Despite the scarcity of water due to El Niño, it’s farming as usual for Lyndon Basilio, a rice farmer in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur.
Although his town was badly hit by the prolonged dry spell, his land preparation went on schedule, as the even and wider terrain of his farm allows him to plow and harrow the field sans the use of irrigation water.
“Usually, farmers inundate their fields for three days to make it easier for laborers to plow and harrow it. This practice requires huge amount of water and cannot be done when there is El Niño,” Basilio said.
“Since I have an even and wider field, I can use heavy equipment, such as farm tractor. That’s why, despite drought, I am now preparing my field for the coming cropping season,” he added.
The International Rice Research Institute (Irri) on its web site said studies have indicated that 20 percent to 25 percent of irrigation water is lost during farm operations due to poor design and uneven field. “This translates to 20-percent fuel cost for pumping water,” the Irri said.
Basilio attributed his well-leveled paddy field to the laser-guided land-leveler technology, of which the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Davao region identified him as one of the demo-farm cooperators.
Climate-smart farm practice
Irri considers the laser-guided land leveling as a climate-smart agriculture practice that helps save scarce resources, such as water and soil, while increasing yields and farmers’ income.
In its Laser Leveling Training Manual, the Irri explained that laser beam is used to attain a desired even slope. The system includes a laser transmitter that emits an infrared beam, which is intercepted by the laser receiver mounted on the leveling bucket. The control panel mounted on the tractor intercepts the signal from the receiver and opens or closes the hydraulic-control valve, which will raise or lower the bucket.
While using laser land leveler in his 5-hectare farm, Basilio has reduced the 12 uneven boxes to only four but even and wider boxes. Each box measures 1.25 hectares, allowing him to maximize the size of his farm and consolidate more areas for planting.
Basilio said an even field will help farmers save on time and labor cost. “I used to hire laborers and five carabaos to do the plowing and harrowing for seven days. There were times, we cannot finish land preparation on time, as no laborer would be available for the whole week,” he said, adding that land preparation with laser-guided land leveler will only take two to three days, and desired result is more accurate.
An even field also leads to even distribution of water, making it easy for farmers to control weeds and pests. “Improved water coverage suppresses the growth of weeds and controls black bug—one of the major rice pests. If your field is not even, some of the bugs will stay on areas that cannot absorb water and multiply.”
Basilio also observed that even field promotes good germination and growth of the crop, as well as uniformity in crop maturity. He says in a properly leveled 1.25-hectare rice paddy, he was able to harvest 195 bags.
He said promoting mechanization in rice production starts with even and wider field for easy transporting of farm equipment. If before he used to manually transplant the rice seedlings, he now uses a mechanical transplanter, saving him time and labor cost.
“Usually, our harvest time would take up to two weeks. After leveling our field, we can now use a combine harvester, which only takes two days to complete the harvest,” Basilio said.
“With the area wide enough, it is easier for the machine operator to maneuver, as he will no longer be hopping from one box to the other. Hauling is also more convenient, as trailer can now be used to haul and transport our harvest,” he said.
Common service facility
Although the initial cost of using laser leveling is quite high, Basilio said farmers can still get better return, as releveling the entire field can only be done after eight to 10 years.
“Measurements in the field usually takes little variations and would only require around two days,” he said, adding that wastage has also reduced.
With lesser frequency of using the technology, he suggested that it will be used as a common service facility, so more farmers can access and apply it in their farms. He also stressed the need to train tractor operators, as driving the four-wheel tractor is similar to driving heavy equipment, and the vehicle also needs regular maintenance.
Basilio said the laser field-leveling technology has changed the laborious rice farming, as more machines can now be used not only in land preparation but also in the whole production cycle.
In this time of varying climate, his even field enables him to weather drought and looks forward to better income. “Since I am ahead of other rice farmers, I can harvest earlier and command better price.”