundant water and produces higher yield in cold places. Not a single Ballatinaw rice farmer claimed to have applied inorganic fertilizer in growing the rice.

The dilemma now for the Ballatinaw farmers and Philrice, is how to give the market what it wants, and at the same time, preserve the uniqueness that made the rice in demand, in the first place.

Farmers' practices
The production practices of the farmers were observed as basis of evaluation and comparison with the practice that involved interventions in the production.

Land preparation for Ballatinaw growing was similar to the recommended practice. Seedlings were sown in June either on a wetbed or by drilling six seeds per hill in a relatively dry soil. After 35-45 days, usually done in July, seedlings are transplanted. According to the farmers, seedlings should be planted with wide spaces in between to allow the plant to make more tillers. True to the testimonies of the farmers, the rice had never been touched by anything inorganic. Not even in controlling weeds, or pests.

Weeds were minimal in the rice farms because the farmers prepared the bed very well. Stem borers and rice bugs were the observed infestations, but the farmers ignored them. They did not have any control measures against the pests.

… and the Ballatinaw rice intevention
As an intervention to the farmers' practice, a minimal fertilizer of 5 bags organic and 90-30-30- kg NPK per hectare was applied. The trials were held at lowland setting in Ilocos Norte. Results show that the tillers increased by 67% (from 9 tillers to 15 tillers), and the plant height increased by 17%.

All the Ballatinaw rice farms applied with fertilizer consistently got higher yield than that of the standard practice. The farmers' practice yielded 1750 kg to 3250 kg per hectare, while the farms applied with the intervention yielded 2580 kg to 3426 kg per hectare.

This yield increase was equivalent to an added P10,020.00 per hecatare. The added cost for fertilizer was P3,954.00 per hectare but still with an increase in net benefits was a little more than P6000.00 per hectare.

The remaining question would be that, after all the success in making the rice yield more, has it retained its original characteristics that made Ballatinaw a special rice? Sixty-four percent of those who tested the Ballatinaw rice produced in the lowlands versus the rice produced in the uplands, think it had.

The interventions disproved the farmers' claim that applying fertilizer, and planting the rice in the lowlands would make the rice lose its exceptional characteristics.

The findings have belied the myth that had made Ballatinaw exclusive for upland dwellers, but at the same time lose its name as the King of Rice..

Source: Participatory approach in technology development: Dispelling the myths of Ballatinaw Rice Production, by NQ Abrogena, SP Liboon, AC Aguinaldo, PC Alquiza, MU Bayangos, SV Briones, and RC Castro, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Batac Ilocos Norte.