Building local capacities in weed management for rice-based systems

Jonne RodenburgAfrica Rice Center (AfricaRice)

Africa RISING East and Southern Africa Research Review and

Planning Meeting, Arusha, Tanzania, 1-5 October 2012

Contents• Weed knowledge capacities

enhanced among local agricultural R&D professionals and students: Weedsbook

• Locally adjustable rotary weeders tested

• Local craftsmen trained in the manufacturing of locally adjustable rotary weeders

• 2 videos on labor-saving weed management

Weed science workshop• Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA),

Morogoro: 10 May 2012• 37 participants (10F:27M)• Introducing and demonstrating Weedsbook &

AFROweeds identification tool• Demonstrating herbarium preparation and

photographing for online data base

Labor-saving weeding interventionsRotary weeders Herbicides

Blacksmith workshop: rotary weeders• Blacksmith workshop on manufacturing locally

adaptable rotary weeders for lowland rice• Morogoro – 10-12 July, 2012, Intermech Engineering

Ltd

• 34 participants:• 12 blacksmiths • 16 engineers• 5 governmental organizations; 11 private

enterprises • 3 different rotary weeder types were

manufactured and tested during the workshop• CAMARTEC produces 3D technical drawings

Rotary weeder tests• Testing rotary weeders against pre-

emergence herbicides and hand weeding:o Time of weed interventiono Weed biomass and rice yield

• Bagamoyo; 1st season April-August, 2nd season August-December

Rotary weeder tests

Madagascar-weederMadagascar-weeder Japan-weederJapan-weeder

• Hand weeding at 21 and 42 days after transplanting (DAT)

• Pre-emergence herbicide (Ronstar: oxadiazon) application at 4 DAT + hand weeding at 42 DAT

• Rotary weeding Madagascar-type at 21 and 42 DAT

• Rotary weeding Japan-type at 21 and 42 DAT

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Hand weeding Madagascarweeder

Japan weeder Pre-emergenceherbicide(Ronstar)

Weed DW T1 (g/m2)Weed DW T2 (g/m2)Weed DW Harvest (g/m2)Yield (t/ha)

a

b b b

a

b b b

Weeding time (min./man/11.25 m2) per intervention method

Weed biomass (g/m2)and rice yields (t/ha) per intervention method

• Hand weeding = 444 man hour/ha/season

• Herbicide most labor-saving (18% of hand weeding time)

• Rotary weeders can reduce labor inputs by 50-64%

• Only early weed biomass (at 21 DAT) affected by weed intervention

• No significant yield differences

• Weeding time can be further reduced through practice

• Water management and land leveling is important

• Currently running 2nd season test (duplicate)• CAMARTEC to provide 3D technical drawings

of three weeder types, to be disseminated with video

• Next step: on-farm testing with farmers, testing line tracers, seeders

Rotary weeder tests

Weed management video production

• 2 farmer-to-farmer videos on labor-saving weed management options:1) “rotary-hoe weeding in lowland rice”2) “safe and efficient use of herbicides”

• Filming with Real2Reel Film Productions: 1) 7 days: 4-10 September 20122) 3 locations: Ifakara, Morogoro and Moshi

• Editing & Translations: 11 Sept. – 31 Oct.• DVD production in 5 languages –

o combined with previous AfricaRice “Weed Management” and “Transplanting” videos

Project specific indicatorsPlanned Achieved

• 2 new videos produced in four languages

o In progress (finalizing 31/10/12)

• 10,000 DVDs o To be produced in November

• 5,000 stakeholders reached with video o November / December

• 25 local agricultural R&D professionals and students trained and included in Weedsbook

o Achieved

• 10 blacksmiths and 5 representatives of relevant organizations trained

o Achieved

• 2 prototypes of rotary weeders for Tanzania selected/tested/improved

o Partly achieved

Partners• ACDI-VOCA (project: NAFAKA – Tanzania Staples Value Chain;

Morogoro, Tanzania)• SUA (Sokoine University of Agriculture; Morogoro, Tanzania)• KATC (Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Center; Moshi,

Tanzania)• MATI-Igurusi• MARI• CAMARTEC (Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural

Technology; Arusha, Tanzania )• Intermech Engineering Ltd (private sector; Morogoro,

Tanzania)• MAFC

Thank you!Thank you!