balita.ph; November 14, 2013 12:41 pm 

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 13 (PNA) – There is much help that ducks could provide in organic rice farming which the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) wants Bicolano farmers to take advantage of.

That is why the agency’s regional office for Bicol based here has been holding training sessions on its Rice-Duck Integrated Farming System (RDIFS) for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in a campaign to bring back organic farming in the region in support to the National Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.

DAR’s Program Beneficiaries’ Development Division regional chief Lucia Vitug on Tuesday said ducks which are locally called 'itik' are the best partner in palay farming, one, because they serve as weeders thus, farm owners need not hire laborers to remove the weeds in the farm because ducks can do the job more efficiently and effectively.

Ducks eat young weed plants and weed seeds while their trampling activity also kept the weeds under control by as much as 90 percent thereby oxygenating the water and encouraging the roots of the rice plants to grow vigorously.

Another, Vitug said is that there is no need to buy insecticides because ducks eat the pests in the farm such as the highly devastating golden kuhol (snail), green leafhopper, brown plant hopper, zigzag leaf hopper, rice bug, short-horned grasshopper and long-horned grasshopper.

Worldwide studies, she said, proved that the populations of these pests were significantly lower in rice-duck farms compared to paddies without ducks. Ducklings were found catching insects efficiently in the rice-duck plots, thereby reducing the insect population.

Besides, these common water birds’ droppings also serve as fertilizer, so that farmers save on the cost of this farm input.

Ducks, according to Vitug, also stimulates the growth of every palay plant as while they search for snails, they at the same time cultivate the soil.

RDIFS data show that, on the average, yields of the rice-duck are 20 percent higher than those of the sole rice paddies and the superiority of the rice-duck system is consistent in all locations and all seasons, she revealed.

“In short, the presence of ducks in the farm lessens the input cost in palay production,” she added.

DAR agriculturist Tomas Diesta agreed with Vitug as he added that the use of ducks in palay farms implies that the produce is certified organic given that the use of chemicals is forbidden by the presence of these birds, otherwise they will be poisoned.

Apart from reducing insecticide and chemical fertilizer requirements, RDIFS also ensures a safe environment and organic products, he said.

There are also previous studies which prove that the duck-rice organic farming system led to the increase in yield and food security since ducks also lay eggs which can be another source of food, reduction of manual labor, good health and sound environment, Diesta said.

The higher income from this system is generated in two ways– the higher rice yields combined with the reduced cost of production and the additional income from ducks’ eggs, meat and live sales, he said.

One of latest training on RDIFS conducted by the DAR regional office was for various organizations of ARBS in Bulan, Sorsogon wherein participants shared some grievances in the farming business.

Diesta said the participants revealed that the farming system they were on has been pulling their life on much lower level because of the high input cost, climate change, poor irrigation system and absence of support services in technology.

“We were aware of these sentiments beforehand that is why we are pushing hard the application of ‘duck power’ in farming. With this, the participating ARBs found a new inspiration towards productivity,” he said.

Diesta explained: the soil is the most important component in farming, however, its fertility dies because chemicals kill micro-organisms that are naturally present in it and helping in the natural fertilization process like composting of dry leaves.

Soil analysis showed that nutrient levels in the soils of the rice-duck fields were higher indicating that the grazing of the ducks enriched the soil’s nutrients, probably through their excreta.

The movement of the ducks in the paddies enhances the aeration of the soil and prevents accumulation of harmful gases in the rhizosphere which is another reason for the stimulation of the growth of the rice plants.

Ducks’ movement and feeding activity in the rice field disturbed the soil, resulting in the improvement of its physical property, hence, enhancing the rice root systems, Diesta said.

“All these advantages give us the reason in pushing on organic farming and introducing to ARBs the use of ducks in the system,” he added.

After the Bulan ARBs training, Vitug said the participants were given opportunity to visit rice fields in the nearby town of Sta. Magdalena that are dedicated to organic farming particularly the RDIFS.

“They were amazed on seeing the rice fields that truly weed-free and the growth of palay was great. Convinced of what they have seen, they are determined to adopt the RDIFS organic farming,” she added. - [By Danny O. Calleja (PNA) CTB/FGS/DOC/CBD/]